Shennong

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Shennong (Traditional Chinese: 神農; Simplified Chinese: 神农; pinyin: Shénnóng), sometimes known as the Yan Emperor (炎帝) or the Emperor of the five grains (Traditional Chinese: 五穀先帝; Simplified Chinese: 五谷先帝; pinyin: Wǔgǔ xiāndì), is a legendary Emperor of China and culture hero of Chinese mythology who is believed to have lived some 5,000 years ago and who taught ancient China the practices of agriculture. Appropriately, his name means "the Divine Farmer". Considered to be the father of Chinese agriculture, this legendary emperor taught his people how to cultivate grains as food, so as to avoid killing animals. He is said to have tasted hundreds of herbs to test their medicinal value, and is assumed to be the author of Shen-nung pen ts'ao ching (Divine Husbandman's Materia Medica), the earliest extant Chinese pharmacopoeia. This text includes 365 medicines derived from minerals, plants, and animals. The true authorship of this work is also unknown. He is credited with identifying hundreds of medicinal (and poisonous) herbs by personally testing their properties, which was crucial towards the development of Traditional Chinese medicine. Tea, which acts as an antidote after being poisoned by some seventy herbs, is also said to be his discovery. Chinese legend places this occurrence in 2737 BC, and states that leaves from burning tea twigs blew upwards from the fire and landed in his cauldron of boiling water.<ref>(Jane Reynolds, Phil Gates, and Gaden Robinson (1994). 365 Days of Nature and Discovery. Harry N. Adams, Inc., New York. ISBN 0-8109-3876-6.)</ref> Shen Nung is venerated as the Father of Chinese medicine. He is believed to have introduced the technique of acupuncture.

The most well-known work attributed to Shennong is the The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic (Traditional Chinese: 神農本草經; Simplified Chinese: 神农本草经; pinyin: Shénnóng běncǎo jīng) -- first compiled some time during the end of the Western Han Dynasty -- which lists the various medicinal herbs such as reishi which were discovered by Shennong at given grade and rarity ratings.

A close kin of the Yellow Emperor, he is said to be a patriarch of the Chinese. The Han Chinese regarded them both as their joint ancestors. He is also considered one of the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. He was deified as one of the San Huang for his contributions to mankind.

Shennong is said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor.

The numerals 3 and 9 have always been revered in Chinese Mythology. The reason behind this was that Shen Nong is part of the Divine Triumvirate, the other two being Fu Hsi and Huang Di. And 9, being the largest single digit, represented fullness, completion. Besides that, 9, being a product of three times three, was considered doubly sacred. In Ancient China, the numerals 3 and 9 were used exclusively by the Emperor or the Son of Heaven.