Queen Mother of the West

Queen Mother of the West
The Queen Mother of the West in a detail from a painting by Xie Wenli
AbodeMount Kunlun, or
Tortoise Mountain
ConsortDongwanggong
Chinese name
Chinese西王母
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXīwángmǔ
Wade–GilesHsi Wang-mu
Golden Mother of the Jade Pond
Traditional Chinese瑤池金母
Simplified Chinese瑶池金母
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYáochí Jīnmǔ
Wade–GilesYao-chih Chin-mu
Golden Mother the First Ruler
Chinese金母元君
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJīnmǔ Yuánjūn
Lady Queen Mother
Chinese王母娘娘
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWángmǔ Niángniáng
Wade–GilesWang-mu Niang-niang

The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped later in neighbouring countries. She is attested from ancient times.

The first historical information on her can be traced back to Shang dynasty oracle bone inscriptions that record sacrifices to a "Western Mother".[1] Even though these inscriptions illustrate that she predates organized Taoism, she is most often associated with Taoism. The growing popularity of the Queen Mother of the West, as well as the beliefs that she was the dispenser of prosperity, longevity, and eternal bliss, took place during Han dynasty, in the 2nd century BCE, when the northern and western parts of China became more accessible through the opening of the Silk Road.[2][3]

  1. ^ Cahill 1993, p. 12-13.
  2. ^ Mair 2006, p. [page needed].
  3. ^ Pregadio 2013, p. 94.