MDDM: 64 Captain Zhang

[Samuel Moyer]

622 -17 Captain Zhang, using the astronomers possible guilt (neglect - fixing)  regarding the Man versus Beaverman race ending prematuraly with an eclipse as a segue for the story of Hsi and Ho, a pair of Chinese Astronomers who nearly had their heads chopped off for failure to predict an eclipse, tells us the ancient story in Chapter 64.

623-2 Hia Emperors

The Xia Dynasty, established by Yu, ran from ca. 2205-1766 BC. This is said to be the empire that introduced slavery to China. The emperor was Chung K'ang, said to have ruled from 2159-2147 BC.  http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/mason-dixon/alpha/h.html  

This link: http://www.ihns.ac.cn/members/xufengx/EvolutionEffects.htm  demonstrates the importance of predicting celestial phenomena in ancient China, but my poor background in Chinese History and lack of explanations makes it difficult to apply here.

Here is an online version of Captain Zhang's tale:

One Chinese legend reports that the total solar eclipse in China on 22 October 2134 BC took everybody by surprise. Therefore there was no time to prepare the archers and the drummers in order to fight and frighten the dragons which devour the Sun during the eclipse. In fact, the official imperial astronomers His and Ho, missed the prediction of the eclipse. Not only did they lose their work and the respect of their colleagues - they also lost their heads.    http://sci.esa.int/content/doc/2f/13871_.htm

and

According to the legend, two royal astronomers named Hi and Ho in China were too drunk on the day of the eclipse. They could not perform their rites of chanting, beating drums and shooting arrows at the dragon that was devouring the Sun. Despite the fact that the dragon disgorged its meal without their assistance, the two were beheaded.  http://members.aol.com/kcstarguy/blacksun/myths10.htm

Short Historical resource on china at: http://www.china-contact.com/www/history.html
It doesn't say anything about slavery in China during this first Xia dynasty... but during the next, the Shang dynasty, it did exist....  

624-34 Hsi now producing a gigantic sky-blue kite of some strong yet light silk Stuff, strengthened with curious Bamboo Ribwork, furnish'd with apparatus for steering. 

The embryonic forms of modern aircraft-the kite, rocket, Kongming lamp, and bamboo dragonfly-were invented and created in ancient China and played an important role in the generation and development of aviation. http://www.flight100.org/history/chi.html

626-4 Lord Huang, a very rich trader with seven eligible daughters.

Couldn't find anything on seven daughters except this from Pennsylvania (c. 1800): http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~mudws/family/huntingdon.html      Mr. Steel was a man of medium height, heavy and erect frame, communicated freely and intelligently, was kind and courteous to all, and to young men in particular, and ... lived to an advanced age. He left behind him.....  and six or seven daughters....

But on seven sisters:

The Pleiad(e)s were the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione... http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/~gibson/pleiades/pleiades_myth.html

Boyle    http://www.dreamtime.net.au/seven/index.cfm
(this is not a reference to Hsi and Ho, though they are astronomers.)

Never heard Pleiades called the Seven Sisters of Industry (628- last two lines) ... found something about the ancient Chinese using the appearance of Pleiades in the Spring sky to indicate the time for Spring planting.

627-5 "Can you predict when the next Eclipse will happen?" 

Lord Huang is setting up his competitive intel department...  which may be shady business but it makes Ho and Hsi wealthy.  That is until they miscalculate and either get Huang killed or themselves banished...(628)

628-16 Dim Sum: http://members.fortunecity.com/8dimsum/  and http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/hongkong/hkdishes.html

Sam