Houji

Houji (后稷) is the name of a mythological ruler in ancient China . The name is made up of the terms hou for "ruler / god" and ji for "millet / grain". He is often referred to and revered as the god of agriculture.

The legend of Houji can already be found in the oldest known Chinese poetry collection Shi Jing . Houji is considered the son of Kù , one of the five Chinese great emperors, and his wife Jiang Yuan . According to the story, Jiang Yuan became pregnant after falling into a giant emperor's footprint in the field, which is believed to be evidence of Houji's divine origins and the supernatural abilities of the great emperors.

Houji is the mythological progenitor of the Zhou people, who made various types of grain available to his subjects and instructed them in their cultivation and harvest.

Web links

• Handbook of Chinese Mythology on Houji.