Another ancient mythology ask. This one concerns linguistics, but in the context of Qu Yuan's Heavenly Questions 天问, the archer Yi is referred to as Yi-Yi 夷羿. Does Qu Yuan refer to him with this title to reflect his status as an "Eastern Foreigner" (东夷/Dongyi) who seized the Xia throne, or is he using the more archaic version of the 夷/Yi word, which means "big bow"? Should Yi's title in Heavenly Questions be read as Yi the Foreigner or Yi of the Great Bow?
The line the name comes from is 帝降夷羿, 革孽夏民, which certainly suggests that this is the Yi of the Xia dynasty, from the Dongyi (who is seen as someone who saves the Xia people from disasters in the poem).
The lines that follow also immediately go into his shooting of Hebo and seizing of his wife, Chunhu, his killing of the great boar and the rejection of his meat sacrifice by the Heavenly Emperor, then end with his death at the hands of Chunhu and Hanzhuo.
