Pangu
Pangu was not entirely human but also not entirely a divine being either. He was simply the first being. He is usually depicted as a giant humanoid. He has long, black hair and a large beard. He is typically depicted as wearing an Earthen skirt made out of grass, leaves, or other green earthly matter. Pangu’s story is one about the origins of the world, as it explains how Heaven and Earth formed. In Chinese mythology, there are several different versions of Pangu and his story. Here, we will focus on perhaps the most popular one. It tells the story of how the world was formed from Pangu, the first ever being, born out of a cosmic egg.
The Cosmic Egg
As the myth goes, only a dark, empty order existed before Heaven and Earth were born. In thisorder, a cosmic egg formed, and inside of it were two things: chaos, and Pangu. Pangu slept for eighteen thousand years inside of this egg until he woke up. Upon his awakening, Pangu came to full consciousness and realization of himself. Recognizing that surrounded by chaos inside of this egg, he was too big to move around and could barely breathe. Eventually becoming overwhelmed by his confinement, Pangu attempted to break out. He succeeded at this, and the egg cracked open, in effect birthing Pangu into the world. At the same time, chaos was released into order.
Heaven and Earth
Upon escaping the egg, Pangu got to work. The cosmic egg he had broken out of was in fact more than just an egg. Pangu tried separating the heavy and light parts of the egg, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not do it. Seeing no other option, Pangu committed himself to holding these two halves separate from one another until they were fully separated. He raised the lighter part of the egg above his head, where it became the Sky and the Heavens. He stood on top of the heavier part of the egg, which became the ground and the Earth. Additionally, the myth states that the light, pure Heavens also became yang, and the heavy, dense Earth became yin. This is supposed to explain the foundational beginnings for the philosophical concept of yin and yang.
As Pangu held the sky apart from the Earth, he continued to grow. He grew ten feet a day for another eighteen thousand years, during which time he was always the pillar that held up the sky. Additionally, his mood was reflected in the weather. When he was sad, there was rain. When he was happy, the sky was clear. Eventually, the heaven and earth were fully separated, and Pangu collapsed from exhaustion.
The Rest of the Earth
When Pangu collapsed from his tireless labor, he fell into a deep slumber. At this point, he was a giant that was thousands of feet tall. Pangu never woke up, as he passed in his sleep. After this, his body became integrated into the world. His eyes became the sun and the moon. His head, arms, and body formed lengthy mountain ranges. Specifically, his head formed mountains in the East, his torso and stomach created mountains in the center, his left arm formed the South, his right arm formed the North, and his legs became the mountains in the West. His skin was transformed into soil and the land. His blood flowed across the land and channeled into the oceans and rivers. His last breath created wind and the clouds, and his sweat fell as rain. His voice morphed into strikes of thunder and lightning. The hair on his head transformed into the stars overhead, and the hair on his body became trees, plants, and other vegetation. His teeth and bones became minerals and rocks, while his bone marrow became rare, precious metals. The fleas and mites that lived on his body became humans and animals. His soul passed on from his body into the bodies of all these humans and animals, giving them life.
Areas of Potential Future Research and Interest
- Yin and yang
- Other Chinese origin and creation myths
References
Birrell, Anne. An Introduction to Chinese Mythology. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Christie, Anthony. Chinese Mythology. Feltham, Middlesex: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1968.
Yao, Weiwei, “Pangu and Ancient China (2011)” (2011). The Valpo Core Reader. Paper 13.
http://scholar.valpo.edu/core_reader/13
