Bole (mythology)
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Sun Yang (), better known by the honorific name Bole or Bo Le (Po-le; ) was a horse tamer in
Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
, a retainer for the
Duke Mu of Qin Duke Mu of Qin (died 621BC), born Renhao, was a duke of Qin (659–621BC) in the western reaches of the Zhou Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Sometimes considered one of China's Five Hegemons, he greatly expanded ...
(r. 659-621 BCE), and a famous judge of horses. Bole was the legendary inventor of equine
physiognomy Physiognomy (from the Greek , , meaning "nature", and , meaning "judge" or "interpreter") is the practice of assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance—especially the face. The term can also refer to the general ...
("judging a horse's qualities from appearance").


Names

Sun Yang, with the surname ''
Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
'' and
given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
''Yang'' (of
yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the c ...
), was renowned for his extraordinary understanding of horses. He was given the
Chinese honorific Chinese honorifics () and honorific language are words, word constructs, and expressions in the Chinese language that convey self-deprecation, social respect, politeness, or deference. Once ubiquitously employed in ancient China, a large percent ...
name Bole, and is also known as Sun Bole (Henry 1987:28). ''Bo'' means "eldest" and ''le'' means "pleasure; happiness". Bole was a mythological figure who first tamed horses. His name was given to a star, from which he supervised the winged ''
tianma Tianma ( ', "heavenly horse") was a winged flying horse in Chinese folklore. It was sometimes depicted with chimerical features such as dragon scales and was at times attributed the ability to sweat blood, possibly inspired by the parasite ''Par ...
'' ("heavenly horses"). Proposed locations of this star are with Zaofu (the legendary charioteer, see below) in
Zeta Cephei Zeta Cephei (ζ Cep, ζ Cephei) is a star in the constellation of Cepheus. Zeta Cephei marks the left shoulder of Cepheus, the King of Joppa (Ethiopia). It is one of the fundamental stars of the MK spectral sequence, defined as type K1 ...
within Cepheus (Chinese astronomy); ''
Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...
'', Spring 1988:198) or in the constellation
Scorpius Scorpius is a zodiac constellation located in the Southern celestial hemisphere, where it sits near the center of the Milky Way, between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. Scorpius is an ancient constellation that pre-dates the Gre ...
(Harrist 1997:135-6). In
Modern Standard Chinese Standard Chinese ()—in linguistics Standard Northern Mandarin or Standard Beijing Mandarin, in common speech simply Mandarin, better qualified as Standard Mandarin, Modern Standard Mandarin or Standard Mandarin Chinese—is a modern standar ...
, ''Bole'' figuratively means "good judge of specially hiddentalent", from the ''
chengyu ''Chengyu'' () are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expression, most of which consist of four characters. ''Chengyu'' were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language t ...
'' idiom ''Bole-xiangma'' (). The
Classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...
expression (from the ''Zhanguo Ce'' below) ''Bole yigu'' () means "to instantly raise the
ask price Ask price, also called offer price, offer, asking price, or simply ask, is the price a seller states they will accept. The seller may qualify the stated asking price as firm or negotiable. Firm means the seller is implying that the price is fixed ...
of something". In
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
, ''Bole'' is known by the name Hakuraku (), which is the
Kun reading are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequent ...
of the Chinese characters , and which has become Japanese slang for a
veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
. The name Bo Le can also be romanized as Po-le or Po Lo.


