Chapter 38: Shennong — 神農 — The Divine Farmer
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A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN
As gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
On the Matter of Shennong — 神農 — The Divine Farmer
His name is Shennong — 神農.
Shen — 神 — means god. Divine. Spirit.
Nong — 農 — means agriculture. Farming. The cultivation of the land.
Together — 神農 — the Divine Farmer. The God of Agriculture. The Spirit Who Cultivates.
He is also called Yandi — 炎帝 — the Fiery Emperor. The Emperor of Fire. The name connects him to the element of Fire — 火 — huo — which governs the south and summer.
He is also called the Red Emperor — 赤帝 — Chi Di — in some texts. His skin is red. His body is red. He is the color of fire.
He is also called the Earth Sovereign — 地皇 — Di Huang — in some lists of the Three August Ones — 三皇 — San Huang. The order of the Three August Ones differs across texts. In some lists he is second. In some lists he is third. In all lists he is the god of agriculture.
He is the second of the Three August Ones — 三皇 — San Huang — in the most commonly received tradition. Fuxi — 伏羲 — is first. Shennong is second. The Yellow Emperor — 黃帝 — Huang Di — is third in some lists. Nuwa — 女媧 — replaces Shennong in other lists. The lists do not agree. This record follows the order: Fuxi, Shennong, Yellow Emperor.
He was a real person in the accounts. He lived in the age before written history. He taught humanity to farm. He taught humanity to use medicine. He gave humanity the foundation of civilization.
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On the oldest records of Shennong.
The name Shennong appears in the earliest Chinese texts.
The Zhuangzi — 莊子 — written by Zhuang Zhou — 莊周 — approximately 350 to 300 before the common era — mentions Shennong in multiple chapters.
Chapter 9 states: In the age of Shennong, the people slept in peace and woke in contentment. They did not know the difference between right and wrong. They lived simply. They did not desire what they did not have. They were the age of virtue.
The Zhuangzi does not describe Shennong as a god. It describes him as a ruler. A human ruler. The ruler of a time of simplicity. The ruler of a time before complexity. The ruler of a time before civilization became corrupt.
Chapter 10 states: When the age of Shennong began, the people began to cultivate the land. They did not cultivate before. They gathered what grew wild. Shennong taught them to plant. He taught them to harvest. He taught them to store. He was the first to farm.
The text does not explain how Shennong learned to farm. It states that he taught farming. It states that he was first. The details of his discovery are not recorded.
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On the second record. The Huainanzi — 淮南子.
The Huainanzi — 淮南子 — compiled under Liu An — 劉安 — around 139 before the common era — records Shennong as the second of the Three August Ones.
It states: Shennong taught the people to cultivate the five grains — 五穀 — wu gu. He taught them to distinguish the seasons. He taught them to know the soil. He taught them when to plant and when to harvest. He taught them how to store what they grew.
Before Shennong, the people ate wild plants. They did not know which plants were safe. They did not know which plants were poisonous. They ate what they found. They often became sick. They often died.
Shennong tasted all the plants. He tasted the grains. He tasted the herbs. He tasted the roots. He tasted the fruits. He tasted the leaves. He distinguished what was nourishing from what was poisonous. He taught the people what to eat and what to avoid.
The Huainanzi also records: Shennong had the body of a human. He had the head of a bull — 牛頭 — niu tou — in some accounts. He had horns on his head. The horns represent his connection to the earth. The bull is the animal of Earth — 土 — tu. The bull plows. The bull cultivates. Shennong is the bull who plows the soil for humanity.
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On the third record. The Yijing — 易經 — the Book of Changes.
The Yijing — 易經 — the Book of Changes — records Shennong's inventions.
The Xici — 繫辭 — the Commentary on the Appended Judgments — states: After the age of Fuxi, Shennong arose. He cut wood to make the plow. He bent wood to make the plow handle. He taught the people to plow. He taught the people to plant. This he took from the trigram Yi — 益.
