李氏图腾释义

【释义】古文中李、理通用。理，古时 法官的名称，主征伐刑戮之事。李，也 是一种树名。 【起源】古代东夷族首领皋陶(yáo)，在 帝尧时任大理（司法长官），其后裔历 舜、夏、商三代，世袭此职，于是以官 命族为理氏。商朝末年，理氏裔孙理 征，因直言规劝殷纣王而遭杀害，其子 利贞随母契和氏逃至豫西的“伊侯之 墟”隐藏起来，靠采食木子（木本植物 的果实，即树上结的果）充饥，因而保 全了母子性命。后到苦（gǔ）县（今河 南鹿邑）安家。为了感激“木子”保 命，又躲避殷纣王追缉，因理、李同音 通用，改理氏为李氏。

得姓始祖：李利贞　李耳

始 祖 地：河南鹿邑

郡望堂号：陇西、赵郡；陇西堂

当今排序／人口：第2位／约9340万

宋版百家姓排序：第4位

现存家谱：2300部

Explanation of the Li Clan Totem

[Explanation]  

In ancient Chinese, the characters 李 (Li) and 理 (Li) were interchangeable.

“理” was the title for a judicial official in ancient times, responsible for matters of punishment and military justice.

“李” is also the name of a type of tree.

[Origin]  

Gaoyao, leader of the ancient Dongyi tribe, served as the Da Li (Chief Justice) during the reign of Emperor Yao. His descendants continued to hold this office through the eras of Shun, Xia, and Shang, and thus adopted the surname Li (理) based on their official title.

Near the end of the Shang dynasty, a descendant named Li Zheng (理征) was executed for admonishing King Zhou of Shang. His son Li Zhen (利贞) fled with his mother, Lady Qi He, to hide in the region known as “Yi Hou Zhi Xu” in western Henan. They survived by gathering and eating “mu zi” (fruits of woody plants—literally “tree fruits”), which saved their lives.

Later, they settled in Ku County (present-day Luyi, Henan).

To express gratitude for the “tree fruits” that sustained them, and to avoid further persecution by King Zhou, they changed their surname from 理 to 李, since the two were pronounced the same and used interchangeably.