Episode 5: The Legend of 10 suns and 12 moons | Chinese mythology Explained
Summary
TLDRIn ancient Chinese mythology, the Heavenly Emperor De Jun, with a monkey's body and a bird's head, had ten sun sons and twelve moon daughters. The Sun Goddess She Her managed her ten sun sons, who took the form of three-legged crows, bringing warmth and light to the Earth. The Moon Goddess Chang Shi, after a year of pregnancy, gave birth to twelve moons, who illuminated the night sky in rotation. These celestial bodies represented the cycle of day and night, symbolizing the matriarchal society's reverence for maternal love and sacrifice.
Takeaways
- đ The Heavenly Emperor De Jun is depicted with a unique appearance, having the body of a monkey, the head of a bird, two horns, a single leg, and a hunched back.
- đ De Jun's ten sons symbolize the sun, taking the form of three-legged golden crows that bring warmth and light to the Earth.
- đ The Moon Goddess Chang'shi, one of De Jun's wives, gave birth to 12 daughters representing the 12 moons.
- đ The Sun Goddess She Her, another wife of De Jun, lives beyond the Eastern Sea and manages her ten sons' routine, ensuring the cycle of day and night.
- đ The ten suns take turns rising, each responsible for a day, providing light and warmth, and are rejuvenated in a warm spring by She Her.
- đł The Fusang tree, a mythical tree, is said to be the bathing and resting place for the ten suns after their daily duties.
- đ The 12 moons, daughters of Chang'shi, noticed the darkness when the suns set and proposed to light the night to bring illumination.
- đ The 12 moons take turns lighting the night sky, each responsible for a month, forming the 12 months of the year.
- đ The absence of the moon in the sky for a few days each month symbolizes the rest period of the moons.
- đ The script highlights the ancient Chinese reverence for the sun and moon, as well as the matriarchal figures of She Her and Chang'shi, who embody maternal love and sacrifice.
Q & A
Who is the Heavenly Emperor De Jun and what does he represent?
-The Heavenly Emperor De Jun is a figure from ancient Chinese mythology who is said to have the body of a monkey, the head of a bird, two horns on his head, a single leg, and a hunched back. He represents a divine entity associated with the sun and is considered the father of the ten suns and twelve moons.
What are the characteristics of the Sun Goddess She Her and her sons?
-The Sun Goddess She Her is described as living beyond the Eastern Sea and is the mother of ten sons who embody the sun. Her sons take the form of three-legged golden crows, emitting a scorching temperature and a dazzling aura. They take turns rising to bring warmth and light to the Earth.
How does the daily routine of She Her's sons affect the lives of people on Earth?
-The daily routine of She Her's sons, the ten suns, allows people to work at sunrise and rest at sunset, creating a harmonious and joyful lifestyle where humans and animals coexist peacefully.
What is the significance of the fusang tree in the myth?
-The fusang tree is significant in the myth as it is where the ten suns bathe and rejuvenate after immersing themselves in the spring. The tree is described as enormous and is associated with the process of renewal and the cycle of the suns.
Who is the Moon Goddess Changshi and what is her role in the myth?
-The Moon Goddess Changshi is the mother of the twelve moons and is responsible for giving birth to them. She addresses the endless darkness on Earth by allowing her daughters to provide gentle illumination during the night.
How do the twelve moons contribute to the night sky according to the legend?
-The twelve moons take turns illuminating the night sky, each moon representing a month, thus forming the 12 months of a year. They bring a soft glow to the nocturnal world, ensuring that there is always some light during the night.
What is the symbolic meaning of the twelve moons taking a few days of rest each month?
-The symbolic meaning of the twelve moons taking a few days of rest each month is to represent the feminine aspect of the lunar cycle, where the moon does not appear in the night sky during those days, reflecting the natural cycle of the moon's phases.
How do the folk tales about the moon describe the relationship between Changshi and her daughters?
-Folk tales about the moon depict Changshi as deeply loving her daughters and personally bathing them, which symbolizes the depth and grandeur of maternal love.
What does the contrast between She Her and Changshi represent in terms of maternal roles in ancient Chinese society?
-The contrast between She Her and Changshi represents the dual aspects of maternal roles in ancient Chinese society. She Her, as the mother of the sun, embodies selflessness and sacrifice, bringing light and warmth daily, while Changshi, as the mother of the moons, guards her daughters and sprinkles moonlight over the world, symbolizing the depth of maternal love.
How are the images of She Her and Changshi revered in ancient Chinese culture?
-The images of She Her and Changshi are particularly revered in ancient Chinese culture as they reflect the matriarchal nature of society at the time and capture the profound feelings and understanding of the sun, moon, and maternal love.
What is the significance of the physical description of De Jun in the myth?
-The physical description of De Jun, with a mix of animal and human features, signifies his divine and supernatural status. It also reflects the rich imagination and symbolism in ancient Chinese mythology, where such descriptions often carry deeper meanings related to the character's attributes or powers.
