Chinese Pantheonmyth
Hou Yi Shoots the Suns
When ten suns appeared in the sky, scorching the earth, the archer Hou Yi shot down nine of them to save humanity.
An editorial retelling
The story
The Ten Suns
In the ancient times, there were ten suns, the children of the Jade Emperor. They normally took turns rising, one each day, so the earth stayed warm but not hot. But one day, bored with the routine, all ten suns decided to rise together.
The heat was catastrophic. Rivers dried up, crops withered to dust, and people began to die of thirst and heatstroke. Monsters emerged from the chaos to prey on the survivors. The Jade Emperor asked his greatest archer, the immortal Hou Yi, to discipline his sons.
The Archer's Solution
Hou Yi descended to earth with his white bow and golden arrows. At first, he tried to reason with the suns, but they ignored him. Seeing the suffering of the people, Hou Yi's anger grew. He drew his bow and fired.
A great ball of fire exploded in the sky, and a three-legged raven (the spirit of the sun) fell to the earth. Hou Yi fired again and again. One by one, the suns fell. The earth began to cool.
He had shot down nine suns. He was aiming at the last one when the Emperor's officials (or his wife Chang'e in some versions) stole his last arrow, realizing that if he killed them all, the earth would freeze in eternal darkness. Thus, one sun was left to provide light and warmth.
The Tragic Aftermath
Although he saved the world, the Jade Emperor was furious that Hou Yi had killed his sons. He stripped Hou Yi and his wife Chang'e of their immortality and banished them to live as mortals on earth. This leads to the sequel story where Chang'e steals the elixir of immortality and floats to the moon.
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Highlights
Ten suns rise at once. Hou Yi shoots down nine. He is punished by becoming mortal.
Why it matters
Celebrated during the Mid-Autumn Festival (along with Chang'e). Explains why there is only one sun.
Quick answers
- What is the story of Hou Yi Shoots the Suns about?
- When ten suns appeared in the sky, scorching the earth, the archer Hou Yi shot down nine of them to save humanity.
- What themes does Hou Yi Shoots the Suns explore?
- The atlas lists these themes for Hou Yi Shoots the Suns: heroism requiring sacrifice, consequences of rebellion, and balance of nature.
Sources and further reading
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Works cited
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