Gan Jiang and Mo Ye

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Gan Jiang (Chinese: ; pinyin: Gn Jing) and Mo Ye (Chinese: ; pinyin: M Y) were a swordsmith
couple who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. A pair of swords were forged by and
named after them.

History
According to the historical text Wuyue Chunqiu, King Hel of Wu ordered Gan Jiang and Mo Ye to forge a pair
of swords for him in three months.[1] However, the blast furnace failed to melt the metal. Mo Ye suggested that
there was insufficient human qi in the furnace so the couple cut their hair and nails and cast them into the
furnace, while 300 children helped to blow air into the bellows.[1] In another account, Mo Ye sacrificed herself
to increase human qi by throwing herself into the furnace. The desired result was achieved after three years and
the two swords were named after the couple. Gan Jiang kept the male sword, Ganjiang, for himself and
presented the female sword, Moye, of the pair to the king. The king was already very unpleasant since he
ordered the sword made in three months time but Ganjiang did not come back in three years, when he
discovered Gan Jiang had kept the male sword, he was angered and had Gan Jiang killed.
Before his death, Gan Jiang had already predicted the king's reaction, so he left behind a message for Mo Ye
and their unborn son telling them where he had hidden the Ganjiang Sword. Several months later, Mo Ye gave
birth to Gan Jiang's son, Chi (), and years later she told him his father's story. Chi was eager to avenge his
father and he sought the Ganjiang Sword. At the same time, the king dreamed of a youth who desired to kill him
and, in fear, he placed a bounty on the youth's head. Chi was indignant and, filled with anguish, he started
crying on his way to enact his vengeance. An assassin found Chi, who told the assassin his story before
committing suicide. The assassin was moved and decided to help Chi fulfill his quest.
The assassin severed Chi's head and brought it, along with the Ganjiang sword to the overjoyed king. The king
was however uncomfortable with Chi's head staring at him, and the assassin asked the king to have Chi's head
boiled, but Chi's head was still staring at the king even after 40 days without sign of decomposing, thus the
assassin told the king that he needed to take a closer look and stare back in order for the head to decompose
under the power of the king. The king bent over the cauldron and the assassin seized the opportunity to
decapitate him, his head falling into the cauldron alongside Chi's. The assassin then cut off his own head, which
also fell into the boiling water. The flesh on the heads was boiled away such that none of the guards could
recognize which head belonged to whom. The guards and vassals decided since all three should be honoured as
kings (With Chi and the assassin being so brave and loyal). The three heads were eventually buried together at
Yichun County, Runan, Henan, and the grave is called "Tomb of Three Kings".[2]

Historical records and legacy

Historical texts Xunzi and Mozi from the Warring States period mention the existence of the Ganjiang and Moye
Swords.

The official biography of Zhang Hua in the historical text Book of Jin records that the two swords reappeared
during the early Jin Dynasty. The swords were later buried at Yanping Ford (present-day Yanping District,
Nanping, Fujian). A monument for the swords stands is still present in Yanping District.
Mount Mogan in Deqing County, Zhejiang, is named in memory of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.

References
1. Zhao, Ye (c. 50). Wuyue Chunqiu (Wu and Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period).
2. Gan, Bao. In Search of the Supernatural: The Written Record, translated into English by Kenneth J. DeWoskin and
James Irving Crump. Stanford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8047-2506-3.

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Categories: Blacksmiths Chinese swords Ancient swords Swordsmiths Zhou dynasty people
This page was last modified on 27 March 2015, at 17:34.
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