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Wuluohou烏洛侯

Bei Shi Siyi Zhuan (Accounts of the Foreign Peoples of the Four Quarters in the History of the Northern Dynasties) 北史 四夷傳 · Li Yanshou · 659 (Tang, 4th year of the Xianqing era) · 2 passages · 220 Chinese characters · reading time 0.9 min

Bei Shi Siyi Zhuan (Accounts of the Foreign Peoples of the Four Quarters in the History of the Northern Dynasties) Complete in one volume The East as the four dynasties of the North saw it. Here is the myth of Jumong, born from an egg, in its fullest form; the hundred years of King Jangsu's diplomacy, with its talk of a marriage and the death of a daughter; the memorial of King Gaero; and fourteen branches in all, reaching to the Wuji, the Khitan, the Shiwei, Liuqiu and Wa — closing on the ruin of Emperor Yang of Sui with the words, "He who works to widen his virtue flourishes; he who works to widen his land perishes."

1Wuluohou

烏洛侯國，在地豆幹北，去代都四千五百餘里。其地下濕，多霧氣而寒。入冬則穿地爲室，夏則隨原阜畜牧。多豕，有谷、麥。無大君長，部落莫弗，皆世爲之。其俗，繩髮皮服，以珠爲飾。人尚勇，不爲奸竊，故慢藏野積而無寇盜。好射獵。樂有箜篌，木槽革面而施九弦。其國西北有完水，東北流合于難水，其小水，皆注於難，東入海。又西北二十日行，有于巳尼大水，所謂北海也。

The state of Wuluohou (烏洛侯國) lies north of Didougan, more than four thousand five hundred li from the capital at Dai (代). Their land is low and damp, with much mist, and it is cold. When winter comes they dig into the ground for their rooms, and in summer they pasture their herds along the hills. They have many pigs, and they have grain and barley. They have no great lord, and the mofu of each village all hold the place by descent. In their custom they plait their hair like cord and wear clothes of hide, and they adorn themselves with beads. The people hold bravery high and do no crooked thieving, so that they store things carelessly and heap them in the fields and yet there are no robbers. They are fond of hunting with the bow. In their music they have the konghou, a wooden trough faced with hide and strung with nine strings. In the northwest of their country is the Wan River, which flows northeast and joins the Nan River, and the lesser streams all pour into the Nan and go east into the sea. Twenty days farther to the northwest is a great water called the Yusini, which is what they call the Northern Sea (北海).

2The Old Stone Chamber of the Former Emperor

太武真君四年來朝，稱其國西北有魏先帝舊墟石室，南北九十步，東西四十步，高七十尺，室有神靈，人多祈請。太武遣中書侍郎李敞告祭焉，刊祝文於石室之壁而還。

In the fourth year of Zhenjun under Emperor Taiwu they came to court and reported that in the northwest of their country was a stone chamber at the old site of the former emperor of Wei, ninety paces from south to north and forty paces from east to west, and seventy feet high, and that there was a spirit power in the chamber, so that many people came there to pray. Emperor Taiwu sent Li Chang, gentleman attendant of the Secretariat, to make the announcement to the spirits and offer sacrifice there. He cut the prayer text into the wall of the stone chamber and returned.

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