Yi — 益 — is the trigram of increase. The plow increases what the earth produces. The plow increases what the people have. The plow is the application of Yi.
He also taught the people to trade. He established the midday market. The people brought what they had. They exchanged what they did not have. They went home with what they needed. This he took from the trigram Shi Ke — 噬嗑.
Shi Ke — 噬嗑 — is the trigram of biting through. The market bites through the separation between people. It brings them together. It allows exchange. The market is the application of Shi Ke.
The Yijing records these inventions as the foundation of civilization. Fuxi gave hunting and fishing. Shennong gave agriculture and trade. Together they gave humanity the means to live in settled communities.
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On his birth.
The accounts of his birth are recorded in later texts. The Song dynasty — 宋朝 — Song Chao — encyclopedia Taiping Yulan — 太平御覧 — Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era — preserves the earliest surviving account.
It states: In ancient times, there was a woman named An Deng — 安登 — also called Nü Deng — 女登. She was the wife of the emperor Shaodian — 少典. She walked to the marsh of Huayang — 華陽. She saw a divine dragon — 神龍 — shen long. She became pregnant. She gave birth to Shennong.
The dragon was red. Its body was the color of fire. Shennong was born red. His skin was the color of the dragon. He was called the Red Emperor — 赤帝 — Chi Di — because of this.
Some accounts say his mother was pregnant for eighteen months — 十八個月 — shi ba ge yue — before giving birth. Some accounts say she gave birth in the region of Jiangshui — 姜水 — in present-day Shaanxi province — 陝西省 — Shaanxi Sheng. The details differ across texts. The core account is consistent. His mother saw a dragon. She conceived. She gave birth to the Divine Farmer.
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On his appearance.
All sources that describe his form agree on one element.
He had the head of a bull — 牛頭 — niu tou — or the horns of a bull — 牛角 — niu jiao — on his human head.
The bull is the animal of agriculture. The bull pulls the plow. The bull breaks the soil. The bull prepares the earth for planting. Shennong has the head or horns of the bull because he is the one who plows for humanity.
His body is red — 赤色 — chi se — the color of fire. He is the Fiery Emperor — 炎帝 — Yandi. He governs the element of Fire. Fire is the element of summer. Fire is the element of the south. Fire is the element of transformation. Fire transforms raw grain into cooked food. Fire transforms the soil into fertility. Shennong is the color of fire.
In some depictions he holds a sheaf of grain — 穀穗 — gu sui — in his hand. In some depictions he holds a plow — 犁 — li. In some depictions he holds a bundle of herbs — 草藥 — cao yao. He is the giver of grain. He is the giver of medicine. He is the one who feeds humanity. He is the one who heals humanity.
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On the tasting of herbs — 嘗百草 — Chang Bai Cao.
The most famous story of Shennong is the tasting of herbs.
After he taught the people to farm, he saw that they still suffered from sickness. They ate plants that poisoned them. They used plants that harmed them. They did not know what was safe. They did not know what was medicine.
Shennong decided to test every plant.
He went into the mountains. He gathered every plant he could find. He tasted each one.
He made a classification. The sweet-tasting plants were nourishing. The bitter-tasting plants were medicinal. The sour-tasting plants were astringent. The pungent-tasting plants moved Qi. The salty-tasting plants softened hardness.
He recorded his findings. He taught the people what to eat and what to avoid. He taught them which plants healed which illnesses. He gave humanity the first pharmacopoeia — the first book of medicine.
He was poisoned seventy times in a single day — 一日而遇七十毒 — yi ri er yu qi shi du.
The Huainanzi records this. The text does not say how he survived. It states that he was poisoned seventy times. It states that he continued tasting. He did not stop. He did not rest. He continued until he had tasted every plant. He gave humanity the knowledge of medicine at the cost of his own suffering.
The Shennong Bencao Jing — 神農本草經 — the Divine Farmer's Classic of Herbal Medicine — is attributed to him. The text was compiled in the Han dynasty — 漢朝 — Han Chao. It lists 365 medicines. It classifies them into three grades. The superior grade — 上品 — shang pin — nourishes life. The middle grade — 中品 — zhong pin — cures illness. The inferior grade — 下品 — xia pin — removes disease. The text is still used in Chinese medicine today.
