Ancient China · Religious Leader

Head shaman of Ye 大巫嫗

Born c. BC 519

Passages: 7
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Head shaman of Ye was a Religious Leader.

Life and dates

Death

Thrown into river · At the river 河中
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 305, 317

Age

70
Reckoning Unspecified
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 300

Attested activity

BC 450 to BC 375 至其時，西門豹往會之河上
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 300, 305

Career and standing

head shaman 大巫
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 300

Places and affiliations

At Ye 鄴 · Relation Resided
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 298, 300

Events and relationships

Led river god bride rite
Ritual · Officiant
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 300-302
Thrown into river
Legal · Victim · With Ximen Bao (西門豹)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 305

Source notes

followed by about ten female disciples in silk robes
Quantity about ten
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 301

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 126Biographies of Jesters · 7 passages

其巫，老女子也，已年七十。 The head shaman was an old woman of seventy.

從弟子女十人所，皆衣繒單衣，立大巫后。 Behind her stood some ten female disciples, all dressed in robes of silk.

豹視之，顧謂三老、巫祝、父老曰：「是女子不好，煩大巫嫗為入報河伯，得更求好女，后日送之。」 Bao studied the girl, then turned to the three elders, the shamans, and the village elders: "This girl will not do — she is not beautiful enough. I must trouble the old shaman woman to go into the river and inform the River God that we need more time to find a prettier girl. We will send her along on another day."

即使吏卒共抱大巫嫗投之河中。 At once, he ordered his officers and soldiers to seize the old shaman woman and hurl her into the river.

有頃，曰：「巫嫗何久也？ After a short while, he said: "What is taking the old shaman so long?

西門豹曰：「巫嫗弟子是女子也，不能白事，煩三老為入白之。」 Ximen Bao said: "These disciples are mere girls — they cannot deliver the message properly. I must trouble the three elders to go in and speak to the River God themselves."

西門豹顧曰：「巫嫗、三老不來還，柰之何？」 Ximen Bao turned around: "The old shaman and the three elders have not returned. What shall we do about that?"