Hebo - 河伯
Lord of the Yellow River. In one tale it's said he was once a man named Bingyi, Wuyi, or Fengyi who drowned in the river trying to attain immortality or save his people from the floods of the river. Upon death he was remade into the god of the river, often seen riding in his chariot pulled by white dragons, seated upon a turtle, or transformed into a great white fish. Like the river he is hard to predict and can bring blessings and bounty or flood and famine. In the Shizi narrative he is said to have bestowed a map of the Yellow River to Yu the Great. In the Chuci and Huainanzi he is said to have come into battle with the great archer Hou Yi where he is shot for constantly causing floods, and in the Chuci his wife, Luoshen, is taken by Hou Yi. In some accounts people would throw offerings and valuables into the river in hopes that it would appease him.
Pantheon: Chinese
Domain or Function: God of the Yellow River, its flooding, and its aquatic life.
Alternate Names: Bingyi (冰夷), Fengyi (馮夷), Wuyi (無夷).
Character Traits: Said to be fickle like the river itself, often a powerful troublemaker who is scolded by the Jade Emperor.
Visual Traits: Shown as a young or old man cloaked in robes. He can take the form of a white fish or dragon and is occasionally seated upon a turtle or in a chariot drawn by dragons.
Symbolism: Turtles, dragons, fish, Yellow River.
Sources: 1 2 3 4
