CHAPTER 17 · 32 passages
The Great Wilderness: North
大荒北經
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English
Beyond the northeastern sea, in the Great Wilderness, among the waters of the Hé [河], stands Mount Fùyú [附禺], where Emperor Zhuānxū [顓頊] and his nine consorts are buried. Here are Chī Jiǔ [𩿨久], Wén Bèi, Líyú [離俞], Luán Niǎo [鸞], Fèng Niǎo [鳳], Dà Wù Xiǎo Wù. Qīng Niǎo, Láng Niǎo [琅], Xuán Niǎo, Huáng Niǎo, Hǔ, Bào, Xióng, Pí, Huáng Shé, Shì Ròu [視肉], and the precious stones Xuán [璿], Guī [瑰], Yáo [瑶], and Bì [碧] all come from this mountain. The hill extends 300 li around. South of the hill is Dìjùn [帝俊]'s bamboo grove, whose bamboo is large enough to make boats. South of the bamboo are the waters of a red marsh named Fēng [封] Pool. There are three mulberry trees without branches. West of the hill is the Shěn [沈] Pool, where Zhuānxū [顓頊] bathed.
English
There is a country of Hú Bù Yǔ [胡不與]. Its people bear the surname Liè [烈] and eat millet.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Bùxián [不咸], and there is a country of the Sùshèn [肅慎] clan. There are Fēi Zhì [蜚蛭], with four wings. There is a creature with a beast's head and a snake's body, named the Qín Chóng [琴].
Translator’s note
蜚蛭 means a flying leech; the text describes a four-winged creature rather than identifying a familiar species.
English
There are people called Dà Rén [大人]. There is a country of Dà Rén [大人]; its people bear the surname Lí [釐] and eat millet. There is a Dà Qīng Shé with a yellow head, which eats Zhǔ [麈].
Translator’s note
麈 is an old name for a large deer-like animal; its exact zoological identification is uncertain.
English
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Héngtiān [衡天]. There is a Mount Xiānmín [先民]. There is a coiling tree extending 1,000 li.
English
There is a country of Shū Chù [叔歜], descended from a son of Zhuānxū [顓頊]. Its people eat millet and command four birds, Hǔ, Bào, Xióng, and Pí. There is a black creature shaped like a Xióng, named Liè Liè – Insect [猎猎].
Translator’s note
As elsewhere in these chapters, it is uncertain whether “four birds” is a separate group or an unusual designation for the four mammals that follow.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Xiānkǎndàféng [先檻大逢]. The Hé [河] and Jì [濟] Rivers enter it, and the sea pours into it from the north. To its west stands a mountain named Yǔsuǒjīshí [禹所積石].
English
There is a Mount Yáng [陽], and a Mount Shùn [順], where the Shùn [順] River rises. There is a country of Shǐzhōu [始州], and a Mount Dān [丹].
English
English
There is a country of Máo Mín [毛民]. Its people bear the surname Yī [依], eat millet, and command four birds. Yǔ [禹] begot Jūnguó [均國], Jūnguó [均國] begot Yìcǎi [役采], and Yìcǎi [役采] begot Xiūgé [修鞈]. Xiūgé [修鞈] killed the people of Chuò [綽]. The emperor took thought for him and secretly established a country for him: these are the Máomín [毛民].
English
There is a country of Dān Ěr [儋耳]. Its people bear the surname Rén [任], are descendants of Yúhào [禺號], and eat grain. Among the islets of the northern sea is a deity with a human face and a bird's body. He wears two blue-green Shé through his ears and treads upon two red Shé. His name is Yú Qiáng [禺彊].
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Běijítiānguì [北極天櫃], into which the outer sea pours from the north. There is a deity with nine human heads and a bird's body, named Jiǔ Fèng [九鳳]. There is also a deity holding a Shé in his mouth and another in his hand. He has a tiger's head, a human body, four hoofed feet, and long elbows. His name is Qiáng Liáng [彊良].
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Chéngdūzàitiān [成都載天]. There is a person wearing two Huáng Shé through his ears and grasping two Huáng Shé, named Kuā Fù [夸父]. Hòu Tǔ [后土] begot Xìn [信], and Xìn [信] begot Kuā Fù [夸父]. Kuā Fù [夸父] did not measure his own strength; wishing to pursue the sun's light, he caught up with it at Yú [禺] Valley. He would drink from the Hé [河], but it was not enough. He set out for the Great Marsh, but died here before reaching it. Having already killed Chī Yóu [蚩尤], Yìng Lóng [應龍] also killed Kuā Fù [夸父], then departed to dwell in the south. Thus there is much rain in the south.
Translator’s note
The source places differing accounts of 夸父's death side by side; they are not reconciled here.
English
There is also a country of Wú Cháng [無腸]. Its people bear the surname Rén [任], are descendants of Wújì [無繼], and eat fish.