Historical context

"Although his fame exceeded that of all others, Bole was only one of many horse experts active during the late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
" (Harrist 1997:136). Owing to the importance of horse warfare in ancient China, equestrian experts were highly valued. The ''Lüshi Chunqiu'' listed ten specialized horse physiognomers, and
Herrlee Glessner Creel Herrlee Glessner Creel (January 19, 1905June 1, 1994) was an American Sinologist and philosopher who specialized in Chinese philosophy and history, and was a professor of Chinese at the University of Chicago for nearly 40 years. On his retirement ...
(1965:654) said the "judging of horses was early recognized as a special art". During the
Shang Dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...
(c. 1600-1046 BCE), Chinese armies first battled Eurasian nomadic warriors on horseback. Creel (1965:670) writes, "The riding horse was forced upon the Chinese. It was first thrust upon their attention as a new and deadly weapon that their nomadic enemies had acquired, and it seems always to have been regarded primarily as an instrument for fighting the nomads." The earliest archaeologically discovered
Chinese chariot The ancient Chinese chariot () was used as an attack and pursuit vehicle on the open fields and plains of ancient China from around 1200 BCE. Chariots also allowed military commanders a mobile platform from which to control troops while providi ...
dated circa 1200 BCE during the reign of King
Wu Ding Wu Ding (); personal name Zi Zhao, was a king of the Shang dynasty who ruled China around 1200s BC. He is the earliest figure in Chinese history mentioned in contemporary records. The annals of the Shang dynasty compiled by later historians were o ...
(Shaughnessy 1998). During the
Zhou Dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
(1046-256 BCE), horse-drawn chariots were increasingly used both for warfare and
aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word's ...
transportation. The first clear evidence of horse riding in China comes from the late 4th century BCE (Goodrich 1984).
King Wuling of Zhao King Wuling of Zhao () (died 295 BCE, reigned 325 BCE – 299 BCE) reigned in the State of Zhao during the Warring States period of Chinese history. His reign was famous for one important event: the reforms consisting of "Wearing the Hu (styled) A ...
(r. 325-298 BCE) initiated the military reform of ''hufu qishe'' "
barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
clothing .e., belted pantsand
horse archery A horse archer is a cavalryman armed with a bow and able to shoot while riding from horseback. Archery has occasionally been used from the backs of other riding animals. In large open areas, it was a highly successful technique for hunting, f ...
", which replaced
chariot tactics The first depictions of four-wheeled wagons pulled by semi-domesticated onagers and other available animals come from the Sumerians. The next step was towards faster chariots with spoke-wheels. Lighter wheels made lighter constructions possi ...
with superior
cavalry tactics For much of history, humans have used some form of cavalry for war and, as a result, cavalry tactics have evolved over time. Tactically, the main advantages of cavalry over infantry troops were greater mobility, a larger impact, and a higher pos ...
. When the Chinese imported military horses and chariots from foreign "horse riders", they concurrently introduced a complex equestrian culture, which resulted in new professions in fields such as
horse domestication A number of hypotheses exist on many of the key issues regarding the domestication of the horse. Although horses appeared in Paleolithic cave art as early as 30,000 BCE, these were wild horses and were probably hunted for meat. How and when hors ...
, selective
horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...
(as early as the 14th century BCE; Creel 1965:654),
horse training Horse training refers to a variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when commanded to do so by humans. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities from horse ra ...
,
horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, Driving (horse), driving, and Equestrian vaulting, vaulting ...
,
horse tack Tack is equipment or accessories equipped on horses and other equines in the course of their use as domesticated animals. This equipment includes such items as saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, and harnesses. Equipping a horse i ...
,
horse care There are many aspects to horse management. Horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and other domesticated equids require attention from humans for optimal health and long life. Living environment Horses require both shelter from natural elements like ...
,
veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...
, and horse shamanism. The Chinese traditionally believed the best horses and horse specialists came from foreign sources. While some people became outstanding equestrians, for Chinese people in general, Creel (1965:670) says, "the riding horse remained something strange, almost foreign in nature. Horses, and horsemen, were in general associated with the border areas of the north and west. It is a striking fact that the grooms and handlers of horses appearing in Chinese art seem almost always to be depicted as non-Chinese."


