Ancient China · Ruler

Nüwa 女媧

Attested AD 1195 - AD 1203

Passages
5
Chapters
4
Histories
2

Overview

The translated histories identify Nüwa as a named individual and ruler. This record brings together 5 passages from 4 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal Nüwa 女媧 Nüwa
Personal Nüwa 女媧氏 Nüwa shi
Personal name Nüwa 女媧 Nǚwā
Personal Nüwa 女媧氏 Nǚwā
Personal name Nüwa 女媧
Alternate 女媧 Nǚwā

Identity

Historicity
Legendary
Identification
Named
Sex
Female

Roles

  • Named Individual
  • Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Events and relationships

  • Kind: ritual · Role: cult-recipient · Action: received-gaomei-sacrifice · Label: Gaomei sacrifice / 高禖之祀 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 歲以春分日 · Note: annual spring-equinox rite instituted in Mingchang 6 · Western Year: AD 1195
    Explicit event contextual date · jinshi:029:s0248, jinshi:029:s0247

Assessments and attributes

  • Assessment: ancient sovereign whose name is preserved amid conflicting early traditions · Provenance: Mode: commentator-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Yan Shigu (師古)
    Explicit · hanshu:022:s0031

Source notes

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 20Table of Ancient and Modern Persons · 2 passages
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師古曰：「六家之論，輕重不同；百行所存，趣拾難壹。張氏輒申所見，掎摭班史，然其所論，又自差錯。且年代乆遠，墳典隟亡，學者舛駮，師論分異，是以表載古人名氏，或與諸書不同。今則特有發明，用暢厥旨。自女媧以下，帝鴻以前，諸子傳記，互有舛駮，敘說不同，無所取正，大要知其古帝之號而已。諸人士見於史傳，彰灼可知者，無待解釋，其間幽昧者，時復及焉。」 Yan Shigu said, "The six schools' doctrines differ in what they value; the conduct preserved across the hundred practices is hard to gather into one standard. Master Zhang then set forth his own views, picking at Ban Gu's history—yet his arguments are themselves mistaken. Moreover, the ages are distant, canonical texts have gaps and losses, scholars contradict one another, and teachers' explanations diverge; for this reason the names recorded in the table may differ from other books. Here I add explanations of my own to make the meaning clear. From Nüwa down to before Emperor Hong, the various masters' records conflict and their accounts differ, with no way to decide which is right; in general one need only know the designations of the ancient emperors. Persons who appear in historical records and are plainly identifiable need no commentary; where matters are obscure, I sometimes explain them."
Book of Han, Chapter 22Volume 20: Prominent People from the Past Until the Present · 1 passage
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History of Jin, Chapter 29Volume 29 Treatises 10: Rites 2: Fang Qiu Ceremonies; Dawn, Sunset, and Lunar Ceremonies; Gaomei · 1 passage
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History of Jin, Chapter 35Volume 35 Treatises 16: Rites 8: Consecration of Shrines to a Sages; Temple to the Warrior King Cheng of Zhou; Monarchs of Past Ages; Halls to Various Spirits in Changbai Shan, Dafang Shan, Amur River, Jia Yin Hou; Spirits of the Lu River; Spirits of Zhao Yin Shun; Spirits of Zhen an Gong, Rui Shen Gongl; Worshipping, Sacrifices, Vists, and State Ceremonies at Zhen Xian Jun Wang Temple · 1 passage
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