CHAPTER II
THE THREE EMPERORS
AN account of the myths of China may rightly take the Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti, as a central point of departure. He is the third of the Three Emperors, San Huang, but is the first to whom a distinct personality is assigned. The first Emperor, Fu Hsi, is a type of the Hunting Age of the early nomad tribes which settled China. The second Emperor, Shên Nung, typifies the Agricultural Age during which permanent settlements were established and agricultural pursuits became continuous. It is only with the Yellow Emperor that a semblance of human individuality is associated with the great deeds which brought about the beginning of Chinese civilization. In Huang Ti there may be gathered the achievements and glories of several individuals whose names are lost, but at least in him we have a mythological character as distinguished from the generic name of periods such as those of Fu Hsi and Shên Nung, who were entirely fabulous.
The "Chronology of the Han Dynasty" (Han Li Chih), carries the early chronology of China back to a period of more than two million years, divided into ten great epochs. The first of these was inaugurated by P'an Ku, the first created being and also the first creator. This epoch was called that of "The Nine Sovereigns" (Chiu Ti) and was followed by the epoch of "The Five Dragons" (Wu Lung) who were severally called eldest, second, third, fourth and youngest. They were also given the names of the five notes of the musical scale, and the names of the planets. The third epoch consisted of fifty-nine generations, the fourth of three generations, the fifth