Horse physiognomy

Techniques from the Chinese
pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or falsifiability, unfa ...
of ''xiangshu'' "human
physiognomy Physiognomy (from the Greek , , meaning "nature", and , meaning "judge" or "interpreter") is the practice of assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance—especially the face. The term can also refer to the general ...
; judgment of character from facial appearance" were extended to ''xiangma'' "horse physiognomy; evaluating a horse by its appearance". (''Sōma'' is a common
Japanese name in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...
.) Bole was specifically a ''xiangmashi'' } "horse physiognomist", which Robert E. Harrist (1988:136) explains: "By studying the body of a horse, giving special attention to its bone structure and the sizes and shapes of its various parts, Bole was able to assess with unfailing accuracy hidden capacities that a lesser judge of horses would have overlooked." In 1973, archeologists excavating a 168 BCE tomb in
Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...
discovered the
Mawangdui Silk Texts The Mawangdui Silk Texts () are Chinese philosophical and medical works written on silk which were discovered at the Mawangdui site in Changsha, Hunan, in 1973. They include some of the earliest attested manuscripts of existing texts (such as the ' ...
. They included a fragmentary text about judging horses, which scholars tentatively call the ''Xiangmajing'' "Classic of Horse Physiognomy" (also used for a 5th-century text). This manuscript mentions Bole himself (tr. Harrist 1997:137); "What Bole physiognomized were the horses of a superior man. ''Yin'' and ''yang'' abided by the plumb line, and curved and straight were exactly even." The (c. 544) ''
Qimin yaoshu The ''Qimin Yaoshu'' is the most completely preserved of the ancient Chinese agricultural texts, and was written by the Northern Wei Dynasty official Jia Sixie.Wenhua Li, 200Agro-Ecological Farming Systems in ChinaTaylor & Francis, p. 26 -27 Th ...
'' (''Essential Techniques for the Common People'') records early Chinese methods of agriculture and animal husbandry, including horse physiognomy. This text metaphorically associates parts of a horse's body with the political organization of a state, and describes the appearance of an ideal horse.
A horse's head is king; it should be square. The eyes are the prime ministers; they should be radiant. The spine is the general; it should be strong. The belly and chest are the city walls; they should be extended. The four legs are the local officials; they should be long. … In judging a horse one begins with the head. The head should be high and erect; it should look as if it were shaved. The head should be heavy, and it is good that there be little flesh, like the skinned head of a rabbit. (56, tr. Harrist 1997:138-9)
The Chinese historically used bronze scale models of horses as
hippology {{Cleanup, date=December 2021, reason=unorganized and notability issues with exam Hippology (from Greek: ἵππος, ''hippos'', "horse"; and λόγος, ''logos'', "study") is the study of the horse. Today, hippology is the title of an equine v ...
reference guides to the ideal horse (Harrist 1997:149-150). The ''
Book of the Later Han The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Later ...
'' records two early examples. The horse expert Dongmeng Jing presented
Emperor Wu of Han Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), formally enshrined as Emperor Wu the Filial (), born Liu Che (劉徹) and courtesy name Tong (通), was the seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of ancient China, ruling from 141 to 87 BC. His reign la ...
(r. 141-87 BCE) with a cast-bronze horse and written instructions for using the model to judge horses. General Ma Yuan (a renowned equestrian surnamed "horse") presented
Emperor Guangwu of Han Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC – 29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han (Later ...
(r. 25-57 CE) a bronze model of a horse designed to clarify the points to observe in equine judging. The inscription, which listed four generations of Ma's horse teachers, said (tr. Creel 1965:659), "Horses are the foundation of military might, the great resource of the state." Some Chinese scholars propose that the famous "
Flying Horse The following is a list of fictional or mythological winged horses. Mythology *The ancient Pegasus is a mythological winged horse. *The Hippalectryon is a half-horse, half-rooster hybrid depicted in ancient Greek art. *Devadatta is the win ...
" discovered in a Han tomb in
Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
was a physiognomic model for a superior horse in motion.
Giambattista della Porta Giambattista della Porta (; 1535 – 4 February 1615), also known as Giovanni Battista Della Porta, was an Italian scholar, polymath and playwright who lived in Naples at the time of the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution and Reformation. Giamba ...
's 1586 ''De humana physiognomonia'' was an early Western parallel for horse physiognomy.


