The devil kings in medieval Daoism: A study of the 'Most High Dongyuan Scripture of Divine Spells'

The Most High Dongyuan Scripture of Divine Spells (Taishang dongyuan shenzhou jing) is a Daoist text that originated in China's Medieval period in the southern region of Jiangnan, towards the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). According to the text, humanity is in great danger from hordes of demons that are now flooding the world. These demons will spread disease and chaos, causing an untold number of deaths and the unraveling of society. Humanity's only hope is the leaders of these demons themselves. These devil kings (mowang) and demon kings (guiwang) will come to the aid of faithful and knowledgeable Daoists by driving out lesser demons and killing those who disobey. This thesis will analyze the unique cosmology created by the conversion of demons as described throughout the text.