Great Brilliant God, Fuxi

Taihao (Great Brilliant), or Paoxi, of the surname Feng(wind), superseding Suiren(fire producer), succeeded heaven as King.

His mother, named Huaxu, trod in the footprint of giant at Thunder lake, and bore Paoxi at Chengji.

He had a serpent's body, a man's head, and the virtue of sage.

'Looking up he contemplated the forms exhibited in the heavens, and looking down he observed the patterns shown on the earth: he observed also around him the ornamental markings of the birds and beasts, and the different suitabilities of the soil.

As to what was near he found things for consideration in his own person, and as to the remote in things in general. He first delineated the Eight Trigrams in order to show fully the virtues of the gods, and to classify the qualities of the myriads of things.

He worked out a system of recording by tablets in lieu of 'knotted cords', and marriage rites were then first instituted, a pair of skins being given as wedding presents.

'He made nets to teach men how to snare animals and to fish', and so he was called Fuxi (hidden victim). He kept beasts for sacrificial purposes in his kitchen, and so he was called 'Paoxi'(kitchen victims).

There being a dragon omen, he enrolled dragons among his officers, and they were styled dragon leaders.

He made the thirty-five-stringed lute.

His capital was in Chen. In the East he built a Feng monument on Mount Tai. Having reigned eleven years he died.

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