Myth and the Experience of War

Background

The Ballad of Mulan is a folk song that was likely composed during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-535 CE). It tells the story of Mulan, a woman who fought for the Northern Wei Dynasty, likely in its battles against the Rouran Khaganate. There are surviving printed versions from the 12^th century, but the ballad was recorded as early as the 6^th century by the monk Jizang (549-623 CE). While later versions exist, the version below is a translation of the earliest Ballad of Mulan.

The Northern Wei Dynasty was a dynasty that ruled northern China from 386 to 534 CE. It was founded by the Tuoba clan, a tribe of the Xianbei people who had migrated from the Mongolian steppes to northern China. The Tuoba clan had become powerful during the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms and were able to establish their own dynasty after defeating the rival Northern Liang state.

The dynasty was plagued by internal strife and external threats. The ruling dynasty was divided into two factions, the Tuoba clan and the Murong clan, who fought for power and influence. The state also faced incursions from nomadic tribes such as the Rouran and the Tujue, who were able to exploit the internal divisions of the dynasty.

In 534 CE, the Northern Wei Dynasty split into two separate states, the Eastern Wei and the Western Wei, which were later succeeded by the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou dynasties. Despite its relatively short lifespan, the Northern Wei Dynasty left a lasting impact on Chinese culture and history, particularly in the fields of art and religion.

Questions

What might the ballad reveal about 6^th-century gender mores in China?
In what ways does Mulan’s role as a woman in society develop and change over the course of the ballad?
Despite being a song about a woman warrior, the ballad is absent any detailed descriptions of her experience of battle. Why do you think that might be the case?
What do you think the final couplets mean, and how do they shape your understanding of the poem?

Assignment

As you read this text, take notes on a piece of paper with the questions above in mind. Try to answer them using bullet points. With your responses in mind, we are going to annotate the text collaboratively.

To add annotations, you will need to have an account with Hypothes.is. You should have already set up your account, but if not, go back to the details on how to use Hypothes.is for directions.

The purpose of the annotations are to learn from each other. When thinking about what you are adding, consider how it might move a conversation forward, or help explicate something. The best answers are likely to both clarify something and open up the conversation to move in new directions.

In order to receive credit for completing this assignment in the module, you should complete a minimum of two of the following:

Annotate a sentence of the text with a thoughtful response by explaining what the sentence might mean and/or how it might help answer one of the five questions above. In answering the question, you should think about meaning-making and how the text is getting us to think in complex ways.
Add to the five questions above by highlighting a section of the text and asking a new, thought-provoking question. Thought-provoking questions are rarely who, what, when, where, or how questions. Likewise, they are rarely yes or no questions. Rather, they encourage us to pause and think about complexity and nuance.
Respond to a comment, answer, or question posed by a fellow participant with a thoughtful reflection or response that helps move the conversation forward.
Add a substantive note that explains a who, what, when, where, or how. This is especially useful when there are names, things, or places mentioned in the text for whom readers do not have context or background.

There are no specific guidelines for annotations, but pay attention to the suggestions above. Think of your annotation as your participation in a conversation. A good annotation is likely to open up more conversation rather than shut down conversation. For example, writing a response such as, “I agree” is perfectly fine, but if you don’t add something more, the conversation comes to a close.

Reading

You can find the reading here. Remember that you need to login to Hypothes.is to make comments.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSKYLrv_S2DML1ZJ9SatK5reKxN5smFrLgdi9h2QGvJYEIKmICIvXWzA7NpW8VA0USJQ87f9Sd3DNQp/pub