Shennong (Chinese: 神農; pinyin: Shénnóng), variously translated as “Divine Farmer” or “Divine Husbandman”, born Jiang Shinian (姜石年), was a mythological Chinese ruler known as the first Yan Emperor who has become a deity in Chinese folk religion. He is venerated as a culture hero in China.

Shennong has at times been counted amongst the Three Sovereigns (also known as “Three Kings” or “Three Patrons”), a group of ancient deities or deified kings of prehistoric China. Shennong has been thought to have taught the ancient Chinese not only their practices of agriculture, but also the use of herbal medicine. Shennong was credited with various inventions: these include the hoe, plow (both leisi (耒耜) style and the plowshare), axe, digging wells, agricultural irrigation, preserving stored seeds by using boiled horse urine (to ward off the borers), trade, commerce, money, the weekly farmers market, the Chinese calendar (especially the division into the 24 jieqi or solar terms). He is also attributed to have refined the therapeutic understanding of taking pulse measurements, acupuncture, and moxibustion, as well as having instituted the harvest thanksgiving ceremony (zhaji (蜡祭) sacrificial rite, later known as the laji (腊祭) rite).

“Shennong” can also be taken to refer to his people, the Shennong-shi (神農氏; Shénnóngshì; ‘Shennong Clan’).

Overview

In Chinese mythology, Shennong (神農) is a deity credited with the creation of agriculture, the preservation of seeds, and irrigation, as well as the invention of the ax, well, and hoe. He is considered to be the father of traditional Chinese medicine, in part because of his detailed catalog containing 365 different botanical medicines.

Known for trying many of his own herbal cures, Shennong met an untimely death after ingesting a particularly poisonous plant. Also called Yán Dì (炎帝), he is the second of the “Three Kings,” a group of ancient, legendary emperor deities. He’s considered to be an ancestor of Huangdi (皇帝), the Yellow Emperor, perhaps even his father.

Etymology

Shennong’s most common name is made up of the characters for “god” or “deity,” shén (神), and nóng (農), which means “peasant” or “farmer.” Therefore, Shénnóng literally means “farmer god.” He’s also known as Wǔgǔshén (五穀神), the “God of Five Grains,” or Wǔgǔxiāndì (五穀先帝), the “First God of the Five Grains.” Shennong is also thought to be Yán Dì (炎帝), the second of the three legendary kings of China. This title, however, is most commonly translated as “the Emperor of Fire.”

Attributes

One of the most peculiar things about Shennong is that he’s “bull-headed.” In some artistic representations, he merely has horns or subtle bumps on his head, but in others, he literally has the head of a bull. Shennong is also said to have a forehead as hard as bronze, a skull as hard as iron, and a transparent stomach, which he used to observe how the herbs he ingested affected his body. He usually dresses in a simple robe made from leaves and foliage, sporting long hair and an overgrown beard, and is often depicted in his signature pose—sitting while munching on a branch.

Mythology

Although he’s arguably one of the most eccentric gods in the Chinese pantheon, Shennong is a beloved folk figure who is credited with the discovery of many herbs that are still used in traditional Chinese medicine today. Shennong also helped humans transition from a miserable diet of clams, meat, and fruit to a diet based on grains and vegetables. Through his self-administered herbal tests, he discovered tea—one of the most important plants in Chinese culture.

The Discovery of Tea

According to the legend, Shen Nong was a diligent ruler dedicated to the well-being of his people. He spent much of his time wandering through the mountains and forests, collecting herbs and experimenting with their medicinal properties. This rigorous practice involved tasting the herbs himself, a perilous task that often led him to ingest harmful plants.

One day, while foraging for new herbs, Shen Nong accidentally consumed a poisonous plant. The immediate effects were severe: his mouth felt dry and numb, and he was overcome with dizziness.

Desperate for relief, he sat down beneath a large tree to rest. As he closed his eyes, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above, and a few fragrant green leaves drifted down. Intrigued, Shen Nong picked up a couple of leaves and chewed them. To his amazement, the refreshing aroma and taste of the leaves quickly revitalized him, alleviating his symptoms and clearing his mind.

Curious about this miraculous plant, Shen Nong gathered more leaves and returned them to study. He noted the unique shape, veins, and edges of the leaves, distinguishing them from other trees. This remarkable discovery was later named “tea.”

The tale of Shen Nong and tea spread throughout China, fostering various interpretations. One popular variation suggests that Shen Nong discovered tea while boiling water in the wild. As the legend goes, a few leaves from a nearby tree blew into his pot. The resulting brew was a light yellow color and, upon tasting, Shen Nong found it invigorating and thirst-quenching. Drawing on his extensive experience with herbs, he recognized tea’s potential as a medicinal drink.

The first historical record that designates Shen Nong as the “father of tea” comes from the revered tea master Lu Yu in his seminal work, “The Classic of Tea” (茶经).

Origins

Shennong was born in what is modern-day Shaanxi province on the banks of the Jiang River, southwest of the Qi Mountains around 28th century BCE . It was clear that there was something special about Shennong since the day he was born. The most obvious sign? He was born with two horns upon his head and a transparent stomach. Shennong gained the ability to talk within three days of his birth and could plow entire fields by himself by the age of three.

As Shennong grew older, he realized that most of the people in his village were sickly, weak, or starving and soon came to the conclusion that it was because they subsisted on a poor, scavenged diet of clams, fruit, and the occasional bit of meat. Deciding to help them, he put his transparent stomach to use and began eating all the different types of plants around him to experiment with their effects on his body.

Shennong categorized the plants into three different categories: superior (non-toxic and edible), medium (plants with mild ill-effects, but with medicinal use), and inferior (poisonous). After taking a year to try hundreds of different kinds of plants, Shennong shared his findings with his neighbors and taught them how to farm, so they would have a steady source of nutritious food. After learning to cultivate plants and medicinal herbs, the health of the villagers increased exponentially and they went on to share their newfound knowledge with neighboring towns.

Shennong’s contributions earned him a god-like status among the villagers. In some interpretations of his myth, he would later become known as Yan Di, or the “Emperor of Fire” (since fire was an important symbol to the people of his home village), who is considered to be one of the three mythological kings of China.

Death and Deification

Unfortunately, Shennong’s luck ran out when he ate a particularly poisonous plant that caused his intestines to rupture before he was able to drink an antidote. It is believed that he died in what is now known as “Shennong Cave.” As a reward for his selfless and heroic deeds, Shennong was awarded a place in the Jade Emperor’s heavenly court.

The Father of Chinese Tea article

Shennong mytholopedia

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