Himiko

Historical Record

The Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wei, Account of the Wa records that the Wa had long been in conflict, and that the people jointly enthroned Himiko as their queen. She “served the spirits and could bewitch the people,” establishing her rule in Wa by these means; the source gives no further details about her rituals, decrees, or daily life.^[1] In the sixth month of the second year of Jingchu, Himiko sent the grandee Nashime and others to the commandery to request permission to travel to the emperor’s court and present tribute. The commandery governor Liu Xia dispatched officials to escort the envoys to the capital.^[2]

In the twelfth month of the same year, Emperor Ming of Wei issued an edict in reply to the queen of Wa, investing Himiko as “Queen of Wa, Allied with Wei,” granting her a gold seal with a purple ribbon, and bestowing brocade, fine woolens, swords, mirrors, and treasures. Her accompanying envoys Nashime and Niu Li were also separately invested and granted seals and ribbons.^[3] In the first year of Zhengshi, Governor Gong Zun sent Ti Jun and others to Wa with an edict and seals and ribbons to invest Himiko. Himiko sent an envoy with a memorial expressing gratitude for the Wei court’s gracious edict.^[4] In the fourth year of Zhengshi, she again sent Yishengqi, Yexieju, and six others on a mission.^[5]

Himiko had long been at odds with Bimigonghu, the male king of the state of Gounu. When the two sides came into conflict, she sent Zaisi, Wu Yue, and others to the commandery to report on the fighting.^[6][7] Later, Himiko died, and the people built a great tomb for her, over a hundred paces in diameter; more than a hundred male and female slaves were buried with her. After her death, Wa briefly installed another male king, but the people did not accept him, and they killed one another. They then enthroned Yiyu, a thirteen-year-old female relative of Himiko’s clan, as queen, and only then did the country settle down.^[8]

In the Novel

The novel does not mention this person. The surviving material from the novel provides no account of Himiko’s appearance, words, or literary portrayal, so it cannot serve as a basis for describing her taking part in battles, associating with figures of the Three Kingdoms, or experiencing other events in the novel. What can be recounted about Himiko in this biography comes from the Records of the Three Kingdoms’ account of the Wa polity, relations between Wei and Wa, and the succession after her death, rather than from scenes in the novel.^[1][4]

Key Relationships

Himiko’s relationship with the Wei court was maintained through the exchange of envoys, investiture, and imperial edicts: she sent Nashime and others to present tribute, received Emperor Ming’s edict investing her as “Queen of Wa, Allied with Wei,” later accepted the edict and seals and ribbons delivered by Ti Jun and others, and sent envoys to express her gratitude. These accounts show that the Wei court recognized her and bestowed on her the title of Queen of Wa, while she maintained relations with Wei through diplomatic missions.^[2][3][4]

In her relations within and beyond Wa, she was at odds with Bimigonghu, the male king of Gounu; Zaisi, Wu Yue, and others reported the conflict to the commandery authorities.^[6][7] After her death, her successor Yiyu was a female relative of her clan. The people rejected the accession of a male king, and order was restored only after Yiyu took the throne, showing how closely the position of queen was tied to stability in Wa.^[8]

Notable Episodes

The first is the embassy to present tribute in the second year of Jingchu: Himiko sent Nashime and others to the commandery seeking an audience at court. In the same year, the Wei court confirmed her as Queen of Wa, Allied with Wei, by edict and granted her a gold seal with a purple ribbon. The tribute mission and investiture form the clearest set of events in her relationship with the Wei court.^[2][3]

The second is her formal investiture by imperial edict in the first year of Zhengshi. Ti Jun and others arrived in Wa bearing the edict and seals and ribbons; Himiko accepted the appointment and promptly sent an envoy to express her gratitude. She continued to send missions to Wei afterward, showing that their exchanges did not end with a single tribute mission.^[4][5]

The third is the great tomb and succession crisis after her death: Himiko was buried in a great tomb over a hundred paces in diameter, with more than a hundred male and female slaves sacrificed in her burial. The unstable succession led the people to kill one another, until the young Yiyu was enthroned and order was restored.^[8]