Wu Yi (Shang Dynasty)

Names
Surname	Zǐ ( Chinese 子 )
Birth Name	Qú ( Chinese 瞿 )
Throne name from Shiji	Wǔ Yǐ ( Chinese 武乙 )
Throne name from oracle bone	(Not known)
Temple name	Wǔ Zǔ ( Chinese 武祖 )
Postum name	Liè König ( Chinese 烈王 )
in German	Wu Yi

King Wǔ Yǐ ( Chinese 武乙 ) (*? BC; † 1195 BC) ruled China for 4 years as the 28th or 29th king of the Shang dynasty . He was the son of the previous king, Kang Ding .

According to tradition, the tyrannical Wu Yi wanted to take on the sky god. He had a puppet made and called it the sky god. Then he played a few games of Chinese chess with him and had a chronicle official set up as an opponent in place of the sky god, with the intention of having a decisive battle with him. However, the "god of heaven" lost three games in a row. Because of this, Wu Yi believed that the sky god was incompetent; he insulted him by punishment and slaughter.

He had a leather pouch filled with blood made, hung it in the air and, looking up into the sky, shot him with his bow. He called this “shooting at heaven (heaven god)”.

One day Wu Yi was hunting between the Yellow River and the Wei Shui River ( Chinese 渭水 ). Suddenly black clouds drew in the sky and a thunderstorm with lightning and rolling thunder fell and Wu Yi was struck by lightning and died.

Web links

Story on Wu Yi in Sima Qian's Shiji (in Chinese) ( Memento of March 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive )

predecessor	Office	successor
Kang thing	King of China 1199–1195 BC Chr.	Whom thing

personal data
SURNAME	Wu Yi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Wǔ Yǐ
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	chinese king of the Shang dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH	13th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	1195 BC Chr.