Pangu : Chinese God of creation | Chinese Mythology

Time Traveller

12 Dec 202101:48

Summary

TLDRIn Chinese mythology, Pangu is a primordial being who separated heaven and earth from a vast, egg-shaped entity, symbolizing the division of Yin and Yang. He used a giant axe to cleave the shell, with the upper half becoming the sky and the lower half the earth. Pangu grew alongside the expanding universe, until his death, after which his body transformed into natural elements: his breath into wind, eyes into sun and moon, blood into rivers, and so on. The myth's origin is debated, with some attributing its first recording to Zhu Zheng, a 3rd-century AD Chinese author.

Takeaways

🌌 In Chinese mythology, Pangu is a primordial being who played a crucial role in the creation of the universe.
🥚 The beginning of the universe was described as an enormous egg-shaped entity where heaven and earth were intermingled.
🔨 Pangu cracked the egg and separated the yin (earth) and yang (sky) with a swing of his giant axe.
🌄 He pushed the sky upwards and the earth downwards, causing them to be distinct from each other.
🌱 Pangu's daily efforts to keep the sky and earth apart resulted in the sky growing ten feet higher, the earth ten feet thicker, and Pangu himself ten feet taller each day.
🕰️ After 18,000 years, Pangu died, and his body transformed into various geographic and natural features of the earth.
🌬️ His breath became the wind, his eyes the sun and the moon, and his blood turned into rivers.
🌟 His bones became valuable resources, his muscles fertile land, and his facial hair the stars and Milky Way.
🌧️ His sweat became rain, and the fleas on his fur, carried by the wind, became animals.
📜 The origin of the Pangu myth is debated, with some attributing its first written record to the 3rd-century AD Chinese author Zhu Zheng.

Q & A

Who is Pangu in Chinese mythology?
-Pangu is a primordial being and creature figure in Chinese mythology who separated heaven and earth and became the creator of geographic features such as mountains and rivers.
How did the universe begin according to the Pangu myth?
-In the beginning of the universe, there was nothing except an enormous egg-shaped entity where heaven and earth were intermingled.
What did Pangu do to separate heaven and earth?
-Pangu cracked the egg and began to push the two halves apart, essentially splitting the yin and yang, with the upper half becoming the sky and the lower half becoming the earth.
How is Pangu typically depicted?
-Pangu is usually depicted as a primitive, hairy giant with horns on his head.
What did Pangu do to keep heaven and earth separated?
-To keep heaven and earth separated, Pangu stood between them and pushed the sky upwards, with the earth and sky growing thicker and higher each day.
How did the physical characteristics of Pangu contribute to the formation of the world after his death?
-After Pangu's death, his breath became the wind, his left eye the sun, his right eye the moon, his blood became rivers, his bones valuable resources, his muscles fertile land, his facial hair the stars and Milky Way, and his sweat rain.
What is another version of how Pangu formed the earth?
-Another version states that Pangu formed the earth with a chisel and hammer.
Is there a version of the myth that involves a goddess creating humans?
-Yes, another version of the myth states that a goddess who later inhabited the earth formed humans.
When and by whom was the Pangu myth first recorded?
-The Pangu myth is believed to have originated with Zhu Zheng, a Chinese author from the 3rd century AD, who was the first writer known to record it.
What is the significance of the number of years mentioned in the myth?
-The number of years, 18,000, mentioned in the myth signifies the vast amount of time it took for Pangu to separate heaven and earth and for the world to take its final form.
How did the fleas on Pangu's fur become part of the world according to the myth?
-In the myth, the fleas on Pangu's fur, carried by the wind, became animals.

Outlines

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🌌 Pangu: The Mythical Creator of the Universe

The paragraph delves into the Chinese myth of Pangu, a primordial being who is credited with the creation of the universe. It describes how Pangu emerged from an enormous egg-shaped entity where heaven and earth were once intermingled. He separated the yin and yang by cracking the egg and pushing the two halves apart, with the upper half becoming the sky and the lower half becoming the earth. Pangu is depicted as a hairy giant with horns, wielding a giant axe to continue the separation of the celestial and terrestrial realms. As the sky and earth grew, so did Pangu, until his eventual death after 18,000 years. His body then transformed into various natural elements: his breath into wind, his eyes into the sun and moon, his blood into rivers, his bones into valuable resources, his muscles into fertile land, and his facial hair into the stars and Milky Way. A variant of the myth suggests that Pangu used a chisel and hammer to shape the earth, while another version attributes the creation of humans to a goddess. The origin of the Pangu myth is debated, with some attributing its first recording to the 3rd-century Chinese author Zhu Zheng.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Primordial Being

A primordial being refers to a divine or supernatural entity that exists at the beginning of the universe or the world. In the context of the video, Pangu is described as a primordial being who separates heaven and earth, thus setting the stage for the creation of the world. This concept is central to the theme of the video, which revolves around the origins of the universe and the forces that shape it.

