Han Zhuo was a mythical

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

hero who usurped

Houyi Hou Yi () is a mythological Chinese archery, archer. He was also known as Shen Yi and simply as Yi (). He is also typically given the title of "Lord Archer". He is sometimes portrayed as a god of archery descended from heaven to aid mankind. Oth ...

as leader of a people near the

Xia Xia (Hsia in Wade–Giles) may refer to: Chinese history * Xia dynasty (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC), the first orthodox dynasty in Chinese history * Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms) (407–431), a Xiongnu-led dynasty * Xia (617–621), a state founded by Dou Ji ...

prehistoric China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

. He and his sons appear in a number of

Chinese legends Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

and there are various conflicting accounts of how he died.

Legends

The legendary tomb of Han Zhuo, location in Hanting Subdistrict, Weifang, Shandong.

was said to have saved the world from destruction by destroying nine of the ten suns which once shone over the world. (Under the

Shang 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 f ...

, the Chinese

week A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ...

was divided into ten days, each honoring particular royal ancestors and each regarded as having a separate sun shining in turn.) He was said to have become a tyrant after his wife

Chang'e Chang'e ( ; , alternatively rendered as Chang-Er or Ch‘ang-o), originally known as Heng'e, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. She is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elem ...

stole his

elixir of immortality The elixir of life, also known as elixir of immortality, is a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases. Alchemists in various ages and cultures sought the means ...

and ascended to the

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

. Separately, he appeared as a historical figure in records such as the ''

Bamboo Annals The ''Bamboo Annals'' (), also known as the ''Ji Tomb Annals'' (), is a chronicle of ancient China. It begins in the earliest legendary time (the age of the Yellow Emperor) and extends to 299 BC, with the later centuries focusing on the history ...

'', where he conquered the

capital

Zhenxun Zhenxun () was the last capital for the pre historical Chinese Xia dynasty. There is a consensus among many Chinese scholars that the Erlitou site about 20 km east of central Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River ...

during the early years of the reign of . Han Zhuo was originally from the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

of Hai. He was a relative. & or "minor functionary" of Bo Ming (), lord of

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

, but was dismissed. He joined

's court and ingratiated himself to its ladies. Liberal in his gifts and unwilling to do the daily drudgework of rule, Houyi entrusted him with greater and greater responsibility while he focused on his archery. Ultimately, Han Zhuo became Houyi's "

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

" and performed most of the duties of government. He is said to have usurped Houyi during the 8th year of the reign of Taikang's nephew ''

''. at the instigation of Houyi's wife.. In one account, the pair waylaid him as he was returning from a hunt; in another, Han Zhuo bludgeoned him to death with help from

Xuan Qi Xuan () may refer to: * Xuancheng, formerly Xuan Prefecture (Xuanzhou), Anhui, China ** Xuanzhou District, seat of Xuancheng and Xuan Prefecture ** Xuan paper, from Xuan Prefecture * Xuan (surname), Chinese surname * Xuan (given name) Chinese rul ...

; in another, he was waylaid by his own retainers led by his closest pupil Pangmeng (); in a fourth, he talked the palace staff into turning on the king and killing him.. Houyi's body was prepared as a meal for his son or sons, who refused to eat it and were killed. Their bodies were displayed at the gates of

Qiong Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...

(). Houyi's wife Chun Hu (純狐 lit. "Sable/Pure Fox"; aka Xuan Qi 眩妻 "Dark Lady"), Han Zhuo's co-conspirator, then became Han Zhuo's consort and bore him two sons, Ao (, ''Ào'') or Jiao (, ''Jiāo'') and Yi (). As ruler, Han Zhuo conquered two other states but their refugees gathered with the Ge (, ''Gé'') under a man named Mi who espoused the cause of

Shaokang Shao Kang (, his surname was Si (surname 姒), Sì 姒) was the sixth king of the Xia dynasty of ancient China. He was the son of Xiang of Xia, Xiang. His father was killed in a battle against Han Zhuo's two sons, Han Jiao and Han Yi; Shao Kang's ...

, who claimed to be the long-lost son of the deposed Xia king Xiang by his escaped wife Min. In some accounts, Han Zhuo was killed by a Kuei minister. while in battle with the Xia refugees. In others, he was first succeeded by his son Ao, remembered as a strongman and revered as the "Arrogant King", a

culture hero A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group ( cultural, ethnic, religious, etc.) who changes the world through invention or discovery. Although many culture heroes help with the creation of the world, most culture heroes are imp ...

credited with the invention of ships and numbered among the

Kings of the Water Immortals The Shuixian Zunwang are five Chinese Deities worshipped as water and sea deities. They have various names in English including the Honorable Water Immortal Kings and the Lords of the Water. All five deities were formerly famous heros and a ...

. Han Jiao was killed by Xiang's son .

References

Citations

Bibliography

* . * . * . * . * . * {{citation , last=Selby , first=Stephen , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wY3sAQAAQBAJ , title=Chinese Archery , location=Hong Kong , publisher=Hong Kong University Press , date=2000 , isbn=9789622095014 . Xia dynasty