Chiyou (蚩尤) | 24 Histories

Overview

Chiyou was a Legendary warrior and rival of the Yellow Emperor.

Life and dates

Death

Executed · Authority Yellow Emperor (黃帝) · At Zhuolu 涿鹿
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 11
Execution · At Zhuolu 涿鹿 · Authority Yellow Emperor (黃帝)
Directly stated · History of Liao 31, passage 4

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 63; Book of Later Han 34, passage 44; Old Book of Tang 180, passage 259; Old History of the Five Dynasties 10, passage 10; Old History of the Five Dynasties 147, passage 180; Book of Liang 55, passage 94; History of Liao 31, passage 3; History of Liao 41, passage 152; History of Liao 61, passage 4; History of Liao 116, passage 230; Records of the Grand Historian 1, passages 6, 10-11; Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 75; Records of the Grand Historian 97, passage 69

Key source chapters

Events and relationships

Established five cruel punishments
Legal historical · Lawgiver
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 147, passage 180
Not yet bound
Military · Adversary · Mode quotation Source Work Record of Sacred Merit inscription 紀聖功銘
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 180, passage 259
raised disorder 作亂
Rebellion · Leader · Raised disorder
Directly stated · History of Liao 31, passage 3
Raised rebellion
Military · Rebel
Directly stated · History of Liao 61, passage 4

Assessments and attributes

Assessment invoked as the image of a storm-summoning rebel still present · Mode edict-metaphor Speaker Later Liang Last Emperor (末帝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 10, passages 5, 10
Assessment invoked as the type of a heaven-blessed army, not as a contemporary commander · Mode quotation Speaker Li Yiji (酈食其)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 97, passage 69
Item ridge ornament image / chiwen 蚩吻 · Relation Depicted as
Directly stated · History of Liao 116, passage 230

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Book of Han 1, passage 84; Book of Later Han 34, passage 44; Old Book of Tang 180, passage 259; Old History of the Five Dynasties 147, passage 180; History of Liao 31, passage 3; History of Liao 61, passage 4; Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 6; Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 75; Records of the Grand Historian 97, passage 69

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 1 passage

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祠黃帝，祭蚩尤於沛廷，而釁鼓旗。 He sacrificed to the Yellow Emperor and made offerings to Chiyou in the Pei court, and smeared blood on the drums and flags.

Book of Han, Chapter 98Volume 87a: Yang Xiong 1 · 2 passages

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八神奔而警蹕兮，振殷轔而軍裝，蚩尤之倫帶干將而秉玉戚兮，飛蒙茸而走陸梁。 Eight gods race ahead while outriders clear the road; harnesses clang in war array; Chiyou's train gird on long swords and jade halberds, plumes streaming as they march with swagger.

於是天子乃以陽□始出乎玄宮，撞鴻鐘，建九旒，六白虎，載靈輿，蚩尤並轂，蒙公先驅。 Then the emperor, yang force leaving the dark hall, strikes the great bell, raises nine banners, six white tigers pull the sacred car, Chiyou at the hub, Meng Tian as forerunner.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 34Volume 30a: Biographies of Su Jing; Yang Hou · 1 passage

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流星狀似蚩尤旗，或曰營頭，或曰天槍，出奎而西北行，至延牙營上，散為數百而滅，奎為毒螫，主庫兵。 A meteor like Chiyou’s banner—called "camp head" or "sky lance"—rose from Kui, streaked northwest to Yan Cen’s camp, broke into hundreds of sparks, and died; Kui stands for poison sting and armory stores.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 10Volume 10 Book of Later Liang 10: Later Emperors Annals 3 · 1 passage

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雖逾山越海，肅慎方來，而召雨征風，蚩尤尚在。 Distant peoples may submit, yet like Chiyou the storm of rebellion still rages.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 147Volume 147: Treatises 9 Punishment and Law · 1 passage

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竊以蚩尤為五虐之科，尚行鞭樸； Even Chiyou, who established the five cruel punishments, still applied flogging;

Book of Liang, Chapter 55Volume 55: Zong, Prince of Yuzhang; Ji, Prince of Wuling; Zhengde, Prince of Linhe; Yu, Prince of Hedong · 1 passage

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遂得斬長狄於駒門，挫蚩尤於楓木。 yet I was able to behead the long Di at Jumen and humble Chiyou at Maplewood.

History of Liao, Chapter 31Volume 31 Treatises 1: Management of Guards 1 · 1 passage

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爰自炎帝政衰，蚩尤作亂，始制干戈，以毒天下。 From when the reign of the Flame Emperor declined and Chiyou raised disorder, weapons were first fashioned to poison the realm.

History of Liao, Chapter 41Volume 41 Treatises 11: Geography 5 · 1 passage

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黃帝與蚩尤戰於此。 Here the Yellow Emperor battled Chiyou.

History of Liao, Chapter 61Volume 61 Treatises 31: Punishment and Law 1 · 1 passage

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蚩尤惟始作亂，斯民鴟義，奸宄並作，刑之用豈能已乎？ When Chiyou first rose in revolt, the people turned violent and treacherous; with crime rampant, how could punishment be set aside?

History of Liao, Chapter 116Volume 116: Explanation of State Language · 1 passage

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象吻黃帝治宮室，陶蚩尤象置棟上，名曰蚩吻。 Xiangwen: when the Yellow Emperor built palaces, he cast Chiyou's image and set it on the roof ridge — called Chiwen.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 1Annals of the Five Emperors · 3 passages

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而蚩尤最為暴，莫能伐。 Chiyou was the worst of them—so violent that no one could bring him down.

蚩尤作亂，不用帝命。 Chiyou rose in revolt and defied the sovereign’s orders.

於是黃帝乃徵師諸侯，與蚩尤戰於涿鹿之野，遂禽殺蚩尤。 The Yellow Emperor then called up the armies of the lords, met Chiyou in the wilderness of Zhuolu, captured him, and put him to death.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 3Annals of Yin · 1 passage

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昔蚩尤與其大夫作亂百姓，帝乃弗予，有狀。 When Chiyou and his officers ravaged the people, Heaven withdrew favor—there was clear cause.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 97Biographies of Li Yiji and Lu Jia · 1 passage

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破北魏，舉三十二城：此蚩尤之兵也，非人之力也，天之福也。 he defeated the Wei of the north and captured thirty-two cities. This was the army of Chiyou, not achieved through human effort but through heaven's blessing.