炎帝的名称,在西周文献中尚未出现,但在东周的《左传》昭公十七年却说:“炎帝以火纪,故为火师而火名。”《国语·晋语》也提到“炎帝以姜水成”。至于炎帝的氏族谱系及其后人的名号则出现更晚,大概都是以后的注释家按后出的传说补辑上的。所以炎帝及其事迹只能作为古代传说,不能算为信史。 Yan Emperor’s name, the Western Zhou Dynasty literature has not yet appeared, but in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty “Zuo Zhuan” Show Gong seventeen years but said: “Emperor Yan fire, it is fire and fire name.” “Mandarin Jin language” also mention To “Yan Emperor Jiang Shui into ”. As for Yan Emperor’s clan pedigree and its descendants later appeared, probably after the commentator press the back of the legendary supplement. Therefore, Yan Emperor and his deeds can only be used as ancient legends, can not be considered as a history of letters.