A few words on the Wǔxiá genre

The literary and movie genre known as “swashbuckler” (in Italian we call it “cappa e spada”), never goes out of fashion. Salient features of the genre are undoubtedly the presence of heroes who act inspired by chivalric values, coming to the aid of the weak, the historical setting, mostly medieval times, and the essential element of sword fighting and generally emphasizing the warrior characteristics of the protagonist. As I have mentioned other times in these articles, this is genre literature (and cinema). Genre literature is specially created with recurring elements that characterize it and contribute to its specific language and atmosphere. Traditionally, it is considered “popular” literature in the sense that it does not have great artistic pretensions, but aims more at entertainment. Several times I have challenged this definition, since genre literature has often produced masterpieces. The same argument applies to cinema. It is good to know that the “swashbuckler” genre also has its counterpart in the Asian sphere, particularly in Chinese lands: the wǔxiá (武侠), a genre featuring martial arts warriors in stories set in traditional China. To give an example known to all, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon of 2000 directed by Ang Lee can be considered of the wǔxiá genre. Incidentally, it seems that the genre, which was born in the 20th century, is actually firmly rooted in and harkens back to precedents in classical Chinese literature. Continua a leggere “Warriors in Ancient China” →