The God of Mount Taibai

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《神龍沛雨圖》宋 陳容

The god of Mount Taibai(太白山神) in central Qin is considered the most efficacious. At the summit of Mount Taibai, there are three ponds known as the Big Taibai, Middle Taibai, and Three Taibai. If leaves, weeds, or mud fall into these ponds, flocks of birds will come and carry away these impurities. Therefore, the local people refer to these birds as the ‘Pond-cleaning Birds(淨池鳥).’

Once, a carpenter accidentally fell into the Taibai Pond and discovered another world beneath its surface. 

The Fox Daoist

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《雙鉤竹石圖》李衎

In the maternal family of Fa Jiasun(法嘉蓀)’s grandmother, there was a nephew named Sun who was a wealthy man in the local area. In the early Qing Dynasty, piracy was rampant along the coastal areas, so Sun moved his family to Jintan(金壇). One day, an old man surnamed Hu, accompanied by dozens of descendants and servants, along with some valuable luggage, passed by Sun’s house. The old man claimed to be from Shanxi(山西) and, due to the chaos of war, couldn’t proceed further, requesting to borrow an empty room in Sun’s house for temporary residence. 

Elder Brother Ding

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《柳蔭醉歸》南宋 佚名

During the Kangxi era, in the countryside near Yangzhou(揚州), there was a man named Yu Er(俞二) who made a living as a farmer. One day, Yu Er went into the city to collect the payment for the wheat he had sold. The owner of the grain store insisted on treating him to some drinks. By the time Yu Er was on his way back, it was already dark. As he reached Hongqiao(紅橋), a dozen or so small figures appeared and approached him, pulling and tugging at him. 

Chiyou/蚩尤: Chinese God of War

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Table of Contents
  1. Who is Chiyou/Chi You?
  2. Chi You As the God of War and Master Weapon Smith
  3. Chiyou in Chinese Mythology
  4. Different Versions of the Chiyou Myth
  5. Chiyou’s Cultural Influence
  6. Reference

Who is Chiyou/Chi You?

Chiyou/Chi You, the god of war in Chinese Mythology
  • Name: Chiyou
  • Parentage: Offspring of Yan Di, also known as the Flame Emperor
  • Title: God of War
  • Attributions: Credited with inventing military weapons
  • Rebellion Against Huang Di:
    • Rebelled against Huang Di, his father
    • Faced defeat in the ensuing war and met his demise
    • The chains that bound him transformed into a maple tree
  • Weapon Creation:
    • Created weapons such as the spear, dagger-axe, sword, and halberd
    • Different versions depict him with numerous brothers, each possessing unique features
      • Animal body, bronze head, iron forehead
      • Ability to speak human language
      • Human body, horned head, ox hooves, four eyes, six hands
      • Ears and temples resembling swords and spears
  • Central Event in Shanhaijing:
    • Attack on Huang Di(the Yellow Emperor), described as one of the fiercest battles in Chinese mythology
    • War involved powerful gods on both sides
    • Chiyou’s formidable abilities posed a challenge for Huang Di
  • Strategies Used Against Chiyou:
    • Use of a drum made from the hide of Kui to prevent Chiyou from flying away
    • Use of horns sounding like dragons to ward off Chiyou’s mythical animals
    • Chiyou’s manipulation of clouds and mist countered by Huang Di’s invention of the compass
  • Post-Death Reputation:
    • Huang Di used Chiyou’s image to maintain peace in troubled times
    • Revered as the god of war by military leaders during the Qin and Han dynasties
  • Influence on Customs and Beliefs:
    • “Chiyou’s Game,” a horn-butting tradition, emerged in Ji Province during the Han period
    • Sacrifices to Chiyou in Taiyuan excluded ox heads, reflecting Chiyou’s ox-headed portrayal
    • Miao ethnic group regarded Chiyou as their remote ancestor
    • Oxen worshipped as symbols of luck and heroism
    • Ox horn designs adorn clothes and silver decorations
  • Miao Mythology and Festivals:
    • Jiangyang, an ancestor in Miao mythology, born from a goddess hatched from a maple tree’s egg
    • Festivals like “Trembling the Flower Mountain” in Yunnan Province trace their origins to the Chiyou myth
    • After defeat, Chiyou planted a trunk with a red waistband, encouraging dancing and reed pipe playing to gather scattered tribes
    • “Chiyou’s flag” commemorates the ancestral struggle against Huang Di and the migration of the Miao people to southern mountains

Read on for more details and learn about Chi You’s story in Chinese mythology. 

The Water Monster’s Breath

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《夏山圖》屈鼎

There was a man named Cheng Zhizhang(程志章) from Hangzhou who once traveled from Chaozhou(潮州) through Huanggang(黃崗) by boat, crossing a sea channel. Halfway through the journey, a strong wind suddenly arose, and a black vapor surged from the water. Within this vapor was a figure, entirely black, with only the eye sockets and lips as white as powder. He boarded the boat Cheng Zhizhang was on, sat at the bow, and blew air toward the people on the boat. 

The City God’s Naked Plea for Clothing

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《幽竹枯槎圖》王庭筠

Daoist Zhang Ting(張挺) was in charge of repairing the City God Temple in Huzhou(湖州). He ordered craftsmen to carve a three-zhang tall statue of the City God out of sandalwood and embroidered a ceremonial robe to dress the statue. Just three days after the new City God statue was enshrined, Zhang Ting dreamt of a giant standing before him. This giant wore a celestial crown on his head but was completely naked. 

The City God was a handsome young man

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《竹禽圖》宋 趙佶

During the Kangxi era, the City God of Longxi County(隴西城隍) had a black face and a large beard, with a very dignified appearance. However, during the Qianlong era, it suddenly changed to a handsome young man’s image. Someone asked the monk in the temple, ‘Why did the appearance of the City God change so much?’

The monk told him, ‘We heard from the elders that in the seventh year of Yongzheng’s reign(雍正七年), there was a scholar named Xie, just twenty years old, who lived in the temple with his teacher to study. 

Ghosts Stealing Steamed Buns

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《龜》清 華喦

Ge Wenlin(葛文林) said: In the area around Dongting Mountain(洞庭山), there are many starving ghosts who sneak into people’s homes to steal food. One day, in his house, they steamed a basket of buns. Just as they were done, upon lifting the lid, they saw the buns making a ‘chirping’ sound while gradually shrinking. What was originally the size of a bowl mouth quickly shrank to the size of a small walnut. 

Yu Yunshi

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《梧竹溪堂圖》 宋 夏圭

When Jintan(金壇) Yu Yunshi(于雲石) was working in the Hanlin Academy(翰林), he had to bring his father to the capital for support.

Mr. Yu traveled alone to the capital. One day, halfway there, it was getting late, and there was no one around. After searching for a while, he finally found an inn and went in to stay for the night. However, the innkeeper said the rooms were all full and couldn’t accommodate him, asking him to find another place.