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{{DISPLAYTITLE: Guqi (鼓旗)}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE: Guqi (鼓旗)}}
Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
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Gǔ Qí (Drum Flag, 鼓旗) is a Chinese asterism consisting of nine stars located in the modern constellation ''Aquila''. It originated no later than about 100 BCE and lies to the right of ''Hé Gǔ'' (Drum at the River, 河鼓).
Gǔ Qí (Drum Flag, 鼓旗) is a Chinese asterism consisting of nine stars located in the modern constellation ''[[Aquila]]''. It originated no later than about 100 BCE and lies to the right of ''Hé Gǔ'' (Drum at the River, 河鼓).
== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
Drums and Flags were instruments used by ancient armies to transmit signals and direct combat. The ''Sunzi bingfa'' (''Art of War'', 孫子兵法) states:<blockquote>“The ''Military Regulations'' says: ‘If speech cannot be heard, use (metal) gongs and drums; if sight cannot reach, use banners and flags.’ Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are the means by which people’s eyes and ears are unified. When the troops are unified, the brave cannot advance alone and the timid cannot retreat alone—this is the method of employing the masses. Therefore, night battles rely on gongs and drums, and day battles on banners and flags, thereby transforming the soldiers’ senses.”[[File:Shang-dynasty bronze drum with divine-figure motif, in the collection of the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum, Japan.jpg|thumb|'''Fig 1. Shang-dynasty bronze drum with divine-figure motif, in the collection of the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum, Japan''']][[File:Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century).jpg|thumb|'''Fig 2. Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century)''']][[File:Line drawing of the Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century), exhibited in the Liaoyang Museum.jpg|thumb|'''Fig 3. Line drawing of the Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century), exhibited in the Liaoyang Museum.''' The flags are above Tower Pavilion.]]</blockquote>In the name He-Gu, ''Gu'' refers to the great war drum, while ''He'' denotes the Heavenly River (the Milky Way), indicating its position besides the Milky Way. The drum was not merely a musical instrument but a military command device and a means of encouraging morale: drums signaled attack, whereas metal gongs signaled withdrawal or defensive formation. Archaeological proof indicates that drums had already existed at least by the Shang Dynasty (Fig. 1).
Drums and Flags were instruments used by ancient armies to transmit signals and direct combat. The ''Sunzi bingfa'' (''Art of War'', 孫子兵法) states:<blockquote>“The ''Military Regulations'' says: ‘If speech cannot be heard, use (metal) gongs and drums; if sight cannot reach, use banners and flags.’ Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are the means by which people’s eyes and ears are unified. When the troops are unified, the brave cannot advance alone and the timid cannot retreat alone—this is the method of employing the masses. Therefore, night battles rely on gongs and drums, and day battles on banners and flags, thereby transforming the soldiers’ senses.”[[File:Shang-dynasty bronze drum with divine-figure motif, in the collection of the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum, Japan.jpg|thumb|'''Fig 1. Shang-dynasty bronze drum with divine-figure motif, in the collection of the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum, Japan''']][[File:Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century).jpg|thumb|'''Fig 2. Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century)''']][[File:Line drawing of the Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century), exhibited in the Liaoyang Museum.jpg|thumb|'''Fig 3. Line drawing of the Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century), exhibited in the Liaoyang Museum.''' The flags are above Tower Pavilion.]]</blockquote>In the name He-Gu, ''Gu'' refers to the great war drum, while ''He'' denotes the Heavenly River (the Milky Way), indicating its position besides the Milky Way. The drum was not merely a musical instrument but a military command device and a means of encouraging morale: drums signaled attack, whereas metal gongs signaled withdrawal or defensive formation. Archaeological proof indicates that drums had already existed at least by the Shang Dynasty (Fig. 1).
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In Sima Qian(145 or 135 BCE - ?)’s ''Tianguan shu'' (''Book of Heaven Officials'', 天官書), only ''Hegu'' is mentioned and not the Flag, suggesting that the latter was added later. The name ''Gu-Qi'' implies a close association with ''Hegu'', and the Shi school treated the two as a related group of asterisms. However, ''Guqi'' was renamed ''Youqi'' (Right Flag, 右旗) in later times to maintain symmetry since the Gan school introduced the asterism ''Zuoqi'' (Left Flag, 左旗).