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On the invention of the plow — 耒耜 — Leisi.
The Yijing records the invention of the plow.
Before Shennong, the people scratched the earth with sticks. They dropped seeds into the scratches. The harvest was small. The people were often hungry.
Shennong observed the earth. He observed the roots of plants. He observed how they penetrated the soil. He observed how they broke the soil apart.
He cut wood to make the plowshare — 耒 — lei. He bent wood to make the handle — 耜 — si. He attached them together. He pulled the plow through the earth. The earth opened. The seed was placed in the opening. The earth closed over the seed. The harvest was large.
He taught the people to use the plow. They broke the soil deeper than they could with sticks. They planted more seeds. They harvested more grain. They had enough to eat. They had surplus. Surplus is the beginning of civilization.
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On the invention of the market — 市 — Shi.
The Yijing records the invention of the market.
Before Shennong, the people kept what they gathered. They kept what they grew. They did not exchange. They did not trade. What they had, they had. What they lacked, they lacked.
Shennong established the midday market. At noon, the people gathered. They brought what they had. They exchanged what they did not have. They went home with what they needed.
The market is the beginning of trade. Trade is the beginning of specialization. Specialization is the beginning of civilization. A farmer who grows only grain can trade for tools. A toolmaker who makes only tools can trade for grain. The market allows each person to do what they do best and exchange for what they need.
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On the invention of tea — 茶 — Cha.
Some texts credit Shennong with the discovery of tea.
The story is recorded in later sources. Shennong was tasting herbs. He was poisoned. He sat under a tree. A leaf fell into his mouth. He chewed it. The poison was neutralized. He felt refreshed. He identified the plant. It was tea.
Tea became the antidote to poison. It became the drink of health. It became the drink of civilization. It is still drunk today. It is still called the drink of Shennong.
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On the invention of pottery — 陶器 — Taoqi.
Some texts credit Shennong with the invention of pottery.
Before Shennong, the people ate from leaves. They drank from cupped hands. They could not store water. They could not store grain. They could not cook.
Shennong taught them to shape clay. He taught them to fire the clay. He taught them to make pots. The pots held water. The pots held grain. The pots could be placed over fire. The people could cook. They could store. They could preserve.
Pottery is the beginning of storage. Storage is the beginning of surplus. Surplus is the beginning of civilization.
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On the invention of the five grains — 五穀 — Wu Gu.
The five grains are recorded in multiple texts. The list differs across sources. The most common list is:
Millet — 稷 — ji — the grain of Earth.
Rice — 稻 — dao — the grain of Water.
Wheat — 麥 — mai — the grain of Metal.
Beans — 菽 — shu — the grain of Wood.
Hemp — 麻 — ma — the grain of Fire. Hemp seeds were eaten. Hemp fibers were woven. Hemp was the first fiber crop.
Shennong selected these five grains from the wild grasses. He cultivated them. He improved them. He taught the people to plant them. He taught them to harvest them. He taught them to store them. He taught them to cook them.
These five grains became the foundation of Chinese civilization. They are still eaten today. They are still called the five grains of Shennong.
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On the Shennong Bencao Jing — 神農本草經.
The Shennong Bencao Jing — 神農本草經 — the Divine Farmer's Classic of Herbal Medicine — is the oldest Chinese pharmacopoeia.
It was compiled in the Han dynasty — 漢朝 — Han Chao — approximately 200 of the common era. It is attributed to Shennong. The attribution is traditional. The text was compiled from oral traditions. It was compiled from earlier writings. It was compiled from the accumulated knowledge of centuries. The name Shennong was attached to it because he was the origin of medicine.
The text lists 365 medicines. 365 is the number of days in the year. The medicines are classified into three grades.