Early textual references

Beginning around the 3rd century BCE,
Chinese classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
mention Bole as an exemplar of horse judging. Bole is frequently associated with the fabled ''qianlima'' "thousand-''li'' horse", which was supposedly able to gallop one thousand '' li'' (approximately 400 km) in a single day (e.g.,
Red Hare The Red Hare or Chi Tu () was a famous horse owned by the warlord Lü Bu, who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In historical records The Red Hare was mentioned in Lü Bu's biographies in the historical texts ''Records of the T ...
). ''Qianlima'' was a
literary Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...
word for people with latent talent and ability; and Spring (1988:180) suggests, "For centuries of Chinese history, horses had been considered animals capable of performing feats requiring exceptional strength and endurance. Possibly it is for this reason that from early times horses have been used allegorically to represent extraordinary people." Bole recognizing a ''qianlima'' was a metaphor for a wise ruler selecting talented ''shi'' "
scholar-officials The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...
". Thus, (Henry 1987:28) "Geniuses in obscurity were called thousand ''li'' horses who had not yet met their ole.


Lüshi Chunqiu

The (c. 239 BCE) encyclopedic ''
Lüshi Chunqiu The ''Lüshi Chunqiu'', also known in English as ''Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals'', is an encyclopedic Chinese classic text compiled around 239 BC under the patronage of the Qin Dynasty Chancellor Lü Buwei. In the evaluation of Michae ...
'' contrasts Bole with other legendarily skilled exemplars: the
Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
(771-476 BCE) archer Yang Youji and
swordsmith Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodwork ...
Ouye, and the
chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
eer
Zaofu Zaofu (), formerly romanized Tsao Fu, was an exceptionally-skilled charioteer who is said to have lived around 950 BC. He was counted as a member of the House of Ying, the founder of Zhao and a relative of Feizi, the founder of Qin, but his explo ...
who served
King Mu of Zhou King Mu of Zhou (), personal name Ji Man, was the fifth king of the Zhou dynasty of China. The dates of his reign are 976–922 BC or 956–918 BC. Life King Mu came to the throne after his father King Zhao’s death during his tour to the Sout ...
(r. 976-922 BCE).
When Yang Youji shot at a rhinoceros, he hit a stone instead and the arrow was swallowed, feathers and all. This happened because he was so intent on the rhinoceros. When Bole studied the physiognomy of horses, he saw nothing except horses. This was because he was so intent on horses. (9, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:220)
Obtaining ten good horses is not as good as obtaining one excellent physiognomist of horses, like Bole, nor ten fine swords as good as one excellent smith, like Ouye, nor a thousand ''li'' of land as good as one sage. (24, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:609)
As for a horse, if Bole physiognomized its quality and Zaofu held the reins, a worthy ruler riding as a passenger in a carriage drawn by it could go a thousand ''li'' in a single day. That such a ruler would expend none of the effort of the physiognomist and driver and yet enjoy the efficaciousness of the horse would be because he knows the principle of being a passenger. (24, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:633)
Another ''Lüshi Chunqiu'' chapter lists ten specialist horse physiognomers.
Of those in antiquity who expertly physiognomized horses, Hanfeng Shi [] examined the teeth; Ma Chao [], the forehead; Zinu Li [], the eyes; Wey Ji [], the whiskers; Xu Bi [], the rump; Toufa He [], the chest; Guan Qing [], the lips and throat; Chen Pei [], the legs and hooves; Qin Ya [], the front; and Zan Jun [], the rear. All ten of these men were the most skilled of their age. How they examined horses was not the same, but each looked for characteristics that confirmed a horse's qualities. From this they could know whether the horse had superior or inferior joints, whether it would be clumsy or fleet of foot, whether it was made of sturdy or inferior stuff, and whether it was highly talented or not. It is not only the judging of horses that is like this. There are also confirming characteristics for people, as well as for deeds and states. (20, tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000:543)


Hanfeizi

The (c. 3rd century BCE) Legalist classic ''
Hanfeizi The ''Han Feizi'' or ''Hanfeizi'' (" ritings ofMaster Han Fei") is an ancient Chinese text named for its attribution to the political philosopher Han Fei. It comprises a selection of essays in the Legalist tradition on theories of state power, ...
'' has two stories about Bole teaching horse physiognomy.
Pai-lo once taught two men how to select horses that kick habitually. Later, he went with them to Viscount Chien's stable to inspect the horses. One of the men pulled out a kicking horse. The other man went near behind the horse and patted its flank three times, but the horse never kicked. Therefore, the man who had pulled out the horse thought he had been wrong in the way of selection. Yet the other man said: "You were not wrong in the way of selection. The shoulders of this horse are short but its laps are swollen. The horse that kicks habitually has to raise the hindlegs and lay its whole weight upon the forelegs. Yet swollen laps are not dependable. So the hind legs cannot be raised. You were skillful in selecting kicking horses but not in observing the swollen laps." Verily, everything has the supporter of its weight. However, that the forelegs have swollen laps and therefore cannot support its whole weight, is known only by intelligent men. … Pai-lo taught men whom he disliked how to select swift race-horses and taught men whom he liked how to select inferior horses, because swift race-horses being few and far between would yield slow profits while inferior horses being sold every day would bring about quick profits. (8, tr. Liao 1939:244-6)


