Ou Yezi () was a legendary master of

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

-making in the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...

. According to '' Yuejueshu'', he forged five treasured swords for Gan Jiang and

King Zhao of Chu King Zhao of Chu (), personal name Xiong Zhen, was from 515 BC to 489 BC the king of the Chu state. King Zhao succeeded his father, King Ping, and was in turn succeeded to the throne by his son, King Hui. Life In 506 BCE, King Helü of the S ...

, named, respectively, ''Zhanlu'' (湛卢), ''Juque'' (巨阙), ''Shengxie'' (胜邪), ''Yuchang'' (鱼肠) and ''Chunjun'' (纯钧). He also made three swords for King Goujian of Yue, named ''Longyuan'' (龙渊), ''Tai’e'' (泰阿) and ''Gongbu'' (工布), ''Hailed as The Greatest Blacksmith''.

Teacher of Gan Jiang

According to the ''

Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue'' () is an unofficial history from the time of the Eastern Han dynasty that consists of a collection sidenotes on historical events. The ten-volume book was written by Zhao Ye (赵晔), and narrates th ...

'', Ou Yezi was the master teacher of Gan Jiang (Birrell 1993, 221-227 and 303).

Swords made by Ou Yezi

*(纯钧, 纯钩, or 淳钧) Chúnjūn, Chúngōu, or Chúnjūn (Purity) - Its patterns resembled a row of stars in a constellation. *(湛卢) Zhànlú/Pilü (Black) - A sword made from the finest of the Five Metals and imbued with the essence of Fire. Said to be sensitive to its owner's behaviour, it left of its own accord for the state of Chu when Helü's conduct offended it. When Helü became aware of

's possession of Zhanlu, he attacked Chu. *Haocao/Panying (Bravery/Hard) - Said to have been imbued with the aspect of lawlessness and was therefore of no use to anyone. It was used as a burial object. *(鱼肠) Yúcháng (Fish Intestines) - A short dagger said to be capable of cleaving through iron as if it were mud. Used by

Helü of Wu Helü or Helu was king of the state of Wu from 514 to 496 BC, toward the end of the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His given name was Guang (); he was initially known as Prince Guang. Life Prince Guang was the son of King Yumei ...

to assassinate his uncle,

Liao of Wu Liao, King of Wu (; died 515 BC), also named Zhouyu, was king of the state of Wu in the Spring and Autumn period. Biography Liao was the grandson of King Shoumeng. He took the throne in 526 BC. During his time as king he led several battles ag ...

. It was hidden in a cooked fish presented to King Liao at a banquet. As a result of the assassination, the blade gained a reputation for causing its user to be disloyal. *(巨阙) Jùquē (Great Destroyer) - Said to be incredibly durable, being able to withstand even hitting or stabbing rock. *(胜邪) Shèngxié (Victor over Evil)

Swords made with Gan Jiang

*(龙渊) Lóngyuān (Loong Gulf) - Its shape resembled that of a deep gulf when saw from a high mountain. Goujian used it to cut a gash in his thigh as an act of self punishment when he mistakenly executed an innocent person. *(泰阿) Tàiā (Great Riverbank) - It had patterns like the waves of a flowing river. Tai'a was used by the king of Chu to direct his army against a Jin invasion. *(工布) Gōngbù (Artisanal Display) - Gongbu patterns like flowing water that stop like pearls at the spine.

Citations

References

* Birrell, Anne (1993). ''Chinese Mythology''. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ou, Yezi People of Yue (state) Swordsmiths Chinese swords

Teacher of Gan Jiang

Swords made by Ou Yezi

Swords made with Gan Jiang

See also

Citations

References