The superior grade — 上品 — shang pin — 120 medicines. These nourish life. They are non-toxic. They can be taken for a long time. They do not harm. They strengthen the body. They prolong life.
The middle grade — 中品 — zhong pin — 120 medicines. These cure illness. Some are toxic. Some are non-toxic. They are taken for specific conditions. They are not taken for long periods.
The inferior grade — 下品 — xia pin — 125 medicines. These remove disease. They are toxic. They are taken for severe conditions. They are taken for short periods. They are stopped when the disease is removed.
The text is the foundation of Chinese herbal medicine. It is still studied. It is still used. It is still called the classic of Shennong.
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On the connection to the element of Fire — 火 — Huo.
Shennong is called the Fiery Emperor — 炎帝 — Yandi — because he is associated with Fire.
Fire is the element of transformation. Fire transforms raw grain into cooked food. Fire transforms clay into pottery. Fire transforms ore into metal. Fire transforms the soil into fertility.
Shennong gave the people cooked food. He gave the people pottery. He gave the people the plow. He gave the people the knowledge of how to transform the earth into nourishment.
He is the Fire Emperor. He is the one who transforms what is raw into what is useful. He is the one who transforms what is wild into what is cultivated. He is the one who transforms what is poisonous into what is medicinal.
He is the element of Fire in human form.
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On his reign.
The texts record that Shennong reigned for 120 years — 一百二十年 — yi bai er shi nian.
Some texts say 140 years. Some say 100 years. The number differs across texts. The length of his reign is long. He ruled for more than a century. He established the institutions that would last for millennia.
During his reign, the people learned to farm. They learned to trade. They learned to make pottery. They learned to use medicine. They learned to cook. They learned to store grain. They learned to build settled communities.
During his reign, the world was in harmony. The seasons came in their proper order. The rains came at the proper times. The crops grew abundantly. The people were healthy. The people were content.
This was the age of agriculture. This was the age when humanity learned to settle. This was the age when civilization was built on the foundation of the farm. This was the age of Shennong.
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On his tomb.
His tomb is said to be in Yanling County — 炎陵縣 — Yanling Xian — in Hunan province — 湖南省 — Hunan Sheng.
The Yandi Mausoleum — 炎帝陵 — Yandi Ling — is a large tomb complex. It was first built during the Song dynasty — 宋朝 — Song Chao. It has been rebuilt and expanded by every dynasty since.
The tomb receives pilgrims to this day. They come to honor the Divine Farmer. They come to honor the inventor of agriculture. They come to honor the founder of medicine. They come to honor Shennong.
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On his birthday.
His birthday is observed on the twenty-sixth day of the fourth lunar month — 四月二十六 — si yue er shi liu.
On this day, ceremonies are held at the Yandi Mausoleum. Officials in traditional robes perform the rites. Offerings are made. Incense is burned. Prayers are spoken. The people gather to honor the Divine Farmer.
In some regions, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month — 五月初五 — wu yue chu wu — the Dragon Boat Festival — 端午節 — Duanwu Jie — is also associated with him. The connection is noted. The primary birthday is the twenty-sixth of the fourth month.
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On what he represents.
He represents the beginning of agriculture.
Before Shennong, there was no farming. There was no cultivation. There was no settled life. The people gathered what grew wild. They hunted what moved. They moved from place to place. They did not stay. They did not build. They did not store.
After Shennong, there was farming. There was cultivation. There was settled life. The people planted seeds. They harvested grain. They stored surplus. They built houses. They built villages. They built towns. They built cities. They built civilization.
He is not a god. He is a human. He is the first human to farm. He is the first human to cultivate the earth. He is the first human to transform wild plants into cultivated crops. He is the first human to turn poison into medicine. He is the first human to give humanity the means to build civilization.
He stands at the boundary between the age of hunting and the age of farming. He is what humanity became when it learned to cultivate the earth. He is what humanity became when it learned to cultivate itself.
He is the Divine Farmer. He is the Fiery Emperor. He is the giver of grain. He is the giver of medicine. He is the foundation of civilization.
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT