Chinese Mythology: Han Ba (the drought demon)

It is said that Han Ba was originally Tian Nu Ba, the daughter of the Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor). After helping her father defeat Chi You, her divine power was exhausted, and no rain fell where she lived, so she was called Han Ba.

传Chuán说shuō ， 在zài中zhōng国guó的de一yī个gè古gǔ老lǎo村cūn庄zhuāng ， 天tiān空kōng连lián续xù数shù月yuè未wèi降jiàng一yī滴dī雨yǔ ， 田tián地dì干gān裂liè ， 庄zhuāng稼jià枯kū萎wěi 。 村Cūn民mín们men忧yōu心xīn忡chōng忡chōng ， 纷fēn纷fēn议yì论lùn着zhe是shì否fǒu旱hàn魃bá出chū现xiàn了le 。

Legend said, in an ancient village in China, the sky hadn’t dropped a single drop of rain for months. The fields cracked, and the crops wilted. The villagers were worried and talked about whether a Han Ba had appeared.

村Cūn民mín们men回huí忆yì起qǐ去qù年nián村cūn里lǐ死sǐ了le个gè年nián轻qīng人rén ， 尸shī体tǐ至zhì今jīn未wèi腐fǔ ， 且qiě坟fén头tóu周zhōu围wéi总zǒng是shì异yì常cháng干gān燥zào 。 大Dà家jiā猜cāi测cè ， 这zhè个gè年nián轻qīng人rén的de尸shī体tǐ可kě能néng变biàn成chéng了le旱hàn魃bá 。

The villagers recalled that a young man in the village had died the previous year, and his body had not decomposed. The area around his grave was always unusually dry. They speculated that the young man’s body might have turned into a Han Ba.

为Wèi了le求qiú雨yǔ ， 村cūn民mín们men决jué定dìng挖wā开kāi坟fén墓mù ， 将jiāng尸shī体tǐ暴bào晒shài并bìng焚fén烧shāo ， 这zhè就jiù是shì “ 打dǎ旱hàn魃bá ” 的de习xí俗sú 。 他Tā们men怀huái着zhe忐tǎn忑tè的de心xīn情qíng ， 挖wā开kāi了le坟fén墓mù ， 果guǒ然rán发fā现xiàn尸shī体tǐ并bìng未wèi腐fǔ烂làn ， 还hái长zhǎng出chū了le绿lǜ毛máo 。

To bring rain, the villagers decided to dig up the grave, expose and burn the body. This was the custom of ”killing Han Ba.” With trembling hearts, they dug up the grave and indeed found that the body had not decomposed and had even grown green hair.

村Cūn民mín们men按àn照zhào传chuán统tǒng仪yí式shì焚fén烧shāo了le尸shī体tǐ ， 不bù久jiǔ后hòu ， 天tiān空kōng乌wū云yún密mì布bù ， 大dà雨yǔ倾qīng盆pén而ér下xià ， 滋zī润rùn了le干gān渴kě的de大dà地dì 。 村Cūn民mín们men欢huān呼hū雀què跃yuè ， 感gǎn谢xiè上shàng天tiān终zhōng于yú带dài来lái了le雨yǔ水shuǐ 。