Ancient China · Zhou Ancestress

Jiang Yuan 姜原

Attested AD 1195

Passages: 8
Chapters: 5
Histories: 5

Overview

Jiang Yuan was a Zhou Ancestress.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Epithet	the primal mother	先妣

Life and dates

Attested activity

姜嫄特廟
Directly stated · History of Ming 52, passage 136
legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 550; History of Ming 52, passage 87; Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 54; History of Song 106, passage 157
AD 1195 明昌六年
Dated from the passage context · History of Jin 29, passages 247, 249

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Hou Ji (后稷)
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 54

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Second highest grade: men of benevolence 上中仁人
Nine grade table rank · Listed
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 550

Places and affiliations

Polity Zhou 周 · Relation Associated with
Strongly inferred · History of Ming 52, passage 136
Polity Zhou 周 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · History of Song 106, passage 157
Polity Zhou 周 · Relation Belonged to
Directly stated · History of Ming 52, passage 87

Works and attributed material

Zhou li 周禮
Relation Subject of
Directly stated · History of Ming 52, passage 87

Events and relationships

Abandoned then reclaimed child
Personal · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passages 55-58
Conceived after stepping in giant footprint
Birth · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 54
Gaomei sacrifice 高禖之祀
AD 1195 歲以春分日 · Ritual · Cult recipient · Received gaomei sacrifice · At second tier of the Gaomei altar 壇之第二層
Dated from the passage context · History of Jin 29, passages 247, 249
Received separate Zhou temple
Ritual · Honoree
Directly stated · History of Song 106, passage 157

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · History of Jin 29, passage 249; History of Ming 52, passage 136
identified with the closed palace (Bi gong) in the Odes
Field literary-identification · Mode named-source-report Speaker Zhang Mao (張懋)
Directly stated · History of Ming 52, passage 87

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 20Table of Ancient and Modern Persons · 1 passage

姜原 Jiang Yuan

History of Jin, Chapter 29Volume 29 Treatises 10: Rites 2: Fang Qiu Ceremonies; Dawn, Sunset, and Lunar Ceremonies; Gaomei · 1 passage

姜嫄、簡狄位於壇之第二層，東向，北上。 Jiang Yuan and Jiandi stood on the second tier, facing east and ranked from the north.

History of Ming, Chapter 52Volume 52 Treatises 28: Rites 6 · 2 passages

稽之《周禮》，有祀先妣之文，《疏》雲『姜嫄也』，《詩》所謂『閟宮』是已。 Examining the Zhou li, there is text on sacrificing to the primal mother; the commentary says “Jiang Yuan,” and this is what the Odes call the “closed palace.”

禮官集議言：「奉慈之建，禮臣據姜嫄特廟而言。 The ritual officials assembled and deliberated, saying: “The building of the Hall of Maternal Kindness—ritual ministers spoke on the basis of Jiang Yuan’s special temple.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties · 3 passages

后稷母為姜嫄，出見大人蹟而履踐之，知於身，則生后稷。 Hou Ji's mother was Jiang Yuan. When she went out, she saw a giant footprint and stepped in it. She felt a response in her body, and then gave birth to Hou Ji.

姜嫄以為無父，賤而棄之道中，牛羊避不踐也。 Jiang Yuan thought he had no father, so she despised him and abandoned him in the road. Oxen and sheep avoided him and did not tread on him.

姜嫄怪之，於是知其天子，乃取長之。 Jiang Yuan marveled at this, and so knew that he was a child of Heaven; she took him back and raised him.

History of Song, Chapter 106Volume 106 Treatises 59: Rites 9 · 1 passage

以僖祖立廟為非，則周人別廟薑原，不可謂非禮。」 If a separate temple for Xizu is wrong, then the Zhou's separate temple for Jiang Yuan cannot be called unritual."