Zhanguo ce

The (c. 3rd-1st centuries BCE) '' Zhanguo ce'' "Strategies of the Warring States" has two historical stories about Bole in which a courtier seeking an audience with a ruler compares himself to an excellent horse. After waiting three months for an interview with
Lord Chunshen Lord Chunshen (; died 238 BC), born Huang Xie (),was a Chinese military general and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Chu during the late Warring States period of ancient China. He was one of the Four Lords of the Wa ...
(d. 238 BCE), the Prime Minister of Chu, Han Ming told a story equating himself to a ''ji'' "thoroughbred horse; virtuous person" being recognized by Bole. The (c. 121 CE) ''
Shuowen Jiezi ''Shuowen Jiezi'' () is an ancient Chinese dictionary from the Han dynasty. Although not the first comprehensive Chinese character dictionary (the '' Erya'' predates it), it was the first to analyze the structure of the characters and to give ...
'' dictionary defined ''ji'' (tr. Spring 1988:188) as "a thousand ''li'' horse that needs a Sun Yang (i.e., Po-le) to be recognized."
You have heard of the great stallion Chi, have you not?' asked Han Ming. When Chi was very old, he was harnessed to a salt cart to pull it up Mount Taihang, His hooves grew weak and his haunches trembled, his tail was soaked and his flanks drenched till sweat dripped to the ground and mingled with lather from his withers. Midway he came to a halt. He heaved on the shafts but could no longer climb. Po Lo came upon him there and leaping from his chariot he cradled (the horse's head) in his arms and wept. He took off his cape and covered the beast with it. Then Chi lowered his head and snorted, raised it and neighed with a sound that carried to the heavens—a sound as pure as chiming stones. And why? Because he saw that Po Lo truly knew him as he was. (38, tr. Crump 1979:273-4)
Su Dai (a brother of
Su Qin Su Qin (380–284 BCE) was a Chinese political consultant and philosopher who was an influential political strategist during the Warring States period. He was born in Chengxuan Village, Luoyang in present-day Henan Province. According to legend S ...
) from
Yan Yan may refer to: Chinese states * Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty * Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC * Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...
wanted an audience with the King of Qi and requested Chunyu Kun , master of the
Jixia Academy The Jixia Academy or Academy of the Gate of Chi Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilisation in China', Vol. 1, pp. 95 f. Cambridge University Press, 1956. , 9780521057998. Accessed 2 Nov 2012. was a scholarly academy during the Warring States period ...
, to be an intermediary.
Once there was a merchant who was selling a very fine horse. For three whole days together he stood in the market place and no one paid him the least attention. Finally he went to Po Lo and said, "I have a superior beast I wish to sell, but I have stood in the market place for three whole days and no one has even remarked on the horse. I beg you, sir, to come and look him up and down, and when you leave, keep glancing back at him. For this I would like to give you a sum equal to my expenses for one day's market." Po Lo did look the horse over carefully, and as he left he glanced back at it. In a single morning offers for the horse increased tenfold. Now I want to "show a splendid steed" to the king and I have no one to introduce me. Would you be willing to be my Po Lo? I would like to make you a gift of a pair of white '' pi'' and a thousand measures of gold to defray the expenses of your horses' fodder. (70, tr. Crump 1979:514)
The horse allegorizing Su Dai is called a ''junma'' "excellent horse; splendid steed", and Spring (1988:185) says Bole, "because of his ability to recognize merit, functions as a mediator."


