Also known as LI-NE-ZHA, LI-NOZHA, LI-NO-ZHA, LI-NO-CHA
LI-NEZHA: Trickster God Boy of Childish Pranks and Tantrums.
Even if you are well-versed in Godly ways, it's just possible his
story could stretch your credulity. Formerly a monstrous Immortal
with three heads, eight arms and nine eyes, LI-NEZHA was sent down
to Earth by the JADE-EMPEROR to subdue a plague of demons.
Smuggled in by a fellow immortal, he turned up in the womb of
Emperor LI-JING's wife and would have been killed at birth if he
hadn't made certain Auspicious Signs and flashed a magic bracelet
at them.
They called him Third Prince. Soon he was a strapping six-year-old
lad, 6 ft tall and with pants of fire. Literally. One day, while he
was paddling in the sea, he set it alight.
Puzzled by the mysterious flames, AO-KUANG, the Dragon King of the
Eastern Sea, sent his princely son AO-PING to investigate. But in a
playful mood of boyish high spirits, LI-NEZHA killed him.
Oops.
The enraged King zoomed from his Underwater Palace seeking revenge,
but was defeated himself in a most humiliating manner. The other
DRAGON-KINGS, pausing only to squabble over the empty throne, got
their own back by bursting into the Emperor's home and kidnapping
both LI-JING and his wife.
This was a delicate situation requiring the utmost diplomacy and
tact. So an abashed LI-NEZHA sulkily committed suicide and his
parents were released.
But the next morning a rolling ball of flesh turned up at the
palace. LI-JING sliced it open and zoom! there was LI-NEZHA again.
His dad was very angry at all these goings-on, and tried to cut him
down to size. Father and son battled furiously, and it looked like
the end for LI-JING.
But the JADE-EMPEROR, who couldn't help feeling that his original
plan had gone somewhat awry, intervened and made peace between
them. Father and son joined forces and thus begain their heroic
career of demon-slaying.
Many years later, when LI-NEZHA was back in Heaven enjoying the
rewards of his labors, mortals back on Earth began to worship him
as a God of Lotteries and Gambling. Of all the Chinese Gods, he's
probably the only one mischievous enough to reveal the winning
numbers.
VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: n/a
Location : China
Gender : Male
Category : Deity
Pronunciation : Lee Nuh Jhar
Alternative names : LI-NE-ZHA, LI-NOZHA, LI-NO-ZHA, LI-NO-CHA
Attributes : Coming soon
Mystic number : 1477 (a)