China 20B: The mythical god-kings of China

We have looked at the archaeology of China to set up a foundation. Now let us look at how the Chinese perceive themselves. The Chinese are a very historical culture. What memories do they have of their past? What legends have been passed down? Let us start from the traditional to get a reflection of what the Chinese consider their own history.

Pan Ku, first man, first ruler

Traditionally Chinese history begins with gods, demi-gods and a first man, Pan Ku, who had supernatural powers.  Unlike Adam, the first man of the Bible, Pan Ku was the first ruler of the world. This indicates how important the ruler is even in early Chinese thought. Remember that the Chou historians were part of the ruling military aristocracy. Hence this ruler worship is an idea of the ruling class.

The legendary emperors, Su Jn & Fu Hsi

Pan Ku was followed by a series of legendary emperors each of whom brought something of importance to the Chinese civilization. Su Jn brought fire. Fu Hsi substituted the patriarchy for the matriarchy, introduced matrimony, the trigrams, hunting, fishing, and the tending of flocks. He also was responsible for the Chinese hieroglyphs and their calendar.

Fire and Homo erectus

These early legends are pregnant with meaning. Let us do a little exploring. Remember that fire came with Homo erectus, i.e. Peking man in China. Hence Su Jn harks back to the discoveries of Homo erectus – linking the Chinese with this earlier subspecies of Homo.  This just reflects the continuity of human development already mentioned.

Fu Hsi & Herding

Fu Hsi is evidently responsible for the transition from the tribal hunter-gatherer societies to the herding culture. He substitutes the patriarchy of the herding culture for the matriarchy of the tribes. Furthermore he introduces matrimony, which binds the woman to a single man, not vice versa. The man is not bound to a single woman. Hence Fu Hsi reduces the status of the woman from central point of the tribe to the possession of the man in a herding culture. Finally Fu Hsi introduces the herding of animals.

Not the Yangshao

This does not reflect the Yangshao culture. For one, while the Yangshao had pigs, they did not herd them. Second all indications show that the Yangshao had a non-stratified society. It seemed that they had no kings, emperors or rulers, while it seems that social stratification comes that with the patriarchy, universally.

Definitely could apply to pre-Longshan culture

While not applying to the Yangshao, the culture of Fu Hsi could easily apply to the Longshan, which was patriarchal and based upon the herding culture. While the Longshan was an agri-culture not a herding culture, they had all the classic herding animals. According to one theory, a herding culture from Manchuria interacted with the indigenous Chinese in the North to create the Longshan culture.

Legendary and archeological reversed, reflecting Longshan origination

After Fu Hsi introduced herding, Shn Nung introduced agriculture. Hence the order of legendary history is reversed from the archaeological history of China. In the legendary version, related above, Herding was first followed by agriculture, while archaeological agriculture preceded herding by thousands of years in China. Thus although legendary history incorrectly reflects archaeological history, it probably correctly reflects the history of the pre-Longshan culture, with herding coming first followed by agriculture.

A Speculative Re-creation

The Yangshao people were doing their agricultural thing, growing millet and raising dogs and pigs, both scavengers. This style of life was appropriate for the geography of the world. Then came a herding culture probably from Manchuria at the far east of the great Arid Zone. Wandering nomadically with their sheep, goats and cattle, none of which is indigenous to China, they cross easily over lower mountains into the North China Valley. They interact with the peaceful agricultural community there creating the Longshan culture.

A Fanciful story

We might imagine their excitement. The Promised Land. They have wandered for generations over the barren plains herding their sheep, cattle and goats. Wandering aimlessly they discover a pass into a fertile agricultural zone.

Hallelujah! God we are sick of wandering. We are ready to settle down. Perfect. God, Heaven, Sky, Ti, youve thought of everything. At first I wondered why there were people here, but then I realized that these weaklings could be our slaves. But we have our herds. So we will let these peasants also tend our goat, sheep and cattle.

A constant Chinese mechanism

During Chinas history there has been a mechanism whereby invaders from the Arid Zone cross The Pass to raid, sack and/or rule China. These invaders if they stay set themselves atop a military aristocracy. Inevitably they become accustomed to the softer agricultural ways. Then another state on the boundary of the Zone will re-conquer China. The old rulers then move South and are eventually replaced. We will see this mechanism repeated frequently in historical times. We are suggesting that it occurred for one of the first times in prehistoric times.

Shn Nung, the Divine Farmer, introduced agriculture

After Fu Hsi came Shn Nung who introduced agriculture and the medicinal power of plants.

