In 《
史记·
五帝本纪》 the five are
黄帝,
颛顼,
帝喾,
尧 and
舜; other lists include
少昊. With the
三皇 'Three Sovereigns' they make up
三皇五帝, a byword for the very beginning of Chinese history. The First Emperor of Qin took
皇 from one and
帝 from the other to make the title
皇帝 'emperor'.
