The Legend of the Condor Heroes

The Legend of Condor Heroes (simplified Chinese: 射雕英雄传; traditional Chinese: 射鵰英雄傳; Mandarin Pinyin: shè diāo yīng xióng zhuàn; Jyutping: se6 diu1 jing1 hung4 zyun6; literally "Story of the Eagle-shooting Hero") is a Wuxia novel by Jin Yong, and the first part of the Condor Trilogy. After its first edition was first serialized in 1957 in Hong Kong Commercial Daily, Jin Yong revised the novel twice, first in the 1970s and later in the 2000s.

Plot

The story is set in the Song Dynasty and at the beginning of the Jin invasion of northern China. The first part of the novel revolves around the friendship of two men, Yang Tiexin and Guo Xiaotian, who become heroes in their own right as they fight the Jin invaders. The bond between the duo is so strong that they pledge to each other that their unborn children will become either sworn brothers (if both are of the same sex) or a couple (if they are of opposite sexes).

The story focuses on the trials and tribulations of their sons after Guo's death and Yang's disappearance. Guo Jing, Guo Xiaotian's son, grows up in Mongolia under the care of Genghis Khan. Yang Kang, on the other hand, grows up in Jin as a Jurchen prince's son. Guo is mentored by the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan" in martial arts but he is a slow learner and only manages to master part of the skills he is taught. Yang is mentored by Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen Sect and he learns the evil "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" from Mei Chaofeng secretly.

The boys' personalities differ largely from each other due to the difference in the manners they were raised. Guo is honest, loyal and righteous but lacks intelligence. Conversely, Yang is clever, but scheming and treacherous. They eventually meet one another and their respective lovers, Huang Rong and Mu Nianci. The main plot follows Guo and Huang's adventures and their encounters with the Five Greats. Meanwhile, Yang plots with the Jurchens to destroy his native land of Song. Yang refuses to acknowledge his ethnicity and is strongly driven to acquire wealth, fame and glory. His treachery is slowly unveiled throughout the novel through the encounters he has with the protagonists.

Assisted by Guo, the Mongol military destroys the Jin Dynasty, subsequently turning its attention towards Song. Guo is unwilling to aid the Mongols in conquering his native homeland and leaves Mongolia. Guo returns to Song and helps his countrymen in countering the Mongol invasion. On the other hand, Yang meets his retributive end, leaving behind Mu Nianci and their unborn son.

Characters

• Guo Jing (郭靖) – the son of Guo Xiaotian and Li Ping. He is born in Mongolia under the care and protection of Genghis Khan. He learns martial arts from many teachers, namely the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan", Ma Yu of the Quanzhen Sect, Hong Qigong and Zhou Botong. Although he is slow-witted, he maintains good moral principles and possesses a strong sense of patriotism towards his country and race. Towards the end of the novel, his adventures and many encounters transform him into one of the greatest pugilists of his time.

• Huang Rong (黃蓉) – the daughter of Huang Yaoshi and Feng Heng. She meets Guo Jing by chance and they embark on their adventures together. They fall in love gradually and are eventually married. She is accepted as a disciple by Hong Qigong and later succeeds Hong as chief of the Beggars' Sect. She is intelligent and tactful, specializing in several other fields besides martial arts just like her father, and inheriting her mother's eidetic memory.

• Yang Kang (楊康) – the son of Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo. He is raised in the Jin Dynasty as the son of the sixth prince, Wanyan Honglie, and is also known as "Wanyan Kang" (完顏康). He is treacherous and manipulative, lusting for fame, wealth and power, to the extent of exploiting his own race. He is thus labelled as a race traitor for acknowledging Wanyan Honglie, who is responsible for the deaths of his parents, as his father. He meets his retributive end after being poisoned in the Temple of the Iron Spear.

• Mu Nianci (穆念慈) – the foster daughter of Mu Yi (Yang Tiexin). She meets Yang Kang during the contest for a spouse and falls in love with him. However, she leaves him after witnessing his acts of villainy and treachery. She is pregnant with his child then and gives birth to their son, Yang Guo.

Adaptations

Films

TV series

Comics

• In 1998, Hong Kong's Ming Ho (明河社) published a 38 volume comic series illustrated by Lee Chi Ching. This was published in Indonesia by MNC Comics in 2000.

Video games

• Shachou Eiyuuden: The Eagle Shooting Heroes - developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation

See also

• Condor Trilogy
• List of organisations in Wuxia fiction

External links

• Baidu Baike (Chinese)
• English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia