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<p>This paper analyses two novels by Gustav Meyrink—<i>The Golem</i> (<i>Der Golem</i>, 1915) and <i>The White Dominican</i> (<i>Der weiße Dominikaner</i>, 1921)—through the lens of Chinese religion. Although Meyrink is an influential author in German Modernism, occult and supernatural fiction, the paper shows that his literary vision was strongly influenced by Chinese religion, particularly Buddhist and Daoist traditions, mediated through contemporary Orientalist scholarship and the religious activities of the Theosophical Society and related Western esoteric movements. By examining the previously neglected elements of Buddhism and Daoism in Meyrink’s work, the paper sheds light on how the growing popularity of Chinese religious traditions in wider Western society influenced literary production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The paper highlights the need for greater attentiveness to the intellectual connections between China and Europe when undertaking critical analysis of fiction from this period.</p>

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Western esotericism, Chinese religion, and the supernatural fiction of Gustav Meyrink: Buddhism and Daoism in The Golem and The White Dominican

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月28日

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  • Adam Grydehøj,
  • Ping Su

摘要

This paper analyses two novels by Gustav Meyrink—The Golem (Der Golem, 1915) and The White Dominican (Der weiße Dominikaner, 1921)—through the lens of Chinese religion. Although Meyrink is an influential author in German Modernism, occult and supernatural fiction, the paper shows that his literary vision was strongly influenced by Chinese religion, particularly Buddhist and Daoist traditions, mediated through contemporary Orientalist scholarship and the religious activities of the Theosophical Society and related Western esoteric movements. By examining the previously neglected elements of Buddhism and Daoism in Meyrink’s work, the paper sheds light on how the growing popularity of Chinese religious traditions in wider Western society influenced literary production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The paper highlights the need for greater attentiveness to the intellectual connections between China and Europe when undertaking critical analysis of fiction from this period.