English
Gòng Gōng [共工] had a minister named Xiāngyáo [相繇], with nine heads and a snake's body, coiled upon itself. He fed from the nine lands. Wherever he spat or came to rest became pools and marshes, either acrid or bitter, where no beast could dwell. Yǔ [禹] dammed the flood and killed Xiāngyáo [相繇]. His blood was rank and foul; grain could not grow there. The land was full of water and could not be inhabited. Yǔ [禹] filled it in: three times he raised it, and three times it collapsed. He therefore made it a pool, and the emperors used it as a terrace. It lies north of Kūnlún [崑崙].
Translator’s note
The verbs 歍 and 尼 and the expression 三仞三沮 are difficult. “Three times he raised it” follows the repeated-failure reading; 仞 can also denote the unit ren.
English
There is a Mount Yuè [岳], where bamboo a xun in length grows.
Translator’s note
A xun is an ancient measure conventionally reckoned as eight chi; no modern length is imposed here.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Bùgōu [不句], into which the sea waters enter from the north.
English
There is a Mount Xìkūn [係昆], with a Terrace of Gòng Gōng [共工]; archers dare not face north. There is a person dressed in blue-green, named Huáng Dì Nǚ Bá [魃], daughter of Huáng Dì [黃帝]. Chī Yóu [蚩尤] made weapons and attacked Huáng Dì [黃帝]. Huáng Dì [黃帝] ordered Yìng Lóng [應龍] to attack him in the wild of Jìzhōu [冀州]. Yìng Lóng [應龍] stored up water. Chī Yóu [蚩尤] called upon Fēng Bó [風伯] and Yǔ Shī [雨師], who unleashed great wind and rain. Huáng Dì [黃帝] then sent down the heavenly maiden called Huáng Dì Nǚ Bá [魃]; the rain ceased, and Chī Yóu [蚩尤] was killed. Huáng Dì Nǚ Bá [魃] could not return above, and wherever she dwelt no rain fell. Shū Jūn [叔均] spoke of this to the emperor, and she was afterwards settled north of the Chì [赤] River. Shū Jūn [叔均] then became the ancestor of agriculture. Huáng Dì Nǚ Bá [魃] sometimes wanders away; those wishing to drive her off command, “Spirit, go north!” First they clear the watercourses and open the ditches and channels.
English
There is a person eating fish; this is called the country of the people of Shēn Mù Mín [深目]. They bear the surname Fēn [昐] and eat fish.
English
There is a Mount Zhōng [鍾]. There is a woman dressed in blue-green, named Xiàn [獻], the maiden of the Chì [赤] River.
English
In the Great Wilderness stands a mountain named Róngfù [融父], into which the Shùn [順] River flows. There are people named Quǎn Róng [犬戎]. Huáng Dì [黃帝] begot Miáolóng [苗龍], Miáolóng [苗龍] begot Róngwú [融吾], Róngwú [融吾] begot Nòngmíng [弄明], and Nòngmíng [弄明] begot Báiquǎn [白犬]. The Báiquǎn [白犬] were male and female; these became the Quǎn Róng [犬戎], who eat flesh. There is a red beast shaped like a horse, without a head, named Róng Xuān Wáng Shī.
English
There are mountains named Qízhōu [齊州], Jūn [君], Qín [𩰿], Xiānyě [鮮野], and Yú [魚].
English
There are people with one eye growing in the middle of the face. Another account says that they bear the surname Wēi [威], are descendants of Shàohào [少昊], and eat millet.
English
There are the people of Wú Jì [無繼]. They bear the surname Rén [任], are descendants of Wúgǔ [無骨], and feed upon breath and fish.
English
Beyond the northwestern sea, east of Liúshā [流沙], is a country called Zhōng Biàn [中䡢], descended from a son of Zhuānxū [顓頊]; its people eat millet.
English
There is a country named Làiqiū [賴丘], and a country of Quǎn Róng [犬戎]. There is a deity with a human face and a beast's body, named Quǎn Róng [犬戎].
English
Beyond the northwestern sea, north of the Hēi [黑] River, are people with wings, named Miáo [苗民]. Zhuānxū [顓頊] begot Huān Tóu [驩頭], and Huān Tóu [驩頭] begot the Miáo [苗民]. The Miáo [苗民] bear the surname Lí [釐] and eat flesh. There is a mountain named Zhāng [章].
English
In the Great Wilderness are Mount Héngshí [衡石], Mount Jiǔyīn [九陰], Mount Huīyě [灰野], and Mount Jiǒngyě [泂野]. Upon them grows a red tree with blue-green leaves and red flowers, named the Ruò [若] tree.
English
English
Beyond the northwestern sea, north of the Chì [赤] River, stands Mount Zhāngwěi [章尾]. There is a deity with a human face and a red snake's body, whose eyes are upright and straight. When he closes his eyes, darkness falls; when he opens them, there is light. He neither eats nor sleeps nor breathes. Wind and rain attend him. He illuminates the ninefold darkness and is called Zhúlóng [燭龍].
Translator’s note
直目正乘 and 風雨是謁 are difficult expressions. The description of the eyes and the relation to wind and rain remain uncertain.