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{{Short description|Horse of Lu Bu, Chinese Warlord during Three Kingdom period}}
{{Chinese|t=赤兔馬|s=赤兔马|p=chì tù mǎ}}
{{Chinese|l=Red [[hare]] horse|t=赤兔馬|s=赤兔马|p=chì tù mǎ}}
[[File:HK Sham Shui Po 武帝廟 Mo Tai Temple Hai Tan Street SSP red horse n Greeting sign Dec-2012.JPG|thumb|A statue of the Red Hare in front of the Mo Tai Temple in [[Sham Shui Po]], Hong Kong]]
[[File:HK Sham Shui Po 武帝廟 Mo Tai Temple Hai Tan Street SSP red horse n Greeting sign Dec-2012.JPG|thumb|A statue of the Red Hare in front of the Mo Tai Temple in [[Sham Shui Po]], Hong Kong]]
The '''Red Hare''' was a horse owned by the warlord [[Lü Bu]], who lived in the late [[Eastern Han dynasty]].
The '''Red Hare''' or '''Chi Tu''' ({{zh|s=赤兔馬|p=chì tù mǎ}}) was a famous horse owned by the warlord [[Lü Bu]], who lived during the late [[Eastern Han dynasty]] of China.


==In historical records==
==In historical records==
The Red Hare was mentioned in [[Lü Bu]]'s biographies in the historical texts ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' and ''[[Book of the Later Han]]''. It was described as very powerful, and capable of "galloping across cities and leaping over [[moat]]s". Lü Bu rode this horse in 193 during a battle in Changshan ({{zh|t=常山|labels=no}}; around present-day [[Shijiazhuang]], [[Hebei]]), in which he helped another warlord [[Yuan Shao]] defeat his rival [[Zhang Yan (Han dynasty)|Zhang Yan]].<ref>(北詣袁紹,紹與布擊張燕於常山。燕精兵萬餘,騎數千。布有良馬曰赤兎。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.</ref><ref>(布常御良馬,號曰赤菟,能馳城飛塹, ...) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 75.</ref>
The Red Hare was mentioned in [[Lü Bu]]'s biographies in the historical texts ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' and ''[[Book of the Later Han]]''. It was described as very powerful and capable of "galloping across cities and leaping over [[moat]]s". Lü Bu rode this horse in 193 during a battle in Changshan ({{zh|t=常山|labels=no}}; around present-day [[Shijiazhuang]], [[Hebei]]), in which he helped another warlord [[Yuan Shao]] defeat his rival [[Zhang Yan (Han dynasty)|Zhang Yan]].<ref>(北詣袁紹,紹與布擊張燕於常山。燕精兵萬餘,騎數千。布有良馬曰赤兎。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.</ref><ref>(布常御良馬,號曰赤菟,能馳城飛塹, ...) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 75.</ref>


The ''Cao Man Zhuan'' ({{zh|t=曹瞞傳|labels=no}}) recorded that there was a saying at the time to describe Lü Bu and his Red Hare: "Lü Bu [who stands out] among men, the Red Hare [which stands out] among horses".<ref>(曹瞞傳曰:「時人語曰:『人中有呂布,馬中有赤菟。』」) ''Cao Man Zhuan'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.</ref>
The ''Cao Man Zhuan'' ({{zh|t=曹瞞傳|labels=no}}) recorded that there was a saying at the time to describe Lü Bu and his Red Hare: "Among men, Lü Bu; Among steeds, Chì (the Red Hare)".<ref>(曹瞞傳曰:「時人語曰:『人中有呂布,馬中有赤菟。』」) ''Cao Man Zhuan'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.</ref>


==In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''==
==In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''==
[[File:Guan yu -Summer Palace, Beijing.JPG|thumb|right|300px|[[Guan Yu]] riding the Red Hare, as depicted in a mural in the [[Summer Palace]], [[Beijing]].]]
[[File:Guan yu -Summer Palace, Beijing.JPG|thumb|right|[[Guan Yu]] riding the Red Hare, as depicted in a mural in the [[Summer Palace]], [[Beijing]].]]


The Red Hare has a more prominent role in the 14th-century historical novel ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'', which romanticised the historical events before and during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period. It was originally a prized steed of the warlord [[Dong Zhuo]]. After heeding a suggestion by his adviser [[Li Su (Han dynasty)|Li Su]], Dong Zhuo sent Li Su to present the Red Hare as a gift to Lü Bu and induce Lü Bu to betray his foster father, [[Ding Yuan]], and defect to his side. Lü Bu was very pleased to receive the Red Hare. After being persuaded by Li Su, he murdered Ding Yuan and defected to Dong Zhuo, whom he acknowledged as his new foster father.
The Red Hare has a more prominent role in the 14th-century historical novel ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'', which romanticises the historical events before and during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period. It is originally a prized steed of the warlord [[Dong Zhuo]]. After hearing a suggestion from his adviser [[Li Su (Han dynasty)|Li Su]], Dong Zhuo sends Li Su to present the Red Hare as a gift to Lü Bu and induce Lü Bu to betray his foster father, [[Ding Yuan]], and defect to his side. Lü Bu is very pleased to receive the Red Hare. After Li Su convinces him to do so, he murders Ding Yuan and defects to Dong Zhuo, whom he pledges allegiance to and acknowledges as his new foster father.


