Chapter 43: Sui Ren — 燧人 — Who Made Fire by Drilling Wood
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A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN
As gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
On the Matter of Sui Ren — 燧人 — Who Made Fire by Drilling Wood
His name is Sui Ren — 燧人.
Sui — 燧 — means fire drill. The tool used to make fire by friction. The piece of wood that spins against another piece of wood to create heat, then flame.
Ren — 人 — means person. Human. The one who does the thing.
Together — 燧人 — the Fire Drill Person. The One Who Used the Fire Drill. The One Who Taught Humanity to Make Fire.
He is also called Sui Ren Shi — 燧人氏 — the Lord of the Fire Drill. The one who discovered fire. The one who taught humanity to make fire. The one who gave humanity the power to warm themselves, to cook their food, to light the darkness.
He is one of the legendary figures of the age before the Three August Ones — 三皇 — San Huang. He lived after Youchao — 有巢 — who taught shelter. He lived before Fuxi — 伏羲 — who taught hunting and fishing. He is the second of the four great sages who laid the foundations of Chinese civilization: Youchao gave shelter, Suiren gave fire, Fuxi gave hunting and fishing, Shennong gave farming.
The texts do not agree on where he came from. Some say he was a sage from the east. Some say he was a sage from the west. Some say he was a god who descended from heaven to teach humanity. All accounts agree that he taught humanity to make fire. All accounts agree that without him, humanity would still be eating raw food, shivering in the cold, living in darkness.
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On the oldest records of Sui Ren.
The name Sui Ren appears in the earliest Chinese texts.
The Han Feizi — 韓非子 — written by Han Fei — 韓非 — approximately 250 before the common era — records Sui Ren as one of the ancient sages.
It states: In ancient times, the people ate raw plants. They ate raw meat. They ate raw fish. The food was foul. It caused illness. Many people died. Then Sui Ren arose. He observed the world. He saw birds pecking at trees. He saw sparks fly from their beaks. He drilled wood. He made fire. He taught the people to cook. The people ate cooked food. They were no longer sick. They lived longer. They honored Sui Ren as their ruler. They honored him as their teacher. They honored him as the one who gave them fire.
The Han Feizi also records that Sui Ren was followed by Fuxi. Fuxi taught hunting and fishing. Together, Sui Ren and Fuxi gave humanity the ability to eat well. Sui Ren taught cooking. Fuxi taught hunting. The people no longer ate raw food. The people no longer went hungry.
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On the second record. The Zhuangzi — 莊子.
The Zhuangzi — 莊子 — written by Zhuang Zhou — 莊周 — approximately 350 to 300 before the common era — mentions Sui Ren in Chapter 9.
It states: In the age of Sui Ren, the people learned to make fire. They learned to cook. They learned to warm themselves. They learned to light the darkness. They lived in peace. They did not know the difference between right and wrong. They lived in simplicity. They lived in the age of virtue.
The Zhuangzi does not describe how Sui Ren discovered fire. It states that he did. It states that he taught the people. It states that the people were transformed. Fire changed everything. Fire made civilization possible.
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On the third record. The Shiji supplement — 三皇本紀 — Sanhuang Benji.
The Tang dynasty — 唐朝 — Tang Chao — commentator Sima Zhen — 司馬貞 — wrote a supplement to the Shiji called the Sanhuang Benji — 三皇本紀 — the Basic Annals of the Three August Ones. In this supplement, he records the sequence of ancient sages.
He states: After Youchao came Suiren. Suiren taught the people to make fire. He taught them to cook. He taught them to warm themselves. He taught them to light the darkness. The people no longer ate raw food. They no longer shivered in the cold. They no longer feared the night. They honored Suiren as their ruler. He was followed by Fuxi.
Sima Zhen also records the story of Sui Ren's discovery. He states: Sui Ren observed the stars. He observed the movements of heaven. He saw that fire was hidden in wood. He drilled wood. He drew fire out. He taught the people to do the same.
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On the discovery of fire — how he found it.
The accounts of how Sui Ren discovered fire differ across texts. Several versions exist. All are recorded here.
The first version. The bird version.
This version is recorded in the Han Feizi. Sui Ren observed birds. He saw birds pecking at trees. Their beaks struck the wood. Sparks flew from the wood. He understood. Wood contains fire. Friction releases it. He took a piece of wood. He drilled it against another piece of wood. He rotated the drill quickly. Heat built. Smoke rose. Flame appeared. He made fire.
