Yan Emperor

The Yan Emperor, or Yandi, (Chinese: 炎帝; pinyin: Yán dì; literally: "Flame Emperor") lived in China about 4,000 years ago. According to a folk tale, Shennong was the first Chinese tribe. The Yan Emperor was a descendant of Shennong. Or, more likely, the term Flame Emperor was a title, held by dynastic succession, with Shennong, at least posthumously, being known as Yandi. Accordingly, the term Flame Emperors would be generally be more correct. The succession of Flame Emperors, from Shennong, the first Yandi, to the last, defeated by Huangdi, may have lasted some 500 years.^[1]

The Flame Emperors and the House of Shennong

Shennong tasting herbs to discover their qualities.‎

Shennong, the "Divine Husbandman," and first Yandi, whose image appears to be a sort of Chinese Green Man, is credited in Chinese Mythology with introducing systematized agriculture as a method of livelihood. He is also known as Yandi, or Flame Emperor. K. C. Wu speculates that this appellation may be connected with the fire used to clear the fields in slash and burn agriculture.^[1] In any case, it appears that agricultural innovations by Shennong and his descendants contributed to some sort of social success that lead them to style themselves as di, "emperors," rather than hou, "princes," as in the case of lesser leaders. At this time it appears that there were only the bare beginnings of written language, and that for record keeping a system of knotting strings (perhaps similar to quipu) was in use.^[2] Thus, it appears that we are dealing with a protohistoric stage here.

The Flame Emperor versus the Yellow Emperor

The last Yandi, or Flame Emperor, met his demise in the third of a series of three battles, known as the Battle of Banquan, probably on the Banquan plain, near the southern border of the modern Nei Mongol Autonomous Region, approximately 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) northwest of modern Beijing.^[3] Yandi, or the Flame Emperor, was defeated by the rising Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor.

Historicity

Since the Battle of Banquan is treated historically by Sima Qian, in his Historical Records, it would appear that this is a pivotal transition point between mythology and history. Ironically, Yandi enters history only with his demise. Apparently this demise was submission to the will or the Huangdi, than actual physical demise. In any case the title of Yan di appears to have lapsed, at this time, although his descendants seem to have perpetuated through intermarriage with Huangdi's (see Descendants of Yan & Yellow Emperors).

In Popular Culture

Both Huangdi and Yandi are considered in some sense ancestral to Chinese culture and people. Also, the tradition of associating a certain color with a particular dynasty may have begun with the Flame Emperors. According to the Five Elements, or Wu Xing model, red, fire, should be succeeded by yellow, earth—or Yangdi by Huangdi.^[4]

List of Flame Emperors

This is the most common list given by Huangfu Mi, Xu Zheng, and Sima Zhen:

List provided at the end of the Shan Hai Jing:

See also

• Shennong
• Yellow Emperor
• Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
• Huaxia
• Zhonghua Minzu
• Descendants of Yan & Yellow Emperors

Notes

References

• Wu, K. C. (1982). The Chinese Heritage. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-517-54475X.