Records of the Historian, Xiongnu Liezhuan

This is one of the most important Chinese religious witnesses for the steppe. The Chanyu's court sacrifices, the May assembly, ancestor worship, heaven and earth, gods and spirits, sunrise and moon homage, lunar timing of war, and burial goods all appear in one compressed paragraph.

The passage does not make the Xiongnu Scythians. It gives a comparative eastern witness for the same Central Eurasian complex of kingship, sky, moon, horse, war, and burial that the western Scythian shelf must learn to read across languages.

The translation below is from the Classical Chinese text of the Xiongnu liezhuan.

Translation

Every year in the first month, the chiefs held a smaller assembly at the Chanyu's court and sacrificed. In the fifth month, they held a great assembly at Longcheng and sacrificed to their ancestors, to heaven and earth, and to gods and spirits. In autumn, when the horses were fat, they held a great assembly at Dailin and inspected the count of people and animals.

By their law, one who drew a blade a foot long was put to death. One convicted of theft had his household confiscated. For small crimes there was crushing punishment; for great crimes, death. Cases in prison did not last more than ten days, and in the whole state the prisoners numbered only a few.

When the Chanyu went out from camp in the morning, he bowed to the beginning of the sun's rising; in the evening he bowed to the moon. In seating, the honored place was on the left and facing north. For days, they honored wu and ji.

For sending off the dead, they had inner and outer coffins, gold and silver, clothing and furs, but no mounds, planted trees, or mourning garments. Favored ministers, servants, and concubines who followed the dead could be as many as several hundreds or thousands.

When they undertook affairs, they watched the stars and moon. When the moon was full and strong, they attacked in war; when the moon waned, they withdrew the army. In battle, one who cut off a head or captured an enemy received a cup of wine; the booty taken was given to him, and captives became slaves and maidservants. Thus, in war each man sought his own advantage. They were skillful at using luring troops to rush the enemy. When they saw the enemy, they pursued gain like birds gathering; when trapped and defeated, they broke apart like tiles and scattered like clouds. Those who carried off the dead in battle received all the dead man's family property.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the source text printed below. The English is an independent rendering from the source-language Chinese, with existing public translations used only as controls for difficult or conventional passages.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

🌲

Source Text: Shiji, Xiongnu Liezhuan, Assemblies and Rites

Classical Chinese source text from the Shiji. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

岁正月，诸长小会单于庭，祠。五月，大会茏城，祭其先、天地、鬼神。秋，马肥，大会蹛林，课校人畜计。其法，拔刃尺者死，坐盗者没入其家；有罪小者轧，大者死。狱久者不过十日，一国之囚不过数人。而单于朝出营，拜日之始生，夕拜月。其坐，长左而北乡。日上戊己。其送死，有棺椁金银衣裘，而无封树丧服；近幸臣妾从死者，多至数千百人。举事而候星月，月盛壮则攻战，月亏则退兵。其攻战，斩首虏赐一卮酒，而所得卤获因以予之，得人以为奴婢。故其战，人人自为趣利，善为诱兵以冒敌。故其见敌则逐利，如鸟之集；其困败，则瓦解云散矣。战而扶舆死者，尽得死者家财。

Source Colophon

Classical Chinese text inspected from Chinese Text Project, Shiji, Xiongnu Liezhuan, paragraph 10. The English rendering above is newly prepared from the Chinese, with the CTP English display used only as a control.

🌲