Ancient China · Legendary Individual

Huandou 讙兜

Dates uncertain

Passages: 3
Chapters: 3
Histories: 3

Overview

Huandou was a Legendary Individual.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Huan Dou	驩兜	Huan Dou

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 21; Book of Liang 14, passage 244; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 137

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Banished
Authority Context Yao-Shun government
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 21

Assessments and attributes

Assessment masked righteousness / hypocrisy · Mode quoted-source Speaker Liu Jun (劉峻)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 14, passage 244

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Book of Liang 14, passage 244; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 1 passage

唐虞之際，至治之極，猶流共工，放讙兜，竄三苗，殛鯀，然後天下服。 In the age of Yao and Shun, even at the height of good government, they still exiled Gonggong, banished Huandou, deported the Sanmiao, and executed Gun; only then did all under heaven submit.

Book of Liang, Chapter 14Volume 14: Jiang Yan; Ren Fang · 1 passage

若衡重錙銖，纊微彯撇，雖共工之蒐慝，驩兜之掩義，南荊之跋扈，東陵之巨猾，皆爲匍匐委蛇，折枝舐痔，金膏翠羽將其意，脂韋便辟導其誠。 If the scale weighs heavy as a cash-weight and the gossamer stirs the slightest breath, though Gong Gong's evil, Huan Dou's masked righteousness, southern Jing's arrogance, eastern mound's great knavery—all crawl and writhe, break branches and lick hemorrhoids; gold paste and kingfisher plumes suit their intent, grease and rush smooth their sincerity.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 2Annals of Xia · 1 passage

能知能惠，何憂乎驩兜，何遷乎有苗，何畏乎巧言善色佞人？」 With both wisdom and kindness, why fear Huandou, why exile the Miao, why dread smooth talk and pretty faces?"