Leizu

Illustration of Leizu teaching people to cultivate silkworms.
Leizu
嫘祖
SpouseYellow Emperor
IssueShaohao
Changyi

Leizu (Chinese: 嫘祖; pinyin: Léi Zǔ), also known as Xi Ling-shi (Chinese: 西, Wade–Giles Hsi Ling-shih), was a legendary Chinese empress and wife of the Yellow Emperor. According to tradition, she discovered sericulture, and invented the silk loom, in the 27th century BC.