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Chiyou

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Chiyou
Chiyou as depicted on a tomb relief of theHan Dynasty
Traditional ChineseXi Vưu
Simplified ChineseXi Vưu

Chiyou(Xi Vưu;Old Chinese(ZS): *tʰjɯ-ɢʷɯ) is a mythological being that appears inChinese mythology.He was a tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe (Cửu Lê) in ancient China.[1]He is best known as a king who lost against the futureYellow Emperorduring theThree Sovereigns and Five Emperorsera inChinese mythology.[1][2][3]According to the Song dynasty history bookLushi,Chiyou's surname wasJiang(Khương), and he was a descendant of theFlame Emperor.[4]

For someHmong people,Chiyou orTxiv Yawg[5]was a sagacious mythical king.[6]He has a particularly complex and controversial ancestry, as he may fall underDongyi[1]Miao[6]or evenMan,[6]depending on the source and view. Today, Chiyou is honored and worshipped as the God of War and one of the three legendary founding fathers of China.[dubious–discuss]

According to legend, Chiyou had abronzehead with a distinct metalforehead.[7]He had four eyes and six arms, wielding terrible sharp weapons in every hand, similar to a description offangxiangshi.[8]In some sources, Chiyou had certain features associated withvarious mythological bovines:his head was that of abullwith twohorns,although the body was human, and his hindquarters were those of a bear.[8]He is said to have been unbelievably fierce, and to have had 81 brothers and many followers.[8]Historical sources often described him as 'bold leader',[4]as well as 'brave'.[9]Some sources have asserted that the figure 81 should rather be associated with 81 clans in his kingdom.[10]Chiyou knows the constellations and the ancients spells for calling upon the weather. For example, he called upon a fog to surround Huangdi and his soldiers during theBattle of Zhuolu.

Tribe[edit]

Chiyou is regarded as a leader of the Nine Li tribe (Cửu Lê,RPAWhite Hmong:Cuaj Li Ntuj) by nearly all sources.[7]However, his exact ethnic affiliations are quite complex, with multiple sources reporting him as belonging to various tribes, in addition to a number of diverse peoples supposed to have directly descended from him.

Some sources from later dynasties, such as theGuoyu book,considered Chiyou's Li tribe to be related to the ancientSan miao tribe(Tam mầm).[11]In the ancientZhuolu Townis a statue of Chiyou commemorating him as the original ancestor of theMiao people.[12]The place is regarded as the birthplace of the San miao / Miao people,[12]the Hmong being a subgroup of the Miao. In various sources, the "nine Li" tribe is called the "Jiuli" kingdom,[10]Jiuli meaning "nine Li". ModernHan Chinesescholar Weng Du gian considers Jiuli and San Miao to beMansoutherners.[13]Chiyou has also been counted as part of theDongyi.[7]

Allusions and legends[edit]

Legend has it that in ancient times, theMiao peoplelived on the edge of theYellow River,with a total of "eighty-one" villages. Their leader was called Chi You. Chi You got rid of the "lop-eared witch" who harmed the Miao people, so that the people could live and work in peace and contentment. Later, The three demon children of the witch invited Red Dragon and Huang Long (i.e.Emperor YanandHuang Emperor) to take revenge. Chi You led the Miao people to fight bravely and defeated Red Dragon and Huang Long many times.[14]

The story ofGuan Gongbeing invited by Taoist Zhang Tianshi to kill Chi You. Legend has it that during the reign of Zhenzong of theSong Dynasty,theJiezhouSalt Pond did not produce salt. Zhang Tianshi from Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi Province was summoned to the court to tell the emperor that the lack of salt produced Chi You, and that he could be killed by Guan Gong. After Zhang Tianshi followed the emperor's order, he burned a talisman to summon Guan Gong. Guan Gong showed his power, Chi You was beheaded, the salt pond was restored, and all the people rejoiced.[citation needed]

Epic battles[edit]

When theYan emperorwas leading his tribe and conflicts with Nine Li tribes led by Chiyou,[1]the Yan emperor stood no chance and lost the fight. He escaped, and later ended up inZhuolubegging for help from theYellow Emperor.[1]At this point the epic battle between Chiyou and the Yellow Emperor's forces began. The battle last for 10 years with Chiyou having the upper hand.

