Emperor Ku

Ku
Han dynasty depiction of Ku
PredecessorZhuanxu
SuccessorEmperor Zhi
SpouseJiang Yuan
Jiandi
Changyi
Qingdu
IssueHouji
Xie
Zhi
Yao
FatherJiaoji
MotherJuzi

(traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: , variant graph Chinese: ), usually[1] referred to as Dì Kù (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ), also known as Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì (Chinese: ) or Qūn (Chinese: ),[2] was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. He went by the name Gaoxin until receiving imperial authority, when he took the name Ku and the title Di, thus being known as Di Ku. He is considered the ancestor of the ruling families of certain subsequent dynasties. Some sources treat Ku as a semi-historical figure, while others make fantastic mythological or religious claims about him. Besides varying in their degree of historicizing Ku, the various sources also differ in what specific stories about him they focus on, so that putting together the various elements of what is known regarding Ku results in a multifaceted story. Di Ku was (according to many versions of the list) one of the Five Emperors of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of Chinese mythology.

  1. ^ Wu (1982), p. 63
  2. ^ Sima Zhen Seeking the Obscure in the Records of the Grand Historian (史記索隱 - Shiji Suoyin), "Vol. 1", p. 12 of 238. quote: "皇甫謐云帝嚳名也". translation: "Huangfu Mi said Emperor Ku's name was Qun."