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Gun
Traditional father of Yu, called a son of Zhuanxu in the Shiji, who failed for nine years to control the flood and, per the Shangshu, was put to death at Mount Yu
Mural of the event “Great Yu Taming the Flood”, which this person took part in.
During the era of Yao and Shun, devastating floods ravaged the Yellow River basin and threatened the survival of early Huaxia tribes. The tribal confederation urgently needed a definitive solution to save populations on the brink of extinction.
Also known as Si Gun · Chongbo Gun
- Roles
- Cultural Persona
Gun is a figure of early legend known from pre-Qin and Han texts. The Annals of Xia in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) makes him the father of Yu and a son of Zhuanxu. The Canon of Yao in the Book of Documents (Shangshu) says the Four Peaks proposed Gun to control the flood, that Yao called him disobedient and harmful to his kin, and that after nine years the work was not done; the Canon of Shun has Shun put him to death at Mount Yu, and the Great Plan says he was put to death and Yu then rose. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says instead that he stole heaven's self-growing soil to dam the flood, was killed by Zhurong at Yujiao, and that Gun then brought forth Yu. Qu Yuan's Tianwen asks about this.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; traditionally the father of Yu
- 2070 BCEGreat Yu Taming the FloodTook part