Zhurong
| Zhurong | |
| シュクユウShukuyū | |
Artwork from Devil Children Light Book and Dark Book | |
| Other Name(s) | Pyrosia DemiKids Light Version and Dark Version |
| Origin | Chinese folk religion Taoism |
| Race(s) | Akuma |
Zhurong is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.
Profile
Origin
Zhurong[a] is a fire deity and historical figure in Chinese mythology. As a fire deity, Zhurong was an officer for fire in Emperor Ku's administration, one of five legendary emperors and the great-grandson of Huangdi.[b][1] According to Youxue Qionglin,[c] it is the human form of Chidi,[d] the Red Emperor, and is thus associated with the southern direction in Wuxing.[e] The Red Emperor, in this text, gets its name from the 离 lí trigram Zhurong is associated with representing fire, which flourishes in summer and resonates with the 丙 bǐng and 丁 dīng celestial stems. Because the colour of fire is a scarlet red, we get "Chi" Di, the Red Emperor.[2] Given its flame deity nature, Zhurong is sometimes used as a synonym for wildfires.
Zhurong is mentioned several times in the Classic of Mountains and Seas,[f] including the second-to-last entry in the final Inner Sea section. Zhurong is described as a being with a beast's body, a human face, and rides astride two dragons. He is said to have struck down Gun,[g] the father of Yu the Great,[h] who had stolen an unnamed Emperor's fertile soil to use to contain a flood in defiance to the emperor; as punishment, Gun was executed by Zhurong in Yujiao,[i] the Feather Marsh. Gun would go on to be categorised as one of the Four Criminals[j] in the Book of Documents,[k] the unnamed Emperor being attributed to Emperor Shun;[l][3] however, this text, among others, all attribute the executioner of Gun to different individuals, and even different emperors. For example, Records of the Grand Historian[m] attributes it to Emperor Ku,[n] Gun's father, making the ordering of Zhurong to kill him an act of patrilineal punishment.[1] It is because of this that Zhurong bears some association with water.[4] In the Bamboo Annals, Zhurong's spirit is said to have stopped on the sacred Mount Chong during the founding of the Xia dynasty and giving cosmic legitimacy to his rule.[5]
The Classic of Mountains and Seas also makes two separate, almost contradictory claims about Zhurong's ancestry:[4]
- In one verse, Zhurong is a distant descendent of the Flame Emperor, whose parent is Xiqi.[o] His child, here, is said to be Gonggong,[p] one of the Four Criminals in the Book of Documents and a water deity held responsible for floods. Said child would conspire with Huandou[q] against Emperor Yao and fail, resulting in its expulsion.[3]
- In another verse, Zhurong is said to be a descendent of Heidi,[r] aka Zhuanxu[s] or the Black Emperor, naming his descentent Laotong[t] as the parent, and Crown Prince Changqin,[u] the progenitor of music, as his child.
Because both lineages are explicitly male, this cannot be reconciled. In Records of the Grand Historian[1] and other classical sources, generally, the Black Emperor lineage - that of the sky deity Zhuanxu - is upheld, given countermemory evidence that implies the Inner Sea chapters may have been forged at a later date.
Design
Zhurong is depicted as a traditional Chinese scholar, wearing a mianguan,[v] wielding fire in his hand to signify his fiery connections. Because mianguan are typically worn by Chinese emperors, this could be calling back to an occasional belief in Zhurong being the Flame Emperor.[w] The beastly head is likely referring to its Classic of Mountains and Seas description.[4]
Gameplay
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Compendium
| Compendium Entries | |
|---|---|
| Devil Children Light Book and Dark Book | ケモノの 体と 人の 顔を持つ キョウボウな 火の 神 火事を起こして 人間たちをこまらせるTranslation: A violent fire god with a beast's body and person's face. He kindles fires and causes trouble for humans. |
| DemiKids Light Version and Dark Version |
A very nasty fire-demon with a bestial face that strikes terror into the hearts of men. |
| Devil Children Fire Book and Ice Book | ケモノの 体と 人の 顔を持つ キョウボウな 火の 神 火事を起こして 人間たちをこまらせるTranslation: A violent fire god with a beast's body and person's face. He kindles fires and causes trouble for humans. |
Nomenclature
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 English
|
PyrosiaDemiKids Light Version and Dark Version | |
 Japanese
|
シュクユウ Shukuyū | Shukuyū, Japanese reading of 祝融 Zhùróng (Conflagration) |
Gallery
Notes
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 祝融, Traditional Chinese: 祝融, romanized Zhùróng
- ↑ Chinese: 黄帝, romanized Huángdì
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 幼学琼林, Traditional Chinese: 幼學瓊林, romanized Yòuxué Qiónglín
- ↑ Chinese: 赤帝, romanized Chìdì
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 五行, Traditional Chinese: 五行, romanized Wǔxíng
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 山海经, Traditional Chinese: 山海經, romanized Shānhǎijīng
- ↑ Chinese: 鲧, romanized Gǔn
- ↑ Chinese: 大禹, romanized Dà Yǔ, also written as 夏禹 Xià Yǔ
- ↑ Chinese: 羽郊, romanized Yǔ Jiāo
- ↑ Chinese: 四罪, romanized Sì Zuí
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 尚书, Traditional Chinese: 尚書, romanized shàngshū
- ↑ Chinese: 帝舜, romanized Dìshùn
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 史记, Traditional Chinese: 史記, romanized Shǐjì
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 帝喾, Traditional Chinese: 帝嚳, romanized Dìkùn
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 戏器, Traditional Chinese: 戲器, romanized Xìqì
- ↑ Chinese: 共工, romanized Gònggōng
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 欢兜, Traditional Chinese: 驩兜, romanized huāndōu
- ↑ Chinese: 黑帝, romanized Hēidì
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 颛顼, Traditional Chinese: 顓頊, romanized Zhuānxū
- ↑ Chinese: 老童, romanized lǎotóng
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 长琴, Traditional Chinese: 長琹, romanized Chángqín
- ↑ Simplified Chinese: 冕冠, Traditional Chinese: 冕冠, romanized miǎnguān
- ↑ Chinese: 炎帝, romanized Yándì
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sima, Q. (1972). 史記 [Shǐjì]. 中華書局 [Zhonghua Book Company].
- ↑ Cheng, D.J. et al. (2023). 幼学琼林 [Yòuxué Qiónglín] in 幼学琼林三百千 [Yòuxué Qiónglín Sānbǎiqiān]. 万卷出版社 [Wanjuan Publishing House]. Quote: 南方之神曰祝融，居离而司夏，丙丁属火，火则旺于夏，其色赤，姑夏帝曰赤帝。
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Legge, J., Wang, F.L. & Yan, D.Q. Transl. (2018). 舜典 [The Canon of Shun] in 尚书 [The Book of Historical Documents]. 中州古籍出版社 [Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing House]. pp.15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Zhongquan, Miao, ed. 2018. 山海经 [Shānhǎijīng]. Simplified Chinese ed. Shenyang: 万卷出版公司 [Wanjuan Publishing Company]. pp.332-352
- ↑ 《今本竹書紀年/夏紀》：夏道將興，草木暢茂，青龍止於郊，祝融之神降於崇山。