[meteorite-list] Chinese Meteorite Fall 211 B.C. saga

From: drtanuki <drtanuki_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Sep 14 15:51:28 2005
Message-ID: <20050914195125.79675.qmail_at_web53206.mail.yahoo.com>

Dear List and Chris,

More on Chinese Meteorite research:

Ref: Cambridge History of China Vol. 1, The Ch`in and
Han Empires 221 B.C.- A.D. 220.

pg.79
  "In 211 B.C. a large meteor is said to have fallen
in an area just east of the former Ch`in state. On it
an unknown person inscribed the words: "The First
August Emperor will die and his land will be divided."
ref.95 The enraged emperor arrested and executed all
persons living near the fallen meteor, and the meteor
itself he commanded to be destroyed by fire. Saddened
by this event, he then ordered academicians to compose
poems about the immortals and their realms; these were
set to music and sung by musicians. As pointed out in
Appendix 2, this unlikely incident is probably yet
another interpolation.
  Finally in 210 B.C., when the emperor was once again
on the Shantung coast at Lang-yeh, the magicians,
worried that he would blame them for their previous
failures, told himthat a hugh fish had prevented them
from reaching the immortal isles. They proposed that
a crossbowman be added to their group so that he could
shoot the fish when it appeared. It was soon after
this that the emperor had a dream about fighting a sea
divinity in human form. The dream was interpreted by
one of the academicians as meaning that the emperor,
by praying, sacrificing, and concentrating his
attention, would be able to drive away the evil sea
spirits and induce the good ones to come. After this
he proceeded north along the coastal mountains where
in 218 B.C. the fourth inscription had been erected,
he saw the hugh fish, which he shot and killed. It
was shortly after this that he himself died."

Note:
(Later, as was written on the meteorite, after his
death his kingdom was divided in 206 B.C.)


pg.97 Appendix 2

   "Aside from the inherent improbability of this
episode (see page 79), its lack of historicity is
evidenced by the wording of the text allegedly
inscribed on the meteor: "The First August Emperor
will die and his land will be divided." This is the
second Shih-chi passage violating the principle that
during the lifetime of the First Emperor his title of
First August Emperor was only used by himself, NEVER
in the statements or writings of others. The other
major violation, that involving the execution of the
literati, occurs in the second item described above.

Note by D. Ross: Perhaps there was a meteorite fall
predicting his death (this is a common belief
throughout Chinese history, ie. Mao, Ze-Dong and Deng,
Shao-Ping in current history; Jiling and Juanchuang,
respectively).

Sincerely, Dirk Ross...Tokyo


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
Received on Wed 14 Sep 2005 03:51:25 PM PDT