| Dian Wei | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General of Cao Cao | |
| Died | 197 |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 典韦 |
| Traditional Chinese | 典韋 |
| Pinyin | Diǎn Wěi |
| Wade-Giles | Tien Wei |
Dian Wei (? – 197) was a warrior during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He served as a bodyguard to the powerful warlord, Cao Cao. Famed for his enormous strength, Dian Wei excelled in wielding dual halberds, each of which was said to weigh 40 jin. He died defending Cao Cao's escape against multiple enemies in the battle of Wancheng.
Contents |
Life
A local of Jiwu (己吾, present day Sui, Henan), Dian Wei's birthyear is unknown. The Records of Three Kingdoms describes Dian Wei as a stalwart man with superhuman strength. When he was young, Dian Wei once agreed to kill a rival of his fellow townsman. Disguised as a noble, Dian Wei travelled to his enemy's house in Suiyang and entered the gates without challenge. He then slayed his enemy's entire family. As the victim lived near the market, news of his death soon spread and hundreds of men went on pursuit of the murderer. However, none of them dared duel Dian Wei, who headed out of town with the pursuers at his heels. After walking four or five li, Dian Wei met his companions and escaped after a fight. In 189, regional warlord Zhang Miao was raising an army to join the coalition against Dong Zhuo, who was holding the Emperor hostage in the imperial court. Dian Wei heeded the call. He greatly impressed his superiors when he managed to keep a huge banner swaying in strong wind upright with just one hand, while several other men with their combined efforts could not do so. Dian Wei later served under Xiahou Dun, a trusted general under Cao Cao. During the campaign against Lü Bu in Hanyang, Cao Cao and his troops were caught amidst an onrush by the enemy. According to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dian Wei gathered scores of men around himself. All of them put on two layers of armor, discarded their shields, and charged towards the enemy holding spears and halberds. Another wave of enemy closing in from the west unleashed a barrage of arrows onto Dian Wei and his men. Oblivious to the missiles, Dian Wei told his comrade, "Tell me when the enemies are ten paces away." His comrade did so. Dian Wei said again, "Tell me when it's five paces." His comrade then cried with fear, "The enemies are upon us!" Spinning around, Dian Wei flung the dozen javelins he was holding at his enemies. With each fling a man fell from his saddle and not a javelin missed its target. The enemies then retreated. Deeply impressed, Cao Cao promoted Dian Wei to the rank of Captain and made him his own personal bodyguard. Henceafter, Dian Wei was always at the forefront of every battle he participated in. He was also loyal and responsible. He stood guard outside Cao Cao's tent throughout the day and slept somewhere close during the night, and rarely returned to his own quarters. The capable warrior was also an extraordinary eater and drinker. He ate in huge mouthfuls and drank in long gulps. Because of his enormous appetite, several men were required to serve him whenever he sat down for meals. In 197, Cao Cao waged a war against Zhang Xiu, the governor of Wan (宛), who immediately surrendered to Cao Cao. Cao Cao was very pleased and invited Zhang Xiu and his men to a banquet. Throughout the banquet, Dian Wei stood behind Cao Cao holding a giant axe, the blade of which was one chi long. Zhang Xiu and his man dared not even look up at the pair whenever they toasted to Cao Cao. About ten days later, Zhang Xiu ate his words and led a force to attack Cao Cao's camp. Cao Cao escaped on horseback. As Romance of the Three Kingdoms narrates, Dian Wei stood guard at the front gate of the camp ground, with a dozen men on his side, and fought fiercely using a long halberd. One swing of the halberd saw more than ten enemy spears broken. As the battle went on, Dian Wei's companions were killed one by one, while Dian Wei was also wounded in many places. The mighty warrior then grabbed two enemies and used them as weapons. No other enemy dared to approach him. Dian Wei rushed forward and killed a few more enemies before finally dying of blood loss. He was still staring and swearing as he took his last breath. Only after assuring that he was dead did the enemies dare to come forward and severed his head, which was passed around for all to see. When the word spread, all the enemies came to revere Dian Wei's body, not believing anyone could fight so ferociously. When Cao Cao heard of Dian Wei's death, he broke down in tears. He then ordered his men to steal Dian Wei's corpse back so that the warrior could be buried in his hometown. Thereafter, whenever Cao Cao passed by the tomb, he would stop to mourn Dian Wei. Cao Cao also made Dian Wei's son, Dian Man, a commander major and kept him at his side.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred during the Three Kingdoms era. In the book, Dian Wei was introduced to Cao Cao by Xiahou Dun sometime in 193. According to Xiahou Dun, Dian Wei used to serve in Zhang Miao's camp. After killing dozens of comrades with his bare hands following a dispute, Dian Wei escaped to the hills. Xiahou Dun, while out hunting, found Dian Wei chasing a tiger across a stream and took the man into his own camp. Cao Cao then asked Dian Wei to demonstrate his martial skills. Carrying his halberds, each of which weighed 40 jin, Dian Wei vaulted himself onto a horse and galloped to and fro. Then he saw a huge banner about to topple in the strong wind. A crowd of soldiers were struggling vainly to hold it up. Dian Wei dismounted and held the banner perfectly steady with just one hand. Seeing this, Cao Cao exclaimed, "This is E Lai [1] from the ancient times!" Thus this fictional nickname of Dian Wei stuck with him, and he was henceforth known as "E Lai" Dian Wei.
In Dynasty Warriors
Dian Wei also appears in the Koei video game series, Dynasty Warriors. He is depicted as a large, muscular man with a bald head and formidable strength. He is generally laden with heavy armour across his shoulders and forearms. He wields a battle axe called the "Mad Bull," featuring an elaborately sculpted bull's head and often refers to himself as "The Coming Evil." This title was borne from Cao Cao's comparison between Dian Wei's strength and that of the ancient warrior E Lai (恶来), Chinese for "coming evil"). However, it does not properly reflect Dian's personality, as he is portrayed as a loyal, dedicated and stalwart character. He does not concern himself with the politics and details of war, choosing to focus solely on the protection and safety of Cao Cao from his enemies. In the upcoming game Dynasty Warriors 6, Dian Wei gets a complete makeover from armor, most notably his left shoulder plate that looks like a bull's head, and to his new weapon, a giant ball with a chain, which he swings around to devastate any nearby enemies. Dian Wei typically serves as Cao Cao's bodyguard during battle, moving to intercept those who would attempt to harm his lord. He has a strong friendship with Xu Zhu, as the two usually work together as a team to protect Cao Cao. Because Dian Wei dies early in the game at the hands of Zhang Xiu, he does not appear very often. However, in Dian Wei's "Musou Mode" (or story mode), his life and role are extended. He is even present when Cao Cao's troops flee from Chi Bi, which historically occurs eleven years after his death.
Notes
- ^ According to the Records of the Grand Historian, E Lai (恶来) was a very strong man who served under Di Xin of the Shang Dynasty.
References
- Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5.
- Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80520-013-0.
- Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9.
See also
- Three Kingdoms
- Personages of the Three Kingdoms
- Records of Three Kingdoms
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms
