In the classic literary work "Journey to the West," many magical treasures have captured people's imaginations, and the drowsy bug is one of them. Throughout the journey to the West, Sun Wukong often employs these little bugs to induce drowsiness in demons or others, making it easier for him to act covertly. Sometimes these bugs are plucked from his own fur, while at other times they are acquired through games of chance with immortals from his past. With Sun Wukong's clever use, the drowsy bug proves to be a valuable asset to the mission of obtaining the scriptures. So, what exactly is the origin of this magical little creature?
The earliest recorded mention of the drowsy bug appears in Buddhist scriptures. In the "Fayuan Zhulin" compiled by the Tang Dynasty monk Daoshi (written in 668 AD), there is a reference to a "sleep-loving bug," which is described as tiny in form, resembling dust, and residing in various parts of the human body such as bones, muscles, skull, and cheeks. When it moves to the heart, it disturbs the rhythm of its operation, causing both the bug and the person to fall asleep. If the drowsy bug is excessively tired during the day, then the person will also sleep during the daytime.
As Buddhist stories became more popularized, similar concepts began to appear in literary works. In a variant of the story "Eight Variations" discovered in the Dunhuang caves, there is a mention of "sending a drowsy deity to the mortal realm, causing a hundred people to fall into a deep sleep." This could have been one of the inspirations for the lively depiction of such a creature in "Journey to the West."
To explore what species the drowsy bug might be, let's first examine its characteristics as described in "Journey to the West."
In Chapter 5 when stealing wine at the Peach Banquet, Sun Wukong flicks the drowsy bug onto the faces of his targets, causing them to become drowsy and fall asleep with their hands soft, heads lowered, and eyes closed. Sun Wukong employs a similar technique in Chapter 25 when dealing with the disciples of the Five Elements Mountain. In the later stages of the journey, the use of the drowsy bug is further elaborated. In Chapter 71, to deceive and abduct the Lady Golden Cicada of the Gold Holy Palace, Sun Wukong places the drowsy bug on the face of Lady Golden Cicada's close attendant Chun Jiao (who is actually the Fox Spirit in disguise). The author further explains: "When the drowsy bug reaches the face, it crawls into the nostrils, and once it crawls into the nostrils, the person falls asleep."
Based on the author's description, we can observe two characteristics of the drowsy bug: firstly, it likely does not have wings for flight. Because when Sun Wukong flicks or throws it, if the drowsy bug could fly, it might not accurately hit its target. Secondly, the drowsy bug can crawl into a person's nostrils on its own, indicating it might be a burrowing creature.
From ancient texts, we can search for the prototype of the drowsy bug. Shortly after the publication of "Journey to the West," a reader named Huang Bingshi discussed its origins in his reflections on the novel. Huang Bingshi, who was active during the Ming Dynasty, discussed the origins of the ginseng fruit and the drowsy bug in his essay collection "Oude Gede".
Regarding the drowsy bug, Huang Bingshi said: "There are also sleep-loving bugs. In the sand on the sea, they like to sleep, they are called sleep-loving bugs, and they can be used to shoot poison at birds and beasts." The sand beetle was first mentioned in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" by the early Tang Dynasty physician Chen Cangqi, which describes this small insect as "being present in certain places. It lives in sandstones, making spiral holes. It is as big as a large bean, with spines on its back, and can walk backwards." Therefore, it is also called the "backwards-walking puppy." Chen Cangqi also mentioned that it "likes to sleep and is also called a sleep-loving bug." This description was followed by many medical books.
What are the effects of this sand beetle mentioned in "Compendium of Materia Medica"? Chen Cangqi did not mention any medicinal uses for it, just saying that it is poisonous, "When taken alive and placed under the pillow, it promotes harmony between husband and wife. It is not suitable for use against people, but it can kill birds and beasts." This usage was also elaborated upon in later records. The Song Dynasty collection of anecdotes "Extensive Records of the Taiping Era" quotes a passage from "Northern Dream Miscellaneous Sayings" written by the scholar Sun Guangxian of the Five Dynasties, which mentions that medicine sellers in Chengdu were selling "aphrodisiacs" at high prices to young men in the city, but when Sun's family got some and examined them, they found out that it was the sand beetle (referred to by the people of Shu as sand captives). Ming Dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu also mentioned in "Spring Dreams of the Martial Forest" that "In the Ming Dynasty, a man stood in front of the Cui Isle, picked up the sand beetle and placed it under the pillow," reflecting this folk method.
As people in the Ming Dynasty became increasingly interested in natural history, the description of the sand beetle became more detailed. Tan Zhenmo wrote the earliest entomological work in China, "Tan's Insect Carving," which describes the sand beetle as also known as the "monk bug," with two forms: one is "black with red spots like lacquer, walking a few desks away, the body is round, like a shaved head, as big as half a grain of scarlet bean, with wings in the shell, and eight legs under the abdomen"; the other is "brownish-yellow, with black dots on the upper part, symmetrical, shaped like melon seeds, with two antennae and six legs."
The sand beetle is actually the larva of an antlion, also known as an antlion. It is generally less than 1 centimeter long, with a stout spindle-shaped body and a plump abdomen, and a pair of huge sickle-shaped mandibles on the head. Antlions are adept at digging traps to capture other insects for food. After selecting a suitable digging spot, they crawl backward, using their abdomen as a plow to dig through the soil, using their front legs to move soil particles onto their heads, then tossing them out of the pit. This allows them to spiral inward toward the center until they form a steep sand slope funnel. Then the antlion patiently waits at the bottom of the funnel for its prey, appearing as if it is asleep. When ants and other small insects pass by the funnel, they easily slip down and become prey to the antlion. The antlion injects venom into its prey, sucks out its body fluids, and then discards the remains.
Antlions (Author is an Associate Researcher at the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)