The Red Hare was described in the novel as follows: {{quote|"[...] named 'Red Hare', capable of travelling 1,000 ''[[Li (unit)|li]]'' (≈417 km / 333 miles) in a day. [...] crosses rivers and climbs mountains as though it is moving on flat land, [...] It is of uniform ashen red, with not a hair of another colour; it measures one ''[[Chi (unit)|zhang]]'' from head to tail and eight ''[[Chi (unit)|chi]]'' from hoof to head; it neighs as if it has the ambition of soaring into the sky or diving into the sea."<ref>(肅曰:「某聞主公有名馬一匹,號曰『赤兔』,日行千里。 ... 肅曰:「 ... 有良馬一匹,日行千里,渡水登山,如履平地,名曰『赤兔』:特獻與賢弟,以助虎威。」布便令牽過來看。果然那馬渾身上下,火炭般赤,無半根雜毛;從頭至尾,長一丈;從蹄至項,高八尺;嘶喊咆哮,有騰空入海之狀。) ''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 3.</ref>}}
The Red Hare is described in the novel as follows: {{quote|"[...] named 'Red Hare', capable of travelling 1,000 ''[[Li (unit)|li]]'' in a day. [...] crosses rivers and climbs mountains as though it is moving on flat land, [...] It is of uniform ashen red, with not a hair of another colour; it measures one ''[[Zhàng|zhang]]'' from head to tail and eight ''[[Chi (unit)|chi]]'' from hoof to head; it neighs as if it has the ambition of soaring into the sky or diving into the sea."<ref>(肅曰:「某聞主公有名馬一匹,號曰『赤兔』,日行千里。 ... 肅曰:「 ... 有良馬一匹,日行千里,渡水登山,如履平地,名曰『赤兔』:特獻與賢弟,以助虎威。」布便令牽過來看。果然那馬渾身上下,火炭般赤,無半根雜毛;從頭至尾,長一丈;從蹄至項,高八尺;嘶喊咆哮,有騰空入海之狀。) ''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 3.</ref>}}


After Lü Bu's downfall and death at the [[Battle of Xiapi]], the Red Hare came into the possession of the warlord [[Cao Cao]]. Cao Cao gave it to [[Guan Yu]] later in an attempt to influence Guan to join him.<ref>(操令左右備一馬來。須臾牽至。那馬身如火炭,狀甚雄偉。操指曰:「公識此馬否?」公曰:「莫非呂布所騎赤馬乎?」操曰:「然也。」遂並鞍轡送與關公。) ''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 25.</ref> After Guan Yu's death, Ma Zhong (馬忠) took the Red Hare and presented it to his lord [[Sun Quan]]. Sun Quan returned the horse to Ma Zhong. The Red Hare starved itself and died several days later.<ref>(關公既歿,坐下赤兔馬被馬忠所獲,獻與孫權。權即賜馬忠騎坐。其馬數日不食草料而死。) ''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 77.</ref>
After Lü Bu's downfall and death at the [[Battle of Xiapi]], the Red Hare comes into the possession of the warlord [[Cao Cao]]. Cao Cao gives it to [[Guan Yu]] later in an attempt to influence Guan Yu to join him.<ref>(操令左右備一馬來。須臾牽至。那馬身如火炭,狀甚雄偉。操指曰:「公識此馬否?」公曰:「莫非呂布所騎赤馬乎?」操曰:「然也。」遂並鞍轡送與關公。) ''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 25.</ref> After Guan Yu's death, Ma Zhong (馬忠) takes the Red Hare and presents it to his lord [[Sun Quan]], who immediately gives the horse as a gift to Ma Zhong. The Red Hare starves itself for days and dies.<ref>(關公既歿,坐下赤兔馬被馬忠所獲,獻與孫權。權即賜馬忠騎坐。其馬數日不食草料而死。) ''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 77.</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of historical horses]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
* [[Chen Shou|Chen, Shou]]. ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi'').
* [[Chen Shou|Chen, Shou]] (3rd century). ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi'').
* [[Fan Ye (historian)|Fan, Ye]]. ''[[Book of the Later Han]]'' (''Houhanshu'').
* [[Fan Ye (historian)|Fan, Ye]] (5th century). ''[[Book of the Later Han]]'' (''Houhanshu'').
* [[Luo Guanzhong|Luo, Guanzhong]]. ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguo Yanyi'').
* [[Luo Guanzhong|Luo, Guanzhong]] (14th century). ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguo Yanyi'').
* [[Pei Songzhi|Pei, Songzhi]]. ''[[Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
* [[Pei Songzhi|Pei, Songzhi]] (5th century). ''[[Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
{{commonscat}}
{{commonscat}}


