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{{Short description|Chinese god of rain}}
'''Yu Shi''' ({{CJKV|t=雨師|s=雨师|p=Yǔ Shī|l=Master of Rain}}) is a Chinese spirit or god of rain, also known as or conflated with '''Red Pine''' ('''Chisong''', 赤松, or '''Chisongzi''' – Master Red Pine),<ref>''[[Soushen Ji]]'' vol. 1-10 [https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=56666&page=9#%E8%B5%A4%E6%9D%BE%E5%AD%90%E8%80%85%E7%A5%9E%E8%BE%B2%E6%99%82%E9%9B%A8%E5%B8%AB%E4%B9%9F p. 9 of 203] quote: "赤松子者，神農時雨師也" translation: "Master Red Pine was Rain-Leader during the [[Divine Farmer]]'s time"</ref> among other names.{{efn|For examples, ''Píng'' (蓱),<ref name = "tianwen">''[[Chu Ci|Elegies of Chu]]'' "[[Questions to Heaven]]" quote: "蓱號起雨，何以興之？" translation based on Mair (1994): "The '''pluvial sprite''' cries out for rain to start falling; How does he bring it about? "</ref> ''Píngyì'' (蓱翳),<ref name = "wangyi">[[Wang Yi (librarian)|Wang Yi]], ''Elegies of Chu - Syntactic and Semantic Analysis (楚辭章句)'' [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%A5%9A%E8%BE%AD%E7%AB%A0%E5%8F%A5/%E5%8D%B703#%E5%A4%A9%E5%95%8F vol. 3 Heavenly Questions] quote: "蓱，蓱翳，雨師名也。"</ref> ''Píngyì'' (屏翳) "Screen Shade", ''Háopíng'' (號屏) "Howling Ping", ''Xuánmíng'' (玄冥) "Dark Dim"<ref>''[[Soushen Ji]]'' vol. 1-10 [https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=56666&page=77#%E9%9B%A8%E5%B8%AB%E4%B8%80%E6%9B%B0%E5%B1%8F%E7%BF%B3%E4%B8%80%E6%9B%B0%E8%99%9F%E5%B1%8F%E4%B8%80%E6%9B%B0%E7%8E%84%E5%86%A5 p. 77 of 203]. quote: "雨師：一曰屏翳，一曰號屏，一曰玄冥。"</ref>}} Translations of ''Yu Shi'' into English include "Lord of Rain" and "Leader of Rain".
==As Yu Shi==
Yu Shi in [[Chinese folk religion]] and [[Chinese mythology]] generally appears in association with [[Fengbo (deity)|Feng Bo]], the god of the wind; and [[Leigong|Lei Gong]], the god of thunder.<ref>Yang, 242</ref> There are both current religious activities and historical mythical stories associated with Yu Shi. Various references in poetry and popular culture also exist, for example in the ''[[Chu ci]]'' poems "[[Heavenly Questions|Tian Wen]]"<ref name = "tianwen"/><ref name = wangyi/> and "[[Yuan You]]".<ref>''Elegies of Chu'', "Far Roaming" quote: "左'''雨師'''使徑侍兮，右雷公以為衛。" translation: "On the left, the '''Rain Master''' is employed to serve me on my path; on the right, the Thunder Duke is hired as my bodyguard."</ref> His consort is [[Yu Shiqie]] ({{zh|t=雨師妾|s= 雨师妾|l=Rain Master Concubine|labels=no}}).<ref>''[[Classic of Mountains and Seas]]'', [https://ctext.org/shan-hai-jing/hai-wai-dong-jing#n84051 "Beyond the Seas - East"]; quote: "'''雨師妾'''在其北，其為人黑，兩手各操一蛇，左耳有青蛇，右耳有赤蛇。一曰在十日北，為人黑身人面，各操一龜。" translation: "The '''Rain Master's Concubine''' is to the north of [the [[Fusang]] tree (扶桑) and the Hot-Water Dale (湯谷)]; her body is black, each of her two hands holds a snake; on her left ear is a green snake, and on her right ear a red snake. Another says that to the north of the ten suns there is a black-bodied, human-faced person whose each [hand] holds a turtle."</ref>
==As Chisongzi==
[[File:海外東經-雨師妾國.svg|250px|thumbnail|right|Yu Shi as Chi Songzi.]]
According to certain versions, a certain Chisongzi ({{CJKV|t=赤松子|s=赤松子|p=Chì-Sōng-Zǐ|w=Ch'ih-sung-tzu|l=Master Red Pine}}) during the reign of [[Shennong]] ended a severe drought by sprinkling water from an earthen bowl and was rewarded by being made the Lord of Rain with a dwelling on the [[Kunlun Mountain (mythology)|mythical Kunlun Mountain]].<ref>Christie, 75</ref>
In another form, Chi Songzi is depicted as a chrysalis of a silkworm who has a concubine whose face is black, holds a snake in each hand, and has a red snake coming out of one ear and a green snake coming out of the other.<ref>Christie, 75</ref>
==Historical myths==
Yu Shi (together with Feng Bo) is said to have aided [[Chiyou]] in his struggle against the [[Yellow Emperor]] during the [[Battle of Zhuolu]], but was defeated by the intervention of the [[Nuba (Chinese mythology)|drought goddess Ba]].<ref>Yang, 242</ref>
==Current==
Yu Shi is worshiped by [[Han Chinese]], [[Maonan people]], and other people in modern southwest China as an important rain god with ritual prayer ceremonies performed to entreat for rain.<ref>Yang, 243</ref>
==See also==
*[[Meng Haoran]]
*[[Shangyang (rainbird)]], a mythical one-legged bird
*[[Wong Tai Sin]]
*[[Yinglong]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==References==
*Christie, Anthony (1968). ''Chinese Mythology''. Feltham: Hamlyn Publishing. {{ISBN|0600006379}}.
*Yang, Lihui, ''et al.'' (2005). ''Handbook of Chinese Mythology''. New York: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-533263-6}}
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[[Category:Chinese gods]]
[[Category:Rain deities]]