Shaohao

Shaohao (少昊), also known as Shao Hao, Jin Tian or Xuanxiao, was a Chinese emperor in 2600 BCE. According to some traditions (for example the Classic of History), he was, in some versions, one of the Five Emperors.
Legend says that his mother, a weaver goddess, was a beautiful fairy named Huange who fell in love with the planet Venus while drifting on the Milky Way. The two enjoyed many intimate nights together on her raft and they created a son. She soon gave birth to Shaohao, who grew up to be a handsome young man with a lot of potential. His great uncle, Huang Di, was so impressed with him that he named him God of the Western Heavens.
The myth says that Shaohao created a kingdom in the five mountains of the Eastern Paradise that was inhabited by different types of birds. As the ruler of this bureaucratic land, he captured the identity of a vulture. Other birds worked below him, such as a phoenix as his Lord Chancellor, a hawk that delegated the law, and a pigeon that was in charge of education. He chose the four seasons of the year to watch over the remaining birds.
Although his kingdom was successful for many years, he moved back to the west and left his kingdom of birds to his son Chong. With a different son, Ru Shou, he made his home on Changliu Mountain, where he could rule over the Western Heavens. In union as father and son, they were responsible for the daily setting of the sun. In addition, Shaohao was thought to have introduced China to the twenty-five string lute.
Apart from legends, Shaohao is generally considered as the son of the Yellow Emperor Huang Di. He was the leader of the Yi people, where he shifted their capital to Qufu. Shandong. Ruling for eighty-four years, he was succeeded by his nephew Zhuanxu.
According to the Shiji, there was no emperor (帝), between the Yellow Emperor and Zhuanxu however Shaohao is mentioned as a person living between the two who was fretting over a dishonest son. He is usually identified as Xuanxiao (玄囂), the oldest son of the Yellow Emperor found earlier in the text. That would identify the dishonest son as Jiaoji (蟜極), Xuanxiao's only known offspring, who was also passed over as emperor. Jiaoji's son, Ku, and grandsons (Zhi and Yao) did become emperors though.
Shaohao's tomb, most likely built during the Song Dynasty in the form of a large pyramid, is traditionally located in present-day Jiuxian ("old prefecture") village, on the eastern outskirts of Qufu.
Category:Chinese mythology
Category:Rulers