Three August Ones and Five Emperors

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History of China
History of China
3 Sovereigns & 5 Emperors
Xia Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
Zhou
Spring & Autumn Eastern Zhou
Warring States
Qin Dynasty
Western Han Han
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Tang Dynasty
(interrupted by Second Zhou)
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The Three August Ones and Five Emperors (Chinese: 三皇五帝; pinyin: Sānhuáng wǔdì; Wade-Giles: San-huang wu-ti) were mythological rulers of China during the period from c. 2852 BC to 2205 BC, which is the time preceding the Xia Dynasty.

[edit] The Three August Ones

The Three August Ones, sometimes known as the Three Sovereigns, were said to be god-kings or demigods who used their magical powers to improve the lives of their people. Because of their lofty virtue they lived to a great age and ruled over a period of great peace.

The Three August Ones are ascribed various identities in different Chinese historical texts. The Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian states that they were:

The Yundou shu (運斗樞) and Yuanming bao (元命苞) identify them as:

Both Fuxi, and also Nüwa, are the god and goddess husband and wife credited with being the ancestors of humankind after a devastating flood. The invention of the Primal Arrangement of the Eight Trigrams (Xian Tian Ba Gua, 先天八卦) is attributed to Fuxi. Shennong invented farming and is the first to use herbs for medical purposes.

The Shangshu dazhuan (尚書大傳) and Baihu tongyi (白虎通義) replace Nüwa with Suiren (燧人), the inventor of fire. The Diwang shiji (帝王世紀) replaces Nüwa with the Yellow Emperor (黄帝), the supposed ancestor of all Han Chinese people.

[edit] The Five Emperors

The Five Emperors were legendary, morally perfect sage-kings. According to the Records of the Grand Historian they were:

Yao and Shun are also known as the Two Emperors, and, along with Yu the Great (禹), founder of the Xia dynasty, were considered to be model rulers and moral exemplars by Confucians in later Chinese history. The Shangshu Xu (尚書序) and Diwang shiji include Shaohao (少昊) instead of the Yellow Emperor.

The Song of Chu (楚辭) identifies the Five Emperors as directional gods:

The Book of Rites (禮記) equates the Five Emperors with the Five Lineages (五氏), which comprise:

In one sense of the word, the first historical Emperor of China was Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇), who coined a new term for "Emperor" (huangdi 皇帝) by combining the titles of "august one" (huang 皇) and "god-king" (di 帝).

[edit] See also

Topics in Chinese mythology
v • d • e
General topics: Creation myth · Astrology · Dragons · Religion in China · Folk religion ·List of deities · I Ching
Important beings: Deities · Three August Ones and Five Emperors · Eight Immortals
Mythical creatures: List of mythical creatures
Mythical places: Xuanpu · Yaochi · Fusang · Queqiao · Penglai · Longmen · Diyu
Literary sources: Shan Hai Jing · Shui Jing Zhu · Ten Brothers · Hei'an Zhuan · Fengshen Yanyi
Journey to the West · Baishe Zhuan · Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio
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