CHAPTER VI. 



EMPERORS CONNECTEi) WlTtfDBAGONS. 



§ 1. Hwang Ti rode on a dragon. 



The drag on bein g the __ symbol of the Empjerox-and, his blissfi 

 reign, a large number _i)iJ.egen.ds-po.iQt to the close connectio 

 between this jiivine animal and the Son of Heaven. In the firi 

 place, of course, the holy Elmperors of the oldest times a: 

 mentioned in this respect. 



The Historical Records ' contain the following passage. " Tl 

 Emperor Hwang gathered , copper of Mount Sheu and cast 

 tripod at the foot of Mount King. When the tripod was read; 

 there was a dragon which dropping its whiskers came down t 

 meet Hwang Ti. The latter ascended the dragon and rode on i 

 after which the ministers did the same, more then seventy me 

 in all. Then the dragon ascended and flew away. The remainin 

 lower ministers had no opportunity to climb npon the dragoi 

 and all at a time got hold of its whiskers, which (by their weighl 

 were pulled out and fell down". 



According to the Ku kin dm ^ Hwang Ti was melting cinnaba 

 (in order .to prepare the liquor of immortality) in the Tsoh ye 

 mountains, when he became a sien and rode on a dragon to th 

 sky. When the ministers clung to the animal's whiskers, th 

 whiskers fell down. To the question whether they produced th 

 so called "Dragon's whiskers herb" the answer is given that thi 

 is a false tradition caused by the other name of the same herl 

 "Red clouds herb". The same monarch made a winged drago 

 (ying lung) attack and ward off the troops of the rebel Ch^i Yiu 



1 Sect. ^ jjjil ^ , Ch. XXVIII, nr 6, p. 30a (Cha.vannes, Memoires Historiqm 

 Vol. Ill, p. 488). 



2 "^ -4^ 1^ 5 written about the middle of the 4th century by Ts'ui Pao, ^ ^ 

 (cf. Wyue, p. 459, De Groot, Rel. Sysl, Vol. IV, p. 2%4, note 1), quoted T. S , Se( 

 ^^,Ch.430, f|fP|^^,p.46. 



3 Shan hai.kmg, Sect. XVIII, nr 14, 3^^^^, P- 6&; Bamboo Anno 

 ^Chuh situ ki nien, 4>j* ^ g^ i4E), Ch. 1,, Legge, Chinese Classics,\o\. Ill, Part 



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