During the Battle of Zhuolu, Chiyou breathed out a thick fog and obscured the sunlight.[15]The battle dragged on for days while the emperor's side was in danger.[8]Only after the Yellow Emperor invented thesouth-pointing chariot,did he find his way out of the battlefield.[8][15]Chiyou then conjured up a heavy storm. The Yellow Emperor then called upon the drought demonNüba(Nữ Bạt), who blew away the storm clouds and cleared the battlefield.[15]Chiyou and his army could not hold up, and were later killed by the Yellow Emperor.[1][8]After this defeat, the Yellow Emperor is said to become the ancestor of allHuaxia.[8]His followers were forced to live in the mountains and leave their Li kingdom.[12]After Chiyou's death, it is said that it rained blood for some time.

Legacy[edit]

According to theRecords of the Grand Historian,Qin Shi Huangworshiped Chiyou as the God of War, andLiu Bangworshipedat Chiyou's shrine before his decisive battle againstXiang Yu.[citation needed]The mythical title God of War was given to Chiyou because the Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor could not defeat Chiyou alone. Altogether, Chiyou won nine major battles including 80 minor confrontations. On the 10th and final war, both emperors combined their forces and conquered Chiyou.

In one mythical episode, after Chiyou had claimed he could not be conquered,[2]the goddessNuwadropped a stone tablet on him fromMount Tai.The stone failed to crush Chiyou, who managed to escape. From then on, the 5-finger-shaped stone tablet, inscribed "Mount Taishigandang"(Thái Sơn thạch dám đảm đương) became aspiritual weaponto ward off evil and disasters.[2][16]

According to notes by theQing dynastypainterLuo Ping:"Yellow Emperor ordered his men to have Chiyou beheaded... seeing that Chiyou's head was separated from his body, later sages had his image engraved on sacrificialvesselsas a warning to those that would covet power and wealth. "[17]

TheTale of Heikementions acomet"of the type called Chiyou's Banner or Red Breath."[18]

Chiyou remains as a figure of worship today.

In popular culture[edit]

