Gan Jiang
Encyclopedia
Gan Jiang and Mo Ye were a swordsmith couple who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history
. A pair of swords were forged by and named after them.
ordered Gan Jiang and Mo Ye to forge a pair of swords for him. However, the blast furnace
failed to melt the metal. Mo Ye suggested that there was insufficient human qi
in the furnace so the couple cut their hair and nails and cast them into the furnace, while 300 children helped to blow air into the bellows. In another account, Mo Ye sacrificed herself to increase human qi by throwing herself into the furnace. The desired result was achieved after three years and the two swords were named after the couple. Gan Jiang kept the Ganjiang Sword for himself and presented the Moye Sword to the king. The king was angered when he discovered Gan Jiang had kept one of the swords so he had Gan Jiang killed.
Before his death Gan Jiang had already predicted the king's reaction, so he left behind a message for Mo Ye and their unborn son telling them where he had hidden the Ganjiang Sword. Several months later, Mo Ye gave birth to Gan Jiang's son, Chi, and years later she told him his father's story. Chi was eager to avenge his father and he sought the Ganjiang Sword. At the same time, the king dreamed of a youth who desired to kill him and, in fear, he placed a bounty on the youth's head. Chi was indignant and, filled with anguish, he started crying on his way to enact his vengeance. An assassin found Chi, who told the assassin his story before committing suicide. The assassin was moved and decided to help Chi fulfill his quest.
The assassin severed Chi's head and brought it, along with the Ganjiang sword to the overjoyed king. The assassin asked the king to have Chi's head boiled and he told the king that he needed to take a closer look in order for the head to decompose faster. The king bent over the cauldron and the assassin seized the opportunity to decapitate him, his head falling in to the cauldron alongside Chi's. The assassin then cut off his own head, which also fell in to the boiling water. The flesh on the heads was boiled away such that none of the guards could recognise which head belonged to whom. The three heads were eventually buried together at Yichun County, Runan, Henan
, and the grave is called "Tomb of Three Kings".
and Mozi
from the Warring States Period
mention the existence of the Ganjiang and Moye Swords.
The official biography of Zhang Hua
in the historical text Book of Jin
records that the two swords reappeared during the early Jin Dynasty. The swords were later buried at Yanping Ford (present-day Yanping District
, Nanping
, Fujian
). A monument for the swords stands is still present in Yanping District.
Mount Mogan in Deqing County, Zhejiang
, is named in memory of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. A pair of swords were forged by and named after them.
History
According to the historical text Wuyue Chunqiu, King Helü of WuKing Helü of Wu
King Helü of the state of Wu , a state in ancient China, was initially known as Prince Guang . He reigned towards the end of the Spring and Autumn Period.-Biography:...
ordered Gan Jiang and Mo Ye to forge a pair of swords for him. However, the blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
failed to melt the metal. Mo Ye suggested that there was insufficient human qi
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
in the furnace so the couple cut their hair and nails and cast them into the furnace, while 300 children helped to blow air into the bellows. In another account, Mo Ye sacrificed herself to increase human qi by throwing herself into the furnace. The desired result was achieved after three years and the two swords were named after the couple. Gan Jiang kept the Ganjiang Sword for himself and presented the Moye Sword to the king. The king was angered when he discovered Gan Jiang had kept one of the swords so he had Gan Jiang killed.
Before his death Gan Jiang had already predicted the king's reaction, so he left behind a message for Mo Ye and their unborn son telling them where he had hidden the Ganjiang Sword. Several months later, Mo Ye gave birth to Gan Jiang's son, Chi, and years later she told him his father's story. Chi was eager to avenge his father and he sought the Ganjiang Sword. At the same time, the king dreamed of a youth who desired to kill him and, in fear, he placed a bounty on the youth's head. Chi was indignant and, filled with anguish, he started crying on his way to enact his vengeance. An assassin found Chi, who told the assassin his story before committing suicide. The assassin was moved and decided to help Chi fulfill his quest.
The assassin severed Chi's head and brought it, along with the Ganjiang sword to the overjoyed king. The assassin asked the king to have Chi's head boiled and he told the king that he needed to take a closer look in order for the head to decompose faster. The king bent over the cauldron and the assassin seized the opportunity to decapitate him, his head falling in to the cauldron alongside Chi's. The assassin then cut off his own head, which also fell in to the boiling water. The flesh on the heads was boiled away such that none of the guards could recognise which head belonged to whom. The three heads were eventually buried together at Yichun County, Runan, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, and the grave is called "Tomb of Three Kings".
Historical records and legacy
Historical texts XunziXun Zi
Xun Zi was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought. Xun Zi believed man's inborn tendencies need to be curbed through education and ritual, counter to Mencius's view that man is innately good...
and Mozi
Mozi
Mozi |Lat.]] as Micius, ca. 470 BC – ca. 391 BC), original name Mo Di , was a Chinese philosopher during the Hundred Schools of Thought period . Born in Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China, he founded the school of Mohism, and argued strongly against Confucianism and Daoism...
from the Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
mention the existence of the Ganjiang and Moye Swords.
The official biography of Zhang Hua
Zhang Hua
Zhang Hua , style name Maoxian , was a Jin Dynasty official and poet. He was a native of Fangcheng County, Zhili.-Background:...
in the historical text Book of Jin
Book of Jin
The Book of Jin is one of the official Chinese historical works. It covers the history of Jin Dynasty from 265 to 420, which written by a number of officials commissioned by the court of Tang Dynasty, with the lead editor being the Prime Minister Fang Xuanling, drawing mostly from the official...
records that the two swords reappeared during the early Jin Dynasty. The swords were later buried at Yanping Ford (present-day Yanping District
Yanping District
Yanping District is a district in Nanping prefecture in the northern part of Fujian province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture government located in the district.-Etymology:...
, Nanping
Nanping
Nanping is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Ningde City to the east, Sanming City to the south, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to the north and west respectively...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
). A monument for the swords stands is still present in Yanping District.
Mount Mogan in Deqing County, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, is named in memory of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.