Zhuangzi

Unlike most classical texts that praise Bole for skill in evaluating horses, the (c. 3rd century BCE)
Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
"Horses' Hooves" chapter of ''
Zhuangzi Zhuangzi may refer to: * ''Zhuangzi'' (book) (莊子), an ancient Chinese collection of anecdotes and fables, one of the foundational texts of Daoism **Zhuang Zhou Zhuang Zhou (), commonly known as Zhuangzi (; ; literally "Master Zhuang"; als ...
'' blames him for going against the
Dao Dao, Dão or DAO may refer to: * Tao (Chinese: "The Way" 道), a philosophical concept * Dao (Chinese sword) (刀), a type of Chinese sword * Dao (Naga sword), a weapon and a tool of Naga people People and language * Yao people, a minority ethni ...
of horses.
A horse's hooves can tread upon frost and snow, its hair can withstand the wind and the cold. It eats grass and drinks water; it prances about briskly. This is a horse's true nature. Though one might provide a horse with magnificent terraces and splendid bedrooms, they are of no use to it. But then came Poleh, who said, "I am skilled at training horses." And men began to singe them, clip their hair, trim their hooves, and brand them. They led them with bridles and hobbles, lined them up in stable and stall, resulting in the deaths of two or three out of ten. They made the horses go hungry and thirsty, raced them, and galloped them, arrayed them in rows and columns. In front were the tribulations of the bit and the ornamental halter, behind were the threats of the whip and the crop, resulting in the deaths of over half the horses. … Returning to the subject of horses, if they are allowed to live on the open land, they eat the grass and drink the water. When they are happy, they cross necks and rub against each other. When they are angry, they turn back to back and kick each other. The knowledge of horses amounts to this and no more. But you put a yoke upon them and array them evenly with moon-mirrors on their foreheads, all they know is to try to break the cross-bar, twist out of the yoke, smash the chariot cover, expel the bit, and bite through the reins. Therefore, to take the knowledge of a horse and make it behave like a brigand is the crime of Poleh. (tr. Mair 80-82)


Huainanzi

The (c. 139 BCE) eclectic compilation ''
Huainanzi The ''Huainanzi'' is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of essays that resulted from a series of scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, sometime before 139. The ''Huainanzi'' blends Daoist, Confuci ...
'' refers to Bole in four contexts, three of which are similar to the ''Lüshi Chunqiu''. The first one (2, tr. Major et al. 2010:94) mentions him with the charioteer Zaofu: "Zaofu could not be Bo Le. Each had articulated a single corner but did not comprehend the full domain of the myriad techniques." The second (9, tr. Major et al. 2010:324) mentions another famous charioteer, Wang Liang : "Thus is Bo Le selects the steeds and Wang Liang drives them, and enlightened ruler can ride without the trouble of selecting horses or driving and can undertake a journey of a thousand ''li''. He is carried by the capabilities of others as if they were his feathers and wings." The third context (11, tr. Major et al. 2010:414, 416) lists the swordsmith Ouye with three above horse physiognomers: "Thus it is said, 'Obtaining ten sharp swords is not as good as attaining the skill of Ou Ye; obtaining one hundred fleet horses is not as good as attaining the arts of Bo Le' … The assessment methods of Bo Le, Han Feng, Qin Ya, and Guan Qing were all different, but their understanding of horses was as one." The final ''Huainanzi'' context is a well-known story about Duke Mu of Qin, Bole, Bole's sons, and Jiufang Gao .
Duke Mu of Qin addressed Bo Le saying: "You are getting on in years. Is anyone in your family who can take over for you and find me a good steed?" Bo Le replied; "A good horse may be judged by his physique, countenance, sinews, and bones. But in judging the best horse in the world, it seems as if it is not there at all, as if it has disappeared, as if it had lost its singular identity. A horse like that raises no dust and leaves no tracks. All my sons are lesser talents. They can judge a good horse, but they lack the talent to judge the best horse in the world. However, there is a man who is my porter and firewood gatherer who is called Nine-Cornered Hillock. In judging horses, he is not inferior to my abilities. I respectfully request that you grant him an audience." Duke Mu granted him an audience and commanded him to search out a fine steed. After three months Nine-Cornered Hillock returned and reported: "The horse has been located. It is in Shaqiu." Duke Mu replied: "What kind of horse is it?" "It is a yellow mare," answered Nine-Cornered Hillock. Thereupon Duke Mu sent men to Shaqiu to obtain the horse. The horse, however, turned out to be a black stallion. Duke Mu was quite displeased. Summoning Bo Le, he inquired of him saying: "What a loss! The man you sent to find me a good steed cannot distinguish the color of one coat from another nor a female from a male; what could he possibly know about horses?" Bo Le let out a long sigh and replied: "It always comes to this! This is precisely why he surpasses me by a thousand or ten thousand fold and is infinite in his capabilities. What Hillock observes is dynamism of Heaven. He recognizes the refined essence and discards the dross. He focuses on the internal and disregards the external. He looks at what is to be seen and does not look at what is not to be seen. He scrutinizes what is to be scrutinized and disregards what is not to be scrutinized. It appears that what he has judged is qualitymore precious than just a horse." The horse arrived and ultimately proved to be an excellent horse. Therefore the ''Laozi'' says: "Great straightness is as if bent; great skill is as clumsy." (12, tr. Major et al. 2010:458)
The (c. 3rd-4th century CE) Daoist ''
Liezi The ''Liezi'' () is a Taoist text attributed to Lie Yukou, a c. 5th century BC Hundred Schools of Thought philosopher. Although there were references to Lie's ''Liezi'' from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, a number of Chinese and Western schola ...
'' (tr. Giles 1912:66) repeats this story about Bole recommending Jiufang Gao to Duke Mu. For comparison, "A good horse can be picked out by its general build and appearance. But the superlative horse—one that raises no dust and leaves no tracks—is something evanescent and fleeting, elusive as thin air." Japanese legend retells a simplified version of this story, omitting Jiufang Gao, with Hakuraku (the Japanese name for ''Bole'') dispatched by the
Chinese Emperor ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...
with the task of locating the perfect horse. Hakuraku returns with news of a bay mare he had found. But when Imperial soldiers went to fetch the horse, they found it was a black stallion. The story illustrates the
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
and
Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
adage that expert knowledge embodies the ability to see past appearances to the true nature of a subject.


