Tʼang had seven names, one of which was Li. He was descended from the Empress Keen-tieh, who, having prayed for a son, entered a river to bathe. A dark swallow came nigh and dropped a variegated egg from her mouth, which the Empress swallowed. She became pregnant, and gave birth to a son named See, who, when he grew up, was appointed by Yao, Minister of Instruction, and was given the principality of Shang. [[286]]
Thirteen generations later the wife of one of See’s descendants gave birth to Tʼang, the future Emperor. She had become pregnant after seeing a white vapour passing through the moon. The child had whiskers at birth, and his arms had four joints. He grew to the height of nine cubits.
Wonderful things happened to prove that Tʼang was the chosen by Heaven to reign over the Empire. When he visited the altar of Yao, he dropped a jewel into the water. “Lo! yellow fishes leapt up in pairs; a blackbird followed him, and stood on the altar, where it changed into a black gem.” There also appeared a black tortoise, which had on its back characters intimating that Tʼang was to become the Emperor. A spirit appeared on Mount Pei at the same time. “Another spirit, dragging a white wolf, with a hook in his mouth, entered the court of Shang. The virtue of metal waxed powerful; silver overflowed from the hills.” Tʼang himself dreamed that “he went to the sky and licked it. After this he became possessor of the Empire.”[14]
When the Dynasty of Shang began to decline, the rulers became weak and profligate. It is told of Wu-Yih, who reigned for only four years (1198–1194 B.C.), he was “without any right principle. He made an image of a man, and called it ‘the Spirit of Heaven’. Then he ‘gamed with it’ (played dice, or at chess), causing someone to play for the image. ‘The Spirit of Heaven’ was unsuccessful, on which he disgraced it, and made a leather bag, which he filled with blood, and then placed aloft and shot at (the image was probably in the bag as well), calling this ‘shooting at Heaven’.… In the fourth year of his reign, while hunting between [[287]]the Ho and the Wei, Wu-Yih suddenly died. Tsʼeen says that he was struck dead by lightning; and people recognize in that event the just and appropriate vengeance of Heaven which he had insulted.”[15]
The Kafirs of Africa “play at a game of chance before their idols, and, should chance be against them, kick and box their idols; but if, after this correction, on pursuing their experiments they should continue unsuccessful, they burn the hands and feet off them in the fire; should ill fortune still attend them, they cast the idols on the ground, tread them under foot, dash them about with such force as to break them to pieces. Some, indeed, who show greater veneration for the images, content themselves with fettering and binding them until they have obtained their end; but should this not take place as early as their impatience looks for, they fasten them to a cord and gradually let them down into the water, even to the bottom, thus trusting to force them to be propitious”.[16] It may be that Wu-Yih (Wuh-I) was engaged in some such ceremony when he disgraced and tortured his god.
A successor is remembered as the first man who used ivory chop-sticks. The Viscount of Ke admonished him, saying: “Ivory chop-sticks will be followed by cups of gem; and then you will be wanting to eat bears’ paws and leopards’ wombs, and proceed to other extravagances. Your indulgence of your desires may cost you the Empire.” This was Chou-sin, an intemperate and extravagant tyrant. He came under the influence of a beautiful but wicked woman, called Ta-ke, whom he [[288]]married. “The most licentious songs were composed for her amusement and the vilest dances exhibited.” A park was laid out for her amusement. “There was a pond of wine; the trees were hung with flesh; men and women chased each other about quite naked.” Drinking bouts were common in the palace, and when the princes began to rebel, new and terrible tortures were introduced. The queen had constructed a copper pillar, which was greased all over. It was laid above a charcoal fire, and culprits were ordered to walk on it. When they slipped and fell into the fire, Ta-ke was “greatly delighted”.
The Dynasty of Shang was overthrown by King Wu, the founder of the Dynasty of Chou. Wu was descended from the famous lady Kian Yuan, already referred to (see [Index]). After treading in the toe-print (or foot-print) made by God, she gave birth to her son, Hau Ki, suffering no pain. Like Gilgamesh, Sargon, Romulus and Remus, Karna, and other famous heroes, the child was exposed after birth, the lady’s husband, according to one Chinese commentator, having been displeased with what had taken place. In the Shih King the ode, which relates the legend of Hau Ki, says:
He was placed in a narrow lane,
But the sheep and oxen protected him with loving care.
He was placed in a wide forest,