Erlang in literature

[Scott Lystig Fritchie]

I found a couple of "references" in _Bridge of Birds_, by Barry
Hughart.  (Subtitled "A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was".)

    "Behind the throne stood T'ien-kou, the Celestial Dog, whose teeth had
    chewed mountains in half, and beside the Celestial Dog stood Ehr-lang,
    who is unquestionably the greatest of all warriors because he had been
    able to battle the stupendous Stone Monkey to a standstill."  (p. 8)

Also:

    "On almost every corner I saw old ladies with twinkling eyes who sold
    soft drinks and candied fruits while they cried, 'Aiieee!  Aiieee!
    Come closer, my children!  Spread ears like elephants, and I shall
    tell you the tale of the great Ehr-lang, and of the time when he was
    devoured by the hideous Transcendent Pig!'"  (p. 38)

We don't get to learn anything more about Ehr-lang beyond that.  One
would think that the greatest of all warriors would be able to
vanquish a pig, but {shrug} who can tell?

I highly recommend the book to anyone who's looking for A Next Book to
Read.

-Scott