Han Yu

The
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
poet
Han Yu Han Yu (; 76825 December 824), courtesy name Tuizhi (), and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公), was a Chinese essayist, poet, philosopher, and politician during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the devel ...
(768-824) wrote a well-known fable about Bole and ''qianlima''.
Only when an era has a man like Po-le are there thousand-''li'' horses. Thousand-''li'' horses are common, but Po-les, on the other hand, are rare. Thus even though there may be famous horses, they only become abused under the hand of the man to whom they are enslaved, and they die in the stables—never having been recognized as thousand-''li'' horses. Thousand-''li'' horses at times consume a whole ''
dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...
'' pproximately 60 kgof grain in one feeding. If the one who feeds them does so without knowing they are capable of a thousand-''li'', then even though they may have the ability to go so far, they, having not eaten their fill, are lacking in strength, and their talent and beauty are not apparent. Moreover, if one wanted to rank them with regular horses, they would not make the grade. How then could they be asked to have the ability of going a thousand ''li''? They are whipped inappropriately and fed in such a way that they cannot fulfil their innate talents. Yet when they cry out, they cannot be understood. With whip in hand the man approaches them and says, "There are not any good horses in the empire." Alas! Is it that there are really no good horses or is it perhaps that there is no one who really understands horses? (tr. Spring 1988:187)