[[Category:Individual warhorses]]
[[Category:Individual warhorses]]
[[Category:Three Kingdoms literature]]
[[Category:Three Kingdoms literature]]
[[Category:Horse in Chinese mythology]]
[[Category:Individual animals in China]]
[[Category:Guan Yu]]
[[Category:Guan Yu]]

Latest revision as of 20:47, 29 November 2023

Red Hare
Traditional Chinese赤兔馬
Simplified Chinese赤兔马
Literal meaningRed hare horse
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinchì tù mǎ
A statue of the Red Hare in front of the Mo Tai Temple in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

The Red Hare or Chi Tu (Chinese: 赤兔馬; pinyin: chì tù mǎ) was a famous horse owned by the warlord Lü Bu, who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.

In historical records

[edit]

The Red Hare was mentioned in Lü Bu's biographies in the historical texts Records of the Three Kingdoms and Book of the Later Han. It was described as very powerful and capable of "galloping across cities and leaping over moats". Lü Bu rode this horse in 193 during a battle in Changshan (常山; around present-day Shijiazhuang, Hebei), in which he helped another warlord Yuan Shao defeat his rival Zhang Yan.[1][2]

The Cao Man Zhuan (曹瞞傳) recorded that there was a saying at the time to describe Lü Bu and his Red Hare: "Among men, Lü Bu; Among steeds, Chì Tù (the Red Hare)".[3]

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

[edit]
Guan Yu riding the Red Hare, as depicted in a mural in the Summer Palace, Beijing.

The Red Hare has a more prominent role in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. It is originally a prized steed of the warlord Dong Zhuo. After hearing a suggestion from his adviser Li Su, Dong Zhuo sends Li Su to present the Red Hare as a gift to Lü Bu and induce Lü Bu to betray his foster father, Ding Yuan, and defect to his side. Lü Bu is very pleased to receive the Red Hare. After Li Su convinces him to do so, he murders Ding Yuan and defects to Dong Zhuo, whom he pledges allegiance to and acknowledges as his new foster father.

The Red Hare is described in the novel as follows:

"[...] named 'Red Hare', capable of travelling 1,000 li in a day. [...] crosses rivers and climbs mountains as though it is moving on flat land, [...] It is of uniform ashen red, with not a hair of another colour; it measures one zhang from head to tail and eight chi from hoof to head; it neighs as if it has the ambition of soaring into the sky or diving into the sea."[4]

After Lü Bu's downfall and death at the Battle of Xiapi, the Red Hare comes into the possession of the warlord Cao Cao. Cao Cao gives it to Guan Yu later in an attempt to influence Guan Yu to join him.[5] After Guan Yu's death, Ma Zhong (馬忠) takes the Red Hare and presents it to his lord Sun Quan, who immediately gives the horse as a gift to Ma Zhong. The Red Hare starves itself for days and dies.[6]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ (北詣袁紹,紹與布擊張燕於常山。燕精兵萬餘,騎數千。布有良馬曰赤兎。) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
  2. ^ (布常御良馬,號曰赤菟,能馳城飛塹, ...) Houhanshu vol. 75.
  3. ^ (曹瞞傳曰:「時人語曰:『人中有呂布,馬中有赤菟。』」) Cao Man Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
  4. ^ (肅曰:「某聞主公有名馬一匹,號曰『赤兔』,日行千里。 ... 肅曰:「 ... 有良馬一匹,日行千里,渡水登山,如履平地,名曰『赤兔』:特獻與賢弟,以助虎威。」布便令牽過來看。果然那馬渾身上下,火炭般赤,無半根雜毛;從頭至尾,長一丈;從蹄至項,高八尺;嘶喊咆哮,有騰空入海之狀。) Sanguo Yanyi ch. 3.
  5. ^ (操令左右備一馬來。須臾牽至。那馬身如火炭,狀甚雄偉。操指曰:「公識此馬否?」公曰:「莫非呂布所騎赤馬乎?」操曰:「然也。」遂並鞍轡送與關公。) Sanguo Yanyi ch. 25.
  6. ^ (關公既歿,坐下赤兔馬被馬忠所獲,獻與孫權。權即賜馬忠騎坐。其馬數日不食草料而死。) Sanguo Yanyi ch. 77.