This study aims to shed new light on the historical value of the strange and extraordinary events depicted in zhiguai (志怪) tales, which have been traditionally relegated to the realm of fictional storytelling by modern Enlightenment-influenced literary critics. By moving beyond the literary perspective that has long confined these tales, this research re-evaluates the significance of these narratives within their historical context. First, through an understanding of the interactions between the seen world and the unseen world, the study reinterprets the cosmography—i.e., the universal worldview or cosmology—of the populace at the time. Building on this new understanding, the study seeks to reevaluate the accounts within zhiguai tales. It argues that the authors were not merely fabricating fictional stories but were, as they claimed, collecting important narratives that, although not included in official historiography, were deemed valuable enough to be recorded and shared with the world. Among the tales in Song dynasty scholar Hong Mai’s Yijian Zhi (夷堅志), accounts where social justice is realized through the intervention of the unseen world most quintessentially represent the purpose of zhiguai literature. These stories were highly welcomed by the public, who suffered under a corrupt and ineffective judicial system. However, the authors’ intention in disseminating these examples of social justice was not solely to garner popular appeal. In cases like Hong Mai’s, Confucian scholars recognized the flaws in the judicial system from a Confucian perspective and sought to morally supplement the law. They aimed to correct public morals through ethical teachings rather than through legal means.
In conclusion, the various accounts in zhiguai tales, often dismissed as mere fiction, were in fact compilations of events that, while perhaps difficult to comprehend for modern readers, were plausible occurrences within the cosmography of pre-modern Chinese society. The public’s enthusiasm for these stories was driven not only by their narrative appeal but also by the deep resonance they felt with the realization of social justice in these tales, something unattainable in their real lives. Particularly in the case of Hong Mai, who meticulously selected and introduced these stories based on strict criteria, the historical value of these accounts is greatly enhanced. Ultimately, this study hopes to initiate a reevaluation of the articles in zhiguai tales as valuable resources for historical research.