Textual attributions

The name Bole occurs in titles of various Chinese books on equine medicine, but this does not mean Bole was the author. Imrie et al. (2001:137) write, "As was quite often the case in China, rather than revealing their own names, authors would publish their books under the name of famous historical or even legendary figures living centuries if not millennia earlier." The oldest recorded books with Bole's name are listed in the (636 CE) ''
Book of Sui The ''Book of Sui'' (''Suí Shū'') is the official history of the Sui dynasty. It ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written by Yan Shigu, Kong Yingda, and Zhangsun Wuji, with Wei Zheng as the lead author. ...
'' bibliographic section on veterinary texts. Two are noted as lost after the
Liang Dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was preceded by the South ...
(502-577): ''Bole xiangma jing'' "Bole's Classic of Horse Physiognomy" and ''Bole liaoma jing'' "Bole's Classic on Treatments for Horses". The third veterinary text was extant during the
Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
(578-618): ''Bole zhima zabing jing'' "Bole’s Classic on Curing the Various Illnesses of Horses". Chinese legends associate Bole with the origins of veterinary acupuncture for horses, which some Western sources misinterpret as history. For instance (Lin and Panzer 1994:426), "Another famous veterinarian, Sun Yang, alias Baile, wrote ''Baile Zhen Jing'' (''Baile's Canon of Veterinary Acupuncture'') at the time of Qin Mu-Gong (659-621 BC)." The 1385 ''Simu anji ji'' (''Horse-herder's Collection of Ways to Pacify Thoroughbreds'') cites a ''Bo Le zhen jing'' (''Bole's Classic of Needling/Acupuncture''), but the title word ''zhen'' "needle; pin" can mean either "needling (to lance boils, etc.)" or "
acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...
." Imrie et al. (2001:137) conclude there is no reason to associate the ''Bole zhen jing'' with acupuncture because the ''Simu anji ji'' and other early veterinary texts clearly used ''zhen'' to mean "cauterization or phlebotomy".


See also

*
Horse in Chinese mythology Horses are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are many myths about horses or horse-like beings, including the pony. Chinese mythology refers to those myths found in the historical geographic area of China.The geographic area of "China ...


References

*Beckwith, Christopher I. (2009), ''Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present'', Princeton University Press. *Creel, H. G. (1965), "The Role of the Horse in Chinese History," ''American Historical Review'' 70.3:647-672. *Crump, J. I., tr. 1979. ''Chan-kuo ts'e'', 2nd rev. ed. Chinese Materials Center. *Della Porta, Giambattista (1586
The Horse: A Mirror of Man: Parallels in Early Human and Horse Medicine
United States National Library of Medicine. *Giles, Lionel (1912),

', Wisdom of the East. *Goodrich, Chauncey (1984), "Riding Astride and the Saddle in Ancient China," ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies'' 44.2:279-305. *Harrist, Robert E. (1997), "The Legacy of Bole: Physiognomy and Horses in Chinese Painting," ''Artibus Asiae'' 57.1/2: 135-156. *Henry, Eric (1987), "The Motif of Recognition in Early China," ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies'' 47.1, pp. 5–30. *Imrie, Robert H., David W. Ramey, Paul D. Buell, Edward Ernst, and Stephen P. Basser (2001),
Veterinary Acupuncture and Historical Scholarship: Claims for the Antiquity of Acupuncture
" ''The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine'' 5:133-9. *Knoblock, John and Jeffrey Riegel, trs. 2000. ''The Annals of Lü Buwei: A Complete Translation and Study''. Stanford: Stanford University Press. *Liao, W. K., tr. (1939)
The Complete Works of Han Fei Tzŭ
vol. 1, Arthur Probsthain. *Lin, J.H. and R. Panzer (1994)
Use of Chinese herbal medicine in veterinary science: history and perspectives
''Revue Scientifique et Technique de l'OIE'' 13.2: 425-432. *Major, John S., Sarah Queen, Andrew Meyer, and Harold Roth, (2010), ''The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China, by Liu An, King of Huainan'', Columbia University Press. *Shaughnessy, Edward L. (1988), "Historical Perspectives on the Introduction of the Chariot into China", ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies'' 48.1: 189–237. *Spring, Madeline K. (1988), "Fabulous Horses and Worthy Scholars in Ninth-Century China," ''T'oung Pao'' 74.4/5: 173-210.


External links



KanZhongGuo

a (1399) illustrated book on horse physiognomy,
Kyoto University , mottoeng = Freedom of academic culture , established = , type = National university, Public (National) , endowment = ¥ 316 billion (2.4 1000000000 (number), billion USD) , faculty = 3,480 (Teaching Staff) , administrative_staff ...
Library {{Chinese mythology Deified Chinese people 7th-century BC Chinese people Horses in Chinese mythology Adages Taoist mythology Taoist philosophy Qin state people