  • Ch'ih-yu (conceptualized as a dragon) is one of the characters in the background story inThe Settlers III.
  • Chi You is a name for an Aragami creature in the PlayStation Portable game,God Eater.
  • Thecomic bookHeavenly Executioner Chiwoois partly based on the legends about Chiyou.
  • The main antagonist of theShenmuesaga, Lan Di is one of the leaders of a group called the Chi You Men, who seek to awake the power of the god Chi You.
  • A series ofSouth Koreanbullion coinsminted byKOMSCOfeature Chiyou, referred to as the Chiwoo Cheonwang series.[19]
  • Chi You appears as an antagonist in theTMNT/Ghostbustersminiseries of theTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesIDW comics continuity.Herein he is a godling or immortal creature who is engaged with others of his kind—including theRat Kingand Kitsune—in a "game" for dominion over mankind.
  • There is amechanical modused in thevapingcommunity known as the Chi You.
  • He is reoccurring demon in theMegami Tenseivideo gameseries.
  • Chi You appears as sub-Bossenemy in thevideo gameLa-Mulana.
  • Chi You's clan became a group of priestess/assassin combo inKingdom,where Qiang Lei was once part of.
  • In the 1997 South Korean cartoonMythology of HeavenbyLee Hyun-se,Chiyou appears as the protagonist in book two.
  • The descendants of Chi You formed a warrior order named Saulabi in the novel ofThe God of High School.
  • He is one of the kings represented by the members of the K-pop boy groupKingdom,as one of them is named "Chiwoo". His story is told in the albumHistory of Kingdom: Part II. Chiwoo.
  • He appears as a man-eating evil deity in the mangaRecord of Ragnarok.
  • Chiyou appears inMarvel Comicsas the archenemy of the Chinese superheroSword Master.In the comics, Chiyou is depicted as an evil monstrous god who was defeated and sealed away along with his demonic army by theYellow Emperorand the descendants of theThree Sovereigns.In the present day, Chiyou's seals have weakened, allowing his demonic minions to escape and to find a way revive their master, promptingFu Xi's descendant Lin Lie to take of the fabled Sword of Fu Xi to stop Chiyou's release.
  • In the mobile gameArknights,Superintendent Ch'en of the Lungmen Guard Department wields a "dragon-slaying" sword named Chi You.
  • Appears as the primary antagonist ofAssassin's Creed: Jade.
  • In the video gamePokémon Scarlet and Violet,the legendary fire/dark typePokémonChi-Yu is named after Chiyou, with its fire typing alluding to Chiyu's lineage from theFlame Emperor,and itsdarktyping reflecting Chiyu's role as an adversary to the Yellow Emperor, in line with his antagonistic depiction in modern media.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefMang dật, Cung thư đạc.(2003) [2002].Trung Quốc lịch sử tổng quát. Tiền sử hạ thương Tây Chu.Intelligence press. p. 32.ISBN962-8792-80-6.
  2. ^abcLee, James (2006).James Lee Astrology guide 2006 English edition.World publishing co. p. 318.ISBN962-432-503-0.
  3. ^Greg Woolf (2007).Ancient civilizations: the illustrated guide to belief, mythology, and art.Barnes & Noble. p. 213.ISBN978-1-4351-0121-0.
  4. ^abLuo Mi(La tiết).Lushi.Lời cuối sách bốn: Xi Vưu truyền.
  5. ^Hmong:Zid Yeus;Xong:Puob Youl;LaotianRPAWhite Hmong:Txiv Yawg/tsiʝaɨ/
  6. ^abcYa Po Cha (2010).An Introduction to Hmong Culture.McFarland. p. 8.ISBN978-0-7864-4951-4.
  7. ^abcMang dật, Cung thư đạc.(2003) [2002].Trung Quốc lịch sử tổng quát. Tiền sử hạ thương Tây Chu.Intelligence press. p. 32.ISBN962-8792-80-6.
  8. ^abcdefgVương hằng vĩ.(2005) (2006)Trung Quốc lịch sử giảng đường #1 viễn cổ đến xuân thu. Trung Hoa thư cục.ISBN962-8885-24-3.p 11-13.
  9. ^Tư Mã,Dời.Sử ký.Ngũ Đế bản kỷ.
  10. ^abYa Po Cha (2010).An Introduction to Hmong Culture.McFarland. p. 8.ISBN978-0-7864-4951-4.
  11. ^(Quốc ngữ · sở ngữ hạ)
  12. ^abcDe la Cadena, Marisol. Starn, Orin. Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. [2007] (2007). Indigenous experience today. Berg Publishers, 2007.ISBN978-1-84520-519-5.pg 239.
  13. ^Schein, Louisa (2000).Minority rules: the Miao and the feminine in China's cultural politics.Duke University Press. p. 42.ISBN978-0-8223-2444-7.
  14. ^"What is Chi You? Why did Huangdi want to kill him to death?".Yahoo News(in Chinese). 2020-10-30.Retrieved2024-03-15.
  15. ^abcBig5.china.cn. "Big5.china.cn."Huỳnh Đế đại chiến Xi Vưu cùng xe chỉ nam.Retrieved on 2010-08-22.
  16. ^Lee, James. [2006] (2006). James Lee Astrology guide 2006 Chinese edition. World publishing co.ISBN962-432-502-2.p 208-209.
  17. ^Wangheng Chen; Various (2001).Chinese Bronzes: Ferocious Beauty.Asiapac Books Pte Ltd. pp. 62–63.ISBN978-981-229-020-5.
  18. ^The Tales of the Heike.Translated by Burton Watson. Columbia University Press. 2006. p. 38.ISBN9780231138031.
  19. ^Bullion, J. M. (2018-10-24)."South Korean Chiwoo Cheonwang Series Silver Bullion Medallions from KOMSCO".CoinWeek.Retrieved2022-02-05.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Michael J. Puett,The Ambivalence of Creation: Debates Concerning Innovation and Artifice in Early China.2001
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