Outlines
đ The Myth of the Heavenly Emperor and the Sun Goddess
This paragraph delves into ancient Chinese mythology, focusing on the Heavenly Emperor De Jun and his family. De Jun, depicted with a unique set of features, had ten sons and twelve daughters symbolizing the sun and the moon. The Sun Goddess She Her, one of his wives, lived with her ten sons near the Eastern Sea. These sons, in the form of three-legged golden crows, were responsible for bringing light and warmth to the Earth, following a daily cycle of rising and setting. The people revered the sun and lived in harmony, with She Her managing her sons' routine. The paragraph also describes the legend of the Fusang tree and the role of the Dragon Chariot in the sun's journey across the sky.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄHeavenly Emperor De Jun
đĄSun Goddess She Her
đĄThree-legged Golden Crows
đĄFusang Tree
đĄMoon Goddess Chang Shi
đĄMaternal Love
đĄMatriarchal Society
đĄCosmic Order
đĄHarmony
đĄMythological Creatures
đĄSelflessness and Sacrifice
Highlights
The Heavenly Emperor De Jun had ten sons representing the ten suns and twelve daughters representing the twelve moons.
De Jun, the Heavenly Emperor, has the body of a monkey, the head of a bird, two horns on his head, a single leg, and a hunched back.
De Jun had three wives, two of them being the Sun Goddess She He and the Moon Goddess Changshi.
At the beginning of time, She He lived beyond the Eastern Sea near the Sweet Springs, with her ten sons who embodied the suns as three-legged golden crows.
The ten sons took turns rising, bringing warmth and light to the Earth, ensuring that humans lived harmoniously, working by day and resting by night.
She He managed the rhythm of time, leading the suns from east to west daily, rejuvenating them each night in the Sweet Springs.
When the suns bathed in the springs, the water became scalding and sprouted the Fusang tree, which became their resting place.
The brilliance of She He rejuvenating her sons at night is seen as the starry night sky in mythology.
Moon Goddess Changshi gave birth to twelve moon children, pure and bright, who later provided gentle illumination to the Earth during the night.
The twelve moons took turns lighting the night sky, forming the twelve months of the year, and rested a few days each month, symbolizing the phases of the moon.
Changshi, deeply loving her daughters, is said to personally bathe them, reflected in the folk tale of seeing a woman aiding the moon in its bath.
The sun goddess She He symbolizes a motherâs selflessness and sacrifice, tending to her sons to bring light and warmth to the people.
Moon goddess Changshi represents the depth and grandeur of maternal love, guarding her daughters and providing moonlight to the world.
These tales of the sun and moon goddesses reflect the matriarchal nature of ancient society in China.
The myths about She He and Changshi showcase ancient China's understanding of celestial cycles, maternal love, and the balance between day and night.
Transcripts
in ancient Chinese mythological Tales
the Heavenly Emperor de June had ten
sons and 12 daughters representing 10
sons and 12 moons Legend says the
Heavenly Emperor de June has the body of
a monkey the head of a bird two horns on
his head a single leg and a hunched back
dejun has three wives two of them are
sun goddess she her and moon goddess
changshi at the beginning of time when
the heavens and the Earth were first
separated and day was distinguished from
night Sun Goddess she her lived beyond
the Eastern Sea near the Sweet Springs
in a distant realm she her lived with
her ten sons who embodied the sons they
took the form of three-legged golden
crows and emitted a scorching
temperature and a dazzling Aura the ten
sons took turns Rising bringing warmth
and light to the Earth people worked at
Sunrise and rested at Sunset living
harmoniously and joyfully humans and
animals coexisted peacefully the sun's
brought light and warmth and people
often looked up to the sky in respect
and gratitude
as the mother of the sun she heard daily
managed the routine of her ten Sons
managing the rhythm of time leading the
Sun from east to west after the last
Sunset she drove her Dragon Chariot
soaring through the cool night sky to
greet the next Rising Sun every evening
she her would lead her sons to the warm
spring washing away their fatigue
allowing them to rejuvenate in the clear
water when the Suns immersed themselves
in the spring the water became scalding
and from its sprouted the fusang tree
this enormous tree was home to the ten
Suns they took turns bathing and then
drying on top of the tree Legend says
that when you gaze at The Starry Night
Sky the brilliant light is she her
rejuvenating the Suns for the next day
after 12 months of pregnancy the moon
goddess changshi gave birth to 12 Moon
children as lustrous as Jade and pure
and bright as the moons matured these 12
daughters noticed the endless darkness
when the sun's set to address this the
moons proposed to changshi to provide
gentle illumination during the night
moved by their kindness changsi decided
that the moons would take turns lighting
the night sky
working diligently the moons brought a
soft glow to the nocturnal world the 12
moons took turns Illuminating the Earth
each month forming the 12 months of a
year
12 moons as a feminine symbol takes a
few days of rest each month meaning
during those days the moon doesn't
appear in the night sky
folk tales about the moon also mention
that upon close observation people see a
woman aiding the moon in its bath this
is changshi who loves her daughters
deeply and personally bathes them
are both magnificent mothers she her as
the mother of the sun tends to her sons
every day bringing light and warmth to
the people showcasing a mother's
selflessness and sacrifice on the other
hand chanxi as the mother of the moons
guards her twelve daughters every night
sprinkling the world with moonlight
representing the depth and Grandeur of
maternal love in ancient times the
images of these two mothers were
particularly revered reflecting the
matriarchal nature of society then the
portrayals of these two figures resonate
deeply perfectly capturing ancient
China's profound feelings and
understanding of the sun moon and
maternal love
foreign
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