Ouyezi (simplified: 欧冶子, traditional: 欧冶子, pinyin: Ōu Yězǐ, jyutping: au1 je5 zi2) was a legendary master swordsmith active from the late Spring and Autumn period to the early Warring States period. He was from the State of Yue and is considered the ancestor of Chinese sword-making (中国古代制剑鼻祖). The suffix zi (子) is an honorific for a wise or learned man.
Legend
According to tradition, Ouyezi’s daughter was named Mo Ye (莫邪), and Gan Jiang (干将) was his son-in-law. The famous pair of swords Gan Jiang and Mo Ye (干将莫邪) were said to have been forged by this couple.
According to Records of Yue (《越绝书》), King Goujian of Yue summoned Xue Zhu (薛烛), an expert in sword appraisal, to evaluate five swords. Xue Zhu stated that Ouyezi had forged three large and two small swords: Zhanlu (湛卢), Chunjun (纯钧), Shengxie (胜邪), Yuchang (鱼肠), and Juque (巨阙), all extremely rare. Later, King Helü of Wu obtained Shengxie, Yuchang, and Zhanlu, and used Yuchang to assassinate King Liao of Wu.
The same text records that the King of Chu summoned Feng Huzi (风胡子) to commission Gan Jiang and Ouyezi to forge swords. The two smiths “dug into Mount Ci, diverted its streams, and extracted iron ore,” creating three swords: Longyuan (龙渊, later renamed Longquan 龙泉), Tai’e (泰阿), and Gongbu (工布). The King of Chu later wielded Tai’e on the city walls to command the Chu army and defeat the combined forces of Jin and Zheng.
In Sword of the Yue Maiden
Ouyezi is dead by the time of the novella, but his swords shape its plot. He forged five swords for King Yunchang of Yue: Zhanlu, Chunjun, Shengxie, Yuchang and Juque. He also forged Longyuan, Taie and Gongbu for the King of Chu. His two disciples are Feng Huzi and Xue Zhu, whom Goujian seeks out to arm Yue.1
See also
- Zhanlu, Chunjun, Shengxie, Yuchang, Juque — Legendary swords attributed to Ouyezi
- Gan Jiang & Mo Ye — Another legendary swordsmith couple
- Feng Huzi, Xue Zhu — Figures associated with sword appraisal
- Zi — The honorific in Ouyezi’s name
- Sword of the Yue Maiden characters