Farming villages first arose in the north of China, thanks —so legend has it —to the endeavors of a mythological leader, Shn Nung. Realizing that his subjects were becoming too numerous to subsist on the meats of birds and animals, Shn Nung— who knew the taste of a hundred different grasses —introduced agriculture, along with pottery, making textiles, and markets. It was a time of peace and prosperity, in which people had no need for defensive walls or weapons.[1]

Accurate reflection of the Yangshao

This is probably a fairly accurate picture of the Yangshao pottery culture as well as the classic agricultural Neolithic society. It pinpoints a few different parallel features, the development of the useful crafts of pottery and textiles, the development of trade centers to sell the crafts, surplus agriculture, and finally a time of peace with no weapons or defensive walls. This world that Shn Nung introduced was not the Longshan culture with their walled villages.

A Chou reflection of both cultures

Thus first Fu Hsi introduced herding, and then Shn Nung introduced agriculture. Writing these legends down over a thousand years later the Chou historians could be reflecting both of the significant cultures of their prehistory with a significant nod to the dominant Longshan culture due to its primacy.

In these ancient times population already a problem

This part of Chinese historical legend also reveals that China was already having to deal with population pressures. The Chinese had to learn agriculture because they were becoming too numerous.  We will return to many historical examples of the need for agriculture in China. While the Great Arid Zone demanded a pastoral solution to its geography, China demanded an agricultural solution to its population pressures. The initial agriculture of the Yangshao allowed for the population boom that created the larger populations, which became ever more dependent upon agriculture to feed the ever-increasing populations made possible by agriculture. This feedback situation has fueled Chinese population growth since the beginning of agriculture and continues to the present day.

Meat not an efficient food source

Why were the Chinese too numerous in these ancient times. There was not enough game to support them, not enough meats of birds and animals to feed the growing population. On one hand this could reflect the change from Hunter Gatherer to agri-culture. Possible climatic changes reduced the amount of game, forcing the inhabitants to consider eating the wild grasses and then farming them.

Chou response to excessive hunting of Shang

On the other hand it could also serve as the Chou dynastys response to the preceding Shang dynasty. As we shall see the Shang were huge hunters, possibly deriving from the Siberian Hunter culture. Possibly by Chou times it had become increasingly difficult to support these hunting habits.

[With the Chou conquering of Shang] The hunting aspects of this early Chinese culture were de-emphasized. Feudal control of organized agriculture became dominant.[2]

Herding animals, inefficient use of land

Probably both concepts are a little right. However the main concept is that meat became an increasingly inefficient source of food for the growing Chinese population. The only way they could and can support their population is through an agriculture, not based upon herding animals. Pigs and dogs can support themselves through scavenging leaving the rest of the food for human consumption. Plus they dont need precious pastureland like sheep, cows, and goats.

Imported Longshan an unsuccessful aberration

The Longshan culture with its sheep, cows, and goats, was really an aberration in Chinese history. Relatively quickly these imported herding animals disappeared, victims of the need for more arable land for farming. This imported farming technique, so successful in the Near East, where it was developed, was an unsuccessful experiment in the Chinese river valleys with its burgeoning population. Hence the Chinese never developed dairy as part of their cuisine.

West might Learn from Chinese

Finally we of the west might be able to see where we are heading. As population pressures become greater and greater, meat becomes less and less viable as a food source. China arrived at this point in prehistoric times. Hopefully we will learn before its too late.

Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor

After Shn Nung came Huang Ti, or the Yellow Emperor. He was responsible for extending and consolidating the Chinese boundaries. He built houses and cities, improved commerce and his consort invented the manufacture of silk.

Taoist connection

It is suspected that the Yellow Emperor is of Taoist origin[3], judging by his importance in Taoist mythology. According to legend he is the bringer of Chinese culture. According to Taoist mythology he had some important teachers, including the Old Master and the Dark and White Maidens. He was the first Initiate to the Way of Taoism. In fact, as we shall see, there was an important Taoist text called Way of the Yellow Emperor and the Old Master (Huang-lao chih Tao), which was very influential in early Taoist thought. Under the influence of Indian thought, the Old Master became an incarnation of Lao Tse.

An alchemical diversion: Sage & Ruler, a common Taoist symbol

This combination of sage and ruler is a common Taoist theme, the image of puppet and puppeteer. We see this dichotomy in the Taoisms Bible, the Tao-te Ching. We will see it in our scripture, Journey to the West; we will see it in the history of China; and we will see it in alchemical Taoism. The underlying meaning to this connection is the necessity of the conscious knowledge, the power of the emperor, to bring out the true knowledge of the sage. True knowledge without conscious knowledge remains hidden. Conscious knowledge without true knowledge is irresponsible without meaning. This is related to the interaction between the trigrams for Fire and Water. We will examine this connection in greater depth later. In contrast to the image of the Old Man and the Yellow emperor, is the central image of Buddhism – the Buddha as a Yogi deep in meditation by himself, eschewing political power and cultivating detachment.