💡Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are ancient Chinese philosophical concepts that represent the dualistic nature of the universe, where everything has both an opposite and complementary aspect. In the video, Pangu is said to have separated Yin (earth) from Yang (sky), illustrating the fundamental balance and harmony that are essential to the universe's existence. This concept is integral to the video's message about the interplay of opposing forces in creation.

💡Egg-shaped Entity

The egg-shaped entity mentioned in the video is a metaphor for the initial state of the universe, where all elements were undifferentiated and intermingled. This concept is used to depict the beginning of creation, where Pangu's actions led to the separation and formation of the cosmos. It serves as a visual representation of the primordial chaos from which order and structure emerged.

💡Hairy Giant

The term 'hairy giant' is used to describe Pangu's physical appearance in the video. This description adds a mythological and fantastical element to the narrative, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of Pangu as a creator figure. It also serves to distinguish Pangu from ordinary beings, highlighting his role as a divine force in the creation myth.

💡Axe

In the video, Pangu uses a giant axe to separate Yin from Yang, symbolizing the act of creation through division. The axe is a powerful tool that represents the transformative power of Pangu, enabling him to shape the world. This tool is central to the narrative of creation, as it is the means by which Pangu initiates the process of forming the universe.

💡Geographic Features

Geographic features such as mountains and rivers are mentioned as the physical manifestations of Pangu's actions in the video. These features are the result of the separation of heaven and earth, and they represent the tangible aspects of the world that were created by Pangu. The concept of geographic features is essential to the video's theme, as it illustrates the transformation from a formless void to a diverse and structured landscape.

💡Creation Myth

A creation myth is a story that explains the origin of the world and how it came to be. In the video, the Pangu myth is presented as a Chinese creation myth, detailing how Pangu separated heaven and earth and formed the world. This concept is central to the video's narrative, as it provides a cultural and historical context for understanding the beliefs and values associated with the creation of the universe.

💡Transformation

Transformation is a key theme in the video, as it describes the process by which Pangu's body parts turned into various elements of the world after his death. This concept illustrates the cyclical nature of creation and the idea that life and the world are interconnected. The transformation of Pangu's body into the world's features is a powerful metaphor for the ongoing process of creation and the interdependence of all things.

💡Chisel and Hammer

The chisel and hammer are mentioned as alternative tools used by Pangu to form the earth, according to another version of the myth. These tools represent the meticulous and deliberate act of creation, suggesting that the formation of the world was not a random event but a purposeful and structured process. The use of these tools in the narrative emphasizes the skill and intention behind the creation of the world.

💡Goddess

In one version of the myth, a goddess is mentioned as the one who later inhabited the earth and formed humans. This concept introduces the idea of a divine feminine presence in the creation story, complementing the masculine force represented by Pangu. The goddess's role in creating humans adds another layer to the narrative, highlighting the diversity of creative forces and the complexity of the world's origins.

💡Zhu Zheng

Zhu Zheng is identified in the video as a Chinese author from the 3rd century AD, who is believed to be the first to record the Pangu myth. This reference is important because it situates the myth within a historical and cultural context, showing that the story has been passed down and recorded over centuries. Zhu Zheng's contribution is significant to the video's theme, as it connects the myth to a specific time and place in history.

Highlights

Hunger was a primordial being in Chinese mythology who separated heaven and earth.

The universe initially existed as an enormous egg-shaped entity where heaven and earth were intermingled.

Pangu cracked the egg and split the yin and yang, creating the sky and earth.

The upper half of the egg became the sky, while the lower half became the earth.

Pangu is depicted as a primitive, hairy giant with horns on his head.

He separated yin from yang with a swing of his giant axe, dividing earth (yin) from sky (yang).

Pangu stood between the sky and earth, pushing them apart each day as the sky grew ten feet higher, the earth ten feet thicker, and Pangu ten feet taller.

After 18,000 years, Pangu died, and his body transformed into various parts of the earth.

Pangu’s breath became the wind, his left eye became the sun, and his right eye became the moon.

His blood became rivers, his bones became valuable resources, and his muscles became fertile land.

Pangu’s facial hair turned into the stars and the Milky Way.

His sweat became rain, and the fleas on his fur, carried by the wind, became animals.

In another version, Pangu formed the earth with a chisel and hammer.

Another variant of the myth suggests a goddess who later inhabited the earth formed humans.

The origin of the Pangu myth has been debated, with many attributing its first recording to Zhu Zheng, a Chinese author from the 3rd century AD.