He taught the people to do the same. They made fire by drilling wood. They made fire by friction. They no longer needed to wait for lightning. They no longer needed to carry fire from burning forests. They could make fire whenever they needed it.
The second version. The star version.
This version is recorded in the Taiping Yulan — 太平御覧 — Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era — compiled during the Song dynasty — 宋朝 — Song Chao.
Sui Ren looked at the sky. He saw the stars. He saw that the stars were made of fire. He saw that the fire in the stars was the same fire that was hidden in wood. He understood. Heaven and earth are connected. What is in heaven is also on earth. He drilled wood. He drew fire from the wood. He made fire. He taught the people to do the same.
The third version. The dream version.
This version is recorded in later sources. Sui Ren dreamed of a bird. The bird had a beak of fire. It pecked at a tree. The tree burst into flame. He woke. He understood. He took wood. He drilled it. He made fire.
The fourth version. The tree version.
This version is recorded in some local traditions. Sui Ren walked in the forest. He saw a tree that had been struck by lightning. The tree was burning. He approached. He felt the heat. He saw the flame. He understood. Fire was in the tree. He took wood from the tree. He carried it back to his people. He taught them to keep the fire burning. He taught them to make new fire by drilling wood.
All four versions are recorded here. None is declared more true than the others. The core is the same. He discovered how to make fire. He taught humanity to make fire. Humanity was transformed.
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On the fire drill — 燧 — Sui.
The tool Sui Ren used is called the fire drill — 燧 — sui.
It is a simple tool. Two pieces of wood. One is the drill. One is the base. The drill is rotated rapidly against the base. Friction generates heat. The heat builds. The wood begins to smoke. A coal forms. The coal is transferred to tinder. The tinder is blown. The coal becomes flame.
The fire drill is the first tool for making fire. Before the fire drill, humanity could only use fire that was already burning. They carried fire from place to place. They kept it burning constantly. If the fire went out, they could not make more. They had to wait for lightning. They had to wait for a forest fire. They were dependent on nature for fire.
After the fire drill, humanity could make fire whenever they wanted. They were no longer dependent on nature. They controlled fire. They controlled their environment. They controlled their destiny.
Sui Ren gave humanity the fire drill. He gave humanity control over fire. He gave humanity control over their world.
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On the uses of fire — what fire gave humanity.
The texts list the uses of fire. Fire gave humanity many things.
Cooking. Before fire, humanity ate raw food. Raw meat. Raw fish. Raw plants. The food was hard to digest. The food caused illness. The food was foul. After fire, humanity cooked food. Cooked food was easier to digest. Cooked food was safer to eat. Cooked food tasted better. The people were healthier. They lived longer. They grew stronger.
Warmth. Before fire, humanity suffered from the cold. Winter was deadly. The old died. The young died. The weak died. After fire, humanity could warm themselves. They could survive winter. They could live in colder climates. They could spread across the earth.
Light. Before fire, humanity lived in darkness. The night was terrifying. Beasts hunted in the dark. The people could not see. They could not protect themselves. After fire, humanity could light the night. They could see. They could work. They could protect themselves. The night was no longer terrifying.
Protection. Before fire, beasts attacked. Wolves. Tigers. Bears. They came in the night. They came in the day. The people had no defense. After fire, humanity could drive beasts away. Beasts fear fire. They will not approach flame. Fire protected the people.
Tools. Before fire, humanity could not work metal. They could not harden wood. They could not make strong tools. After fire, humanity could forge metal. They could harden wood. They could make weapons. They could make plows. They could build civilization.
Fire gave humanity all of these things. Sui Ren gave humanity fire.
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On the drilling wood method — 鑽木取火 — Zuan Mu Qu Huo.
The method Sui Ren taught is called zuan mu qu huo — 鑽木取火 — drilling wood to take fire.
The method is simple. Take a dry piece of wood. Make a small hole in it. Take a dry stick. Place the stick in the hole. Rotate the stick rapidly. Rotate it between the palms. Rotate it back and forth. The friction generates heat. The heat builds. Smoke appears. A coal forms. Transfer the coal to dry grass. Blow gently. The grass catches fire. The fire is made.
This method is still used today. It is used by survival experts. It is used by primitive skills practitioners. It is used by those who wish to connect with the ancient way. The method Sui Ren taught ten thousand years ago still works. It will always work.
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On the fire keeper — the first office.
After Sui Ren taught fire, the people needed to keep the fire burning. Fire could not be allowed to go out. If the fire went out, they had to make it again. Making fire was difficult. Keeping fire was easier.