In Sima Qian(145 or 135 BCE - ?)’s ''Tianguan shu'' (''Book of Heaven Officials'', 天官書), only ''Hegu'' is mentioned and not the Flag, suggesting that the latter was added later. The name ''Gu-Qi'' implies a close association with ''Hegu'', and the Shi school treated the two as a related group of asterisms. However, ''Guqi'' was renamed ''Youqi'' (Right Flag, 右旗) in later times to maintain symmetry since the Gan school introduced the asterism ''Zuoqi'' (Left Flag, 左旗).
Ancient banners differed significantly from modern ones and were divided into multiple categories. In the pre-Qin (220 BCE - 206 BCE) period, nine types were distinguished. The ''Zhōu lǐ'' (''Rites of Zhou'', 周禮) describes a system of nine banners (''jiǔ qí''):
Ancient banners differed significantly from modern ones and were divided into multiple categories. In the pre-Qin (before 220 BCE) period, nine types were distinguished. The ''Zhōu lǐ'' (''Rites of Zhou'', 周禮) describes a system of nine banners (''jiǔ qí''):
(1) ''Cháng''常 (bearing the sun and moon),
(1) ''Cháng''常 (bearing the sun and moon),
Latest revision as of 07:36, 4 March 2026
Authors: Boshun YANG
Gǔ Qí (Drum Flag, 鼓旗) is a Chinese asterism consisting of nine stars located in the modern constellation Aquila. It originated no later than about 100 BCE and lies to the right of Hé Gǔ (Drum at the River, 河鼓).
Drums and Flags were instruments used by ancient armies to transmit signals and direct combat. The Sunzi bingfa (Art of War, 孫子兵法) states:
“The Military Regulations says: ‘If speech cannot be heard, use (metal) gongs and drums; if sight cannot reach, use banners and flags.’ Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are the means by which people’s eyes and ears are unified. When the troops are unified, the brave cannot advance alone and the timid cannot retreat alone—this is the method of employing the masses. Therefore, night battles rely on gongs and drums, and day battles on banners and flags, thereby transforming the soldiers’ senses.”
Fig 1. Shang-dynasty bronze drum with divine-figure motif, in the collection of the Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum, JapanFig 2. Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century)Fig 3. Line drawing of the Mural from Tomb No. 1 at Beiyuan, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province (3rd century), exhibited in the Liaoyang Museum. The flags are above Tower Pavilion.
In the name He-Gu, Gu refers to the great war drum, while He denotes the Heavenly River (the Milky Way), indicating its position besides the Milky Way. The drum was not merely a musical instrument but a military command device and a means of encouraging morale: drums signaled attack, whereas metal gongs signaled withdrawal or defensive formation. Archaeological proof indicates that drums had already existed at least by the Shang Dynasty (Fig. 1).
In Sima Qian(145 or 135 BCE - ?)’s Tianguan shu (Book of Heaven Officials, 天官書), only Hegu is mentioned and not the Flag, suggesting that the latter was added later. The name Gu-Qi implies a close association with Hegu, and the Shi school treated the two as a related group of asterisms. However, Guqi was renamed Youqi (Right Flag, 右旗) in later times to maintain symmetry since the Gan school introduced the asterism Zuoqi (Left Flag, 左旗).
Ancient banners differed significantly from modern ones and were divided into multiple categories. In the pre-Qin (before 220 BCE) period, nine types were distinguished. The Zhōu lǐ (Rites of Zhou, 周禮) describes a system of nine banners (jiǔ qí):
(1) Cháng常 (bearing the sun and moon),
(2) Qí旂 (with intertwined dragons),
(3) Zhān旜 (plain silk banner),
(4) Wù物 (variegated silk),
(5) Qí旗 (with bears and tigers),
(6) Yú旟 (with birds),
(7) Zhào旐 (with tortoise and serpent),
(8) Suì 旞 (with full feathers),
(9) Jīng (with split feathers)
The Han dynasty(202 BCE - 220 CE) system may have differed somewhat. Structurally, the “Qí旗” consisted of a pole (gān竿), the main cloth panel (shān縿), a long streamer (yóu斿) attached at the top , and a serrated fringe along the side edge. [1] A mural in the Beiyuan Han tomb at Liaoyang, Liaoning, depicts such flags mounted atop a tower pavilion (Fig 2 and Fig 3).
Identification of stars
In contrast to the bright and stable asterism Hegu, whose identification never changed, Guqi (Drum Flag)or Youqi (Right Flag) underwent several revisions. Nevertheless, it consistently included δ Aquilae as its most bright star and sometimes the determinative star.
↑Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. The Chinese sky during the Han. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.
↑B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.
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