Tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe in ancient China
Chiyou
Chiyou as depicted on a tomb relief of the Han Dynasty
Traditional Chinese
蚩尤
Simplified Chinese
蚩尤
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
chīyóu
Wade–Giles
Chʻih1-yu2
IPA
[ʈʂʰí.jǒʊ]
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping
ci1 jau4
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
/t͡ɕʰɨɦɨu/
Old Chinese
Zhengzhang
/*tʰjɯɢʷɯ/
Chiyou (蚩尤; Old Chinese (ZS): *tʰjɯ-ɢʷɯ) is a mythological being that appears in Chinese mythology. He was a tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe (九黎) in ancient China.[1] He is best known as a king who lost against the future Yellow Emperor during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era in Chinese mythology.[1][2][3] According to the Song dynasty history book Lushi, Chiyou's surname was Jiang (姜), and he was a descendant of the Flame Emperor.[4]
For some Hmong people, Chiyou or Txiv Yawg[5] was a sagacious mythical king.[6] He has a particularly complex and controversial ancestry, as he may fall under Dongyi[1] Miao[6] or even Man,[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 a bronze head with a distinct metal forehead.[7] He had four eyes and six arms, wielding terrible sharp weapons in every hand, similar to a description of fangxiangshi.[8] In some sources, Chiyou had certain features associated with various mythological bovines: his head was that of a bull with two horns, 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 the Battle of Zhuolu.
^ abc戴逸, 龔書鐸. (2003) [2002]. 中國通史. 史前 夏 商 西周. Intelligence press. p. 32. ISBN 962-8792-80-6.
^Lee, James (2006). James Lee Astrology guide 2006 English edition. World publishing co. p. 318. ISBN 962-432-503-0.
^Greg Woolf (2007). Ancient civilizations: the illustrated guide to belief, mythology, and art. Barnes & Noble. p. 213. ISBN 978-1-4351-0121-0.
^ abLuo Mi (罗泌). Lushi. 后记四：蚩尤传.
^Hmong: Zid Yeus; Xong: Puob Youl; Laotian RPA White Hmong: Txiv Yawg/tsiʝaɨ/
^ abcYa Po Cha (2010). An Introduction to Hmong Culture. McFarland. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-4951-4.
^戴逸, 龔書鐸. (2003) [2002]. 中國通史. 史前 夏 商 西周. Intelligence press. p. 32. ISBN 962-8792-80-6.
^ abc王恆偉. (2005) (2006) 中國歷史講堂 #1 遠古至春秋. 中華書局. ISBN 962-8885-24-3. p 11-13.
^司马, 迁. 史记. 五帝本纪.
^Ya Po Cha (2010). An Introduction to Hmong Culture. McFarland. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-4951-4.
Chiyou (蚩尤; Old Chinese (ZS): *tʰjɯ-ɢʷɯ) is a mythological being that appears in Chinese mythology. He was a tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe (九黎) in...
tribes led by the legendary Yellow Emperor and the Jiuli tribes led by Chiyou. The battle was fought in Zhuolu, near the present-day border of Hebei and...
legend, the Miao who descended from the Jiuli tribe led by Chiyou (Chinese: 蚩尤; pinyin: Chīyóu) were defeated at the Battle of Zhuolu (涿鹿; Zhuōlù, a defunct...
a series of three battles. The Yellow Emperor shortly afterwards fought Chiyou at the Battle of Zhuolu. Both battles were fought not long apart, and on...
The Yan Emperor, retreating from a recent invasion from the forces of Chiyou, came into territorial conflict with its neighbouring Youxiong tribes, led...
that the Sword and the red orb containing a piece of Chiyou's soul were removed from one of Chiyou's three tombs, weakening his seal and allowing several...
deities who rebelled against the Yellow Emperor: the war-god and rain-god Chiyou 蚩尤 "Jest Much" and the giant Kua Fu 夸父 "Boast Father". "The Classic of the...
dragon with the ability to fly, brought with him great floods to trap Chiyou. Chiyou countered it by bringing in weather wizards, and Yinglong's army got...
Emperor (Huangdi) whom she aided during his Battle at Zhuolu against Chiyou: after Chiyou had fielded a wind god (Feng Bo) and a rain god (Yu Shi), Ba descended...
Underworld. Chiyou was a war god and inventor of weapons, descended from Yan Di. Some sources describe him as being ox-headed. Lihui Yang describes Chiyou as having...
the Yellow Emperor, Yan Emperor, and their Yanhuang tribes against the Chiyou-led Jiuli tribes, took place in Zhangjiakou and started the Huaxia civilization...
intervene and aid the humans, turning the tide against Chiyou. Before being slain in battle, Chiyou slashed open a portal into another realm, allowing some...
shapes of the aurora, such as "Sky Dog" (天狗), "Sword/Knife Star" (刀星), "Chiyou banner" (蚩尤旗), "Sky's Open Eyes" (天开眼), and "Stars like Rain" (星陨如雨).[citation...
established, battles were frequent between Yellow Emperor's tribe and Chiyou's tribe. The Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Rites say that Yu...
last Yan Emperor and his tribe engaged in the battle with the invading Chiyou's Jiuli tribe and were defeated. They retreated from that recent invasion...
sometimes said to be a progenitor to, or to have had as one of his ministers, Chiyou (and like him, was ox-headed, sharp-horned, bronze-foreheaded, and iron-skulled)...
Mongolian war god, was later adopted into Tibetan Buddhism Dayisun Tngri Chiyou, god of war Di Qing, Star of Military Fortune, God of Valor Erlang Shen...
also associated with Chīyóu (蚩尤), the god of some southern peoples, in both iconography and myth, as both Shennong Yandi and Chiyou fought against the Yellow...
fengshui", and worship of the "Three Great Ancestors" (Huangdi, Yandi and Chiyou). It has been defined as a form of institutionalization of Chinese folk...
tribes then combined forces to defeat their common enemy from the east, Chiyou of the Jiuli (九黎) tribes, at the Battle of Zhuolu and established their...
Huangdi represented the power of rain and clouds, whereas his mythical rival Chiyou (or the Yan Emperor) stood for fire and drought. Also disagreeing with Yang...
to be the Sanmiao Clan (三苗氏). Other sources claim they originated with Chiyou, the legendary creator of metalwork and weapons and leader of the ancient...
the lineage to the Yellow Emperor who fought two decisive battles against Chiyou and the Yan Emperor in modern-day Zhangjiakou Region in Northern Hebei,...
Global Information