The people appointed a fire keeper — 火正 — huo zheng. The fire keeper was responsible for keeping the fire alive. He fed the fire. He protected the fire. He carried the fire when the people moved. He made new fire from the old when it needed to be moved.
The fire keeper was the most important person in the community. Without fire, the community could not survive. Without the fire keeper, the fire would die. The fire keeper was honored. The fire keeper was respected. The fire keeper was the first official. The first office in human society was the keeper of the fire.
Sui Ren created the office of fire keeper. He taught the people to keep fire. He taught them to protect fire. He taught them that fire was sacred.
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On the solar calendar and Sui Ren.
Some texts connect Sui Ren to the invention of the solar calendar — 太陽曆 — taiyang li.
Sui Ren observed the sun. He observed its rising. He observed its setting. He observed its movement across the sky. He divided the year into seasons. He divided the seasons into months. He taught the people when to plant. He taught them when to harvest.
This connection is recorded in later texts. It is not in the earliest accounts. The invention of the calendar is usually attributed to the Yellow Emperor — 黃帝 — Huang Di — or to Fuxi — 伏羲. But some traditions give the credit to Sui Ren. He was the first to observe the heavens. He was the first to measure time. He was the first to give humanity a calendar.
The connection is noted here. The majority of texts attribute the calendar to Fuxi or the Yellow Emperor. The minority attribute it to Sui Ren. Both are recorded.
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On his reign.
The texts record that Sui Ren reigned for a long time. The numbers differ across accounts.
The Han Feizi states that he reigned for 100 years — 一百年 — yi bai nian.
The Taiping Yulan states that he reigned for 200 years — 二百年 — er bai nian.
Some texts say 300 years — 三百年 — san bai nian. Some say 500 years — 五百年 — wu bai nian. The numbers are not historical. They are symbolic. They indicate that his age was long. They indicate that his rule was stable. They indicate that his gift transformed humanity.
During his reign, the people learned to make fire. They learned to cook. They learned to warm themselves. They learned to light the night. They were transformed. They became human in a new way. They were no longer dependent on nature. They controlled their environment. They controlled their destiny.
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On his place in the sequence of sages.
The texts record the sequence of sages who taught humanity the arts of civilization.
The first was Youchao — 有巢. He taught shelter — 巢居 — chao ju.
The second was Suiren — 燧人. He taught fire — 火 — huo.
The third was Fuxi — 伏羲. He taught hunting and fishing — 漁獵 — yu lie.
The fourth was Shennong — 神農. He taught farming — 耕種 — geng zhong.
Together, these four sages gave humanity everything needed for civilization. Shelter. Fire. Food from hunting. Food from farming.
Sui Ren is the second. Without him, the other gifts would not matter. Shelter without warmth is cold. Hunting without cooking is raw. Farming without cooking is hunger. He gave humanity the power to transform raw materials into usable goods. He gave humanity the power to transform the world.
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On the meaning of his name.
His name is Sui Ren — 燧人 — the Fire Drill Person.
The character Sui — 燧 — shows fire — 火 — huo — and a path — 遂 — sui — together. The fire that is made by following a path. The fire that comes from work. The fire that comes from human effort.
The name means: the one who made fire by effort. The one who discovered the method. The one who taught humanity to work with their hands to produce what they need.
Before Sui Ren, humanity received fire from nature. Lightning. Forest fires. Volcanoes. Fire was a gift of the gods. It could not be made. It could only be kept.
After Sui Ren, humanity made fire for themselves. Fire was no longer a gift. Fire was a skill. Fire was a tool. Fire was something humans could create. Humanity was no longer dependent on the gods for fire. Humanity could make their own fire. Humanity could make their own destiny.
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On what he represents.
He represents the beginning of human control over nature.
Before Sui Ren, humanity was at the mercy of nature. Cold. Darkness. Hunger. Disease. They suffered. They died. They could not change their condition. They could only endure.
After Sui Ren, humanity could change their condition. They could make fire. They could warm themselves. They could cook their food. They could light the night. They could protect themselves from beasts. They could forge tools. They could build civilization.
He is not a god. He is a human. He is the first human to make fire. He is the first human to discover the method. He is the first human to teach others. He is the first human to give humanity control over their environment.
He observed birds. He observed the stars. He observed the world. He learned. He experimented. He discovered. He taught. He changed the world.
He is Sui Ren. He is the Fire Drill Person. He is the one who gave humanity fire. He is the one who made civilization possible.
END OF CHAPTER FORTY-THREE