Suiren

Suiren
Traditional Chinese	燧人
Simplified Chinese	燧人
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin suì rén
Sui Emperor or Suihuang
Traditional Chinese	燧皇
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Suìhuáng
Suiren Shi
Traditional Chinese	燧人氏
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Suìrén Shì

Suiren (Chinese: 燧人, Pinyin: Suìrén, "Fire-maker"), also known as Suihuang (燧皇, Suìhuáng, "The Great Fire-maker"), in Chinese mythology is credited with introducing fire-making to humans.

Whether Suiren was a single individual or a community (燧人氏, Suìrénshì, "Fire-makers"), and whether he used wood-drilling (鑽木取火) or flint-striking (擊石取火) to make fire—the accounts vary. He is included firstly on some lists of Three August Ones (三皇).

Tradition holds that he ruled over China for 110 years. He is sometimes identified as the father of Fuxi (伏羲) through his wife Huaxu (華胥). His legendary capital is associated with Shangqiu in Henan.

Sources

He is mentioned in ten books from the Han dynasty or before. Those crediting him with the introduction of drilling wood for fire include three Confucian works (Bai Hu Tong, Zhong Lun, and Fengsu Tongyi), the legalist book by Han Feizi, and the historical textbook Gu San Fen (古三墳). He is also mentioned more generally in the Zhuangzi or Chuang-tzu, in two of the Confucian “Outer Chapters” (Xunzi and Qianfu Lun), a legalist book (Guanzi), and an early etymological dictionary Shuowen Jiezi.

References

• Christie, Anthony (1968). Chinese mythology. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-00637-9. OCLC 41132.
• Wu, Kuo-Cheng (1982). The Chinese heritage. New York: Crown. ISBN 978-0-517-54475-4. OCLC 1029286392.
• Yang, Lihui; An, Deming (2005). Handbook of Chinese mythology. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-807-8. OCLC 61397586.