Lao Tzu, a divine emanation

Of course, one question that arises is that if the Yellow Emperor was the First Initiate, how did the Old Master, i.e. Lao Tzu, become initiated? The simple implication is that Lao Tzu was a divine emanation of Nature, sent down, as it were, from heaven to help out. In this context Lao Tzu would be categorized with the angels, Jesus, and Vishnu – in the sense that they all come from beyond human conception to help out. Well be back to this mythical conception of Lao Tzu.

The Dark & White Maidens and Sacred Sex

Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor, was also instructed by the Dark and White Maidens. They initiated him into the mysteries of sex. The sacred aspect of sex is divine, supernatural, beyond cause and effect. Hence our first Taoist Initiate, Huang Ti, was also an initiate into the sacred mysteries of sex. The incontrovertible connection between Taoism and sexual practices is indicated here. Later intellectuals have anaesthetized the body of Taoism, trying to turn her mental. This anaesthetization by the literati has led to much confusion, as they tend to write the books. This is one reason these words are being written. They are written as an antidote to all the nonsense that has been written taking the sacred out of sex.

Taoist association with fertility cults

The Paleolithic cults associated with fertility, are also associated with the sacred aspect of sex. Just as the highest levels of sex are only available through extreme sensitivity, so are the highest levels of creativity and fertility. The Taoist association with the divine feminine is closely linked with inspiration and sacred sex. This whole complex of ideas links Taoism heavily with the preceding fertility cults. All of the Biblical religions, mainstream Buddhism and mainstream Hinduism have all disassociated the sacred from sex and turned it into, at best, a necessary procreative function, and at its worst into an evil sin, an obstruction to enlightenment. Remember that this shift in attitude towards sex was necessary to transform herders, farmers and hunters into the soldiers of the ages of Domination, associated in this paper with the Bronze Age. Under this rough criteria, cultures and their derivative religions that downplay the sacred aspect of sex tend to have originated in the Age of Domination. Taoisms attitude towards sex places its origination before the Age of Domination, in the Ages of Fertility, Domestication, and Cultivation.

The Divine Couple

Whether the Taoists turned the Yellow Emperor into a Taoist symbol or whether the Yellow Emperor was created by the Taoists to symbolize one of their concepts is shrouded in ambiguity. Reflecting upon the importance of the Yellow Emperors consort – she invented silk, among other things. This is the only legendary Emperor with a significant other. The Divine Couple ruling is another concept from before the Age of Domination, when violent, aggressive men rose to ascendancy. That a Divine couple is indicated shows again the connection with the Age of Tribes and Cooperation. Thus the legendary Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti, is probably a symbol that originated before the Ages of Domination, incorporating the concepts of Taoist Initiate, Divine Couple, and Sacred Sex.

The Three Sovereigns

Fu Hsi and bagua, the trigrams

Fu Hsi, Shn Nung, and Huang Ti are collectively referred to as the Three Sovereigns. To show how deep the eight trigrams, pa kua, are to Chinese culture according to legend, it was Fu Hsi who first drew them.[4] This is pre-agricultural, pre-civilization Longshan culture. Both the Taoists and Confucians claim the trigrams as their own. It might be safe to say that the egalitarian nature of the pure trigrams, based upon yin and yang precedes the social stratification of Confucian interpretations, pointing to a Taoist origination.

Fu Hsi and Tai Chi

Fu Hsi is also said to have introduced a slow form of exercise that was good for the marrow and the bones, which is considered to be an antecedent to the Tai Chi forms. Thus the trigrams and slow motion exercise could have been part of Chinese culture since prehistoric times. Even if the Chou historians purposefully pushed the dates back for prestige, these concepts certainly were certainly old when the Chou historians wrote about them. Even if they originated in the early Chou period after the Shang, this still precedes Confucius and Lao Tzus Tao Te Ching by centuries.

Fu Hsi and Shn Nung, dragon bodies and human heads

Fu Hsi and Shn Nung, according to legend were the born of the union of dragons and women. Many times they are shown with serpent bodies and human heads. While this has certain totemic connections[5], which would link these symbols with the Siberian north, the dragon is directly linked with the cultures of the south of China[6], whose influence we shall explore shortly.



[1]Time-Frame, The Human Dawn, Time Life Books, 1990 p114-5

[2]A History of Far Eastern Art, p 40

[3]The Arts of China by Michael Sullivan p 24: Huang Ti was probably invented by the Taoists.

[4]The Arts of China by Michael Sullivan p24

[5]A Short History of Chinese Art , 1949 Munsterberg, p2

[6] Munsterberg, 1972 p 19

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