Gun - Kon

A mythical figure from ancient China. Long ago, China was covered by a great flood. At that time, Gun stole a small amount of soil called Sokujo, which was said to grow infinitely by scattering just a pinch of it, from the possession of the Heavenly Emperor, the supreme sovereign of heaven, and tried to use it to control the floods. This made the Heavenly Emperor angry, and he ordered Zhurong to kill Gun. According to another myth, Gun was ordered by Emperor Yao to control the floods, but was unsuccessful, and was exiled to Mount Yu, where he died. However, the flood control project was completed by his son Yu, who took over the project. There is also another legend that when Emperor Yao handed over the world to Shun, Gun, who was only appointed as a feudal lord, rebelled against this and was killed by Shun at Mount Yu. The true identity of Gun is not entirely clear, but based on the shape of his name, which includes the fish radical, and the legend that when he was executed he entered the abyss of feathers and became Gengyo, it is believed that he was originally a deity connected to the water world worshipped by eastern tribes, and that he was later incorporated into the mythological system of the Central Plains and established as historical fact, resulting in the legend described above.

[Kiyoji Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国古代の神話上の人物。大昔、中国が大洪水に覆われた。そのとき鯀は、息壌(そくじょう)といって天の最高主権者である天帝の所蔵する、ほんの一つまみばらまくだけで無限に増えるとされた土を盗み出し、かってにそれを用いて洪水を治めようとした。このため怒った天帝は、祝融(しゅくゆう)に命じて鯀を殺させた。別の神話によれば、鯀は堯帝(ぎょうてい)に治水を命じられたが成功せず、そのため羽山(うざん)に追放されて死ぬが、治水事業はその後を受けた子の禹(う)によって完成されたという。また堯帝が舜(しゅん)に天下を譲ったとき、諸侯にしか任じられなかった鯀はこれを不満として背き、羽山で舜に殺されたという別の伝承もある。鯀の実体はかならずしも明らかではないが、魚偏を伴うその名前の字形や、誅殺(ちゅうさつ)されたとき羽淵(うえん)に入って玄魚(げんぎょ)となったという伝承などから、本来は東方部族が信奉していた水界と関係のある神霊で、のちに中原の神話体系に組み込まれて史実化されるなかで、以上のような伝承になったものといわれている。

［伊藤清司］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例