The Yellow Emperor is considered to be the ancestor of all ethnic groups in the Central Plains. However, the identity of the Yellow Emperor has always been in doubt, is there really a Yellow Emperor in history? This remains a mystery to this day.
Legends about the god of thunder and lightning
Some scholars believe that the Yellow Emperor is the god of thunder and lightning in myths and legends. Legend has it that he had 4 faces, each facing a different direction, and could take into account the four directions of east, west, south and north at the same time. Therefore, no matter what happened somewhere, it could not escape his eyes. Later, he defeated the four Heavenly Emperors of the East, West, South and North, established his own Divine Kingdom, and rose to become the Central Heavenly Emperor. Because the land of the Central Plains is yellow, people call it the "Yellow Emperor".
Leader of the Tribal Alliance
According to historical records, some scholars believe that the Yellow Emperor did have his own person, and he should be the leader of a tribal alliance at the end of primitive society. As the opening chapter of the "Records of history", the "Five Emperors Benji" clearly records: "The Yellow Emperor, the son of Shaodian, surnamed Gongsun, the name Xuanyuan. Born and divine, weak and able to speak, young and slender, long and sensitive, mature and intelligent. This passage clearly records the life of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor was a descendant of the Shaodian clan, called Gongsun Xuanyuan, and it is said that the Yellow Emperor was born very magical, and soon after birth, he could speak, and when he grew up, he was honest and diligent, knowledgeable and omniscient. Later, he conquered Emperor Yan, defeated Xuan You, and unified the world. He took Tude as king, and because the earth was yellow, he was also known as the Yellow Emperor.
During the reign of the Yellow Emperor, not only was the country stable and the army strong and strong, but also politically clear and culturally progressive. In addition to his outstanding political achievements, the Yellow Emperor was also an inventor, and he had many inventions and creations, such as music, silkworm farming, writing, boats, medicine, and mathematics. The Yellow Emperor had 25 sons, of which 14 established their own surnames, and it is said that Yao, Shun, Yu, Gao Tao, Boyi, Tang, etc. were all descendants of him, so the Yellow Emperor was regarded as the common ancestor of all ethnic groups in the Central Plains. In this way, the Yellow Emperor should be a man.
So, is the Yellow Emperor a man or a god? Due to its age, many claims cannot be verified. This problem needs to be continued to be explored and studied.