A method of reproducing the myths of ancient China. Chinese myth about the origin of the world

The ancient myths of China describe the history of the ancient civilization of China since the birth of the universe. One could say that since the Big Bang, but this is part of modern scientific mythology, and in the ancient myths of China the Universe is described as a kind of egg that was broken from the inside. Perhaps, if there had been an outside observer at that moment, it would have looked like an explosion to him. After all, the egg was filled with Chaos.

Creation of Earth and Sky

From this Chaos, with the help of the forces of the Yin and Yang Universe, Pangu was born. This part of the ancient myths of China is quite compatible with modern scientific myth about how to come out of chaos chemical elements A DNA molecule was created on Earth by accident. So, according to the theory about the origin of life accepted in ancient Chinese civilization, it all started with the first ancestor Pangu, who broke an egg. According to one version of this ancient myth Pangu used an axe, with which he was often depicted on antiques. It can be assumed that this weapon was created from the surrounding chaos, thereby becoming the first material object.

Chaos burst out of the egg, dividing into light and heavy elements. More precisely, the light elements rose up and formed the Sky - the bright beginning, white (yang), and the heavy ones sank down and created the Earth - cloudy, yolk (yin). It’s hard not to notice some connection between the ancient myths of China and scientific explanation creation solar system. According to which our planetary system was formed from a rotating chaotic cloud of gases and heavy elements. Under the influence of rotation, heavy elements accumulated closer to the center, around the natural causes(which we will not discuss here) Suns. They formed rocky planets, and the light elements that accumulated closer to the edge became gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune...)

But let’s return to the theory of the origin of life accepted in the ancient civilization of China, to what our self-confident science calls mythology. So, the ancient myths of China tell how Pangu, being the first and only inhabitant of the new universe, rested his feet on the ground, his head in the sky and began to grow. For 18,000 years, the distance between heaven and earth increased by 3 meters every day until it reached today's scale. After this, Pangu's body disintegrated and was reincarnated into the whole world. His breath became wind and clouds, his body with arms and legs became huge mountains and the four cardinal directions, blood became rivers, flesh became soil, skin became grass and trees... The ancient civilization of China thereby confirms the myths of other peoples in which our planet plays a role living being or organism.

Creation of people

According to ancient legends, when the earth had already separated from the sky, it had everything - majestic mountains rose high, rivers full of fish flowed to the seas, forests and steppes were overflowing with wild animals, but the world still remained incomplete without the human race.

As in various religious versions, in ancient China it was believed that people were created from clay. In a treatise from the 2nd century " General meaning customs” it is written that the creator of people was Nuiva, the great female spirit. In the ancient myths of China, Nüwu was seen as a beautifier of the world, and therefore she was depicted with a measuring square in her hand or, as the personification of the feminine principle Yin, with the disk of the Moon in her hands. Nüwa was depicted with human body, bird legs and snake tail. She took a handful of clay and began to sculpt figures, they came to life and became people.

Nuiva understood that she did not have enough strength or time to blind all the people who could populate the earth. And then she pulled a rope through the liquid clay. When the goddess shook the rope, pieces of clay flew in all directions. Falling to the ground, they turned into people. But either because they were not molded by hand, or because the swamp clay, nevertheless, differed in composition from that from which the first people were molded, but the ancient myths of China claim that people are more fast way creations were significantly different from those created by hand. Thus, it is believed that the rich and noble are people created by the gods with their own hands from the yellow earth, while the poor and worthless people, created using rope.

Further, Nuiva gave her creatures the opportunity to reproduce independently. True, before that she passed on to them the law on the responsibilities of both parties in marriage, which was strictly observed in the ancient civilization of China. For the Chinese, Nuwa was considered the patroness of marriages, who could save a woman from infertility. Nuiva's divinity was so strong that even from her insides 10 deities were born. But Nuiva’s merits do not end there.

Ancestress Nuiva protects humanity

Nuiva lived calmly for some time, without worries. But the land, which was already inhabited by the people she had created, was engulfed by great disasters. In some places the sky collapsed, and huge black holes appeared there. The spirit of fire Zhuzhong gave birth to the spirit of water Gungun, the fight against which took, great place V ancient mythology. Ancient myths of China describe incredible fire and heat that seeped through them, as well as a fire that engulfed forests on Earth. Depressions formed in the ground through which The groundwater. Two opposites that characterize ancient civilization China, two elements hostile to each other, Water and Fire, have joined forces to destroy people.

Seeing how human creatures were suffering, Nüwa, as a true beautifier of the world, set to work to “patch up” the leaky firmament. She collected multi-colored stones and, melting them over the fire, filled the heavenly holes with the resulting mass. To strengthen the sky, Nüwa cut off four legs of a giant turtle and placed them on four parts of the earth as supports supporting the sky. The firmament strengthened, but did not return to its previous state. He looked askance a little, but in reality this can be seen by the movement of the sun, moon and stars. In addition, a huge depression formed to the southeast of the Celestial Empire, which became the Ocean.

Ksenia Velichko. The Epoch Times

Chinese myths about human origins have several variants.

The first Chinese myth about the origin of man

The beginning of the beginning was laid in the primeval water chaos of Hun-tun, which was similar to egg. And around in the impenetrable darkness, images wandered around, devoid of any form. It was in this egg-shaped structure that Pan-gu was born. For a long time he slept soundly, and when he woke up, he saw only darkness around, and then Pan-gu became so sad. Wanting to get out, he broke the shell. Some of the fragments rose up and became the sky, called Yang, the other part of the rougher and heavier fragments sank down and turned into the earth - Yin. To create the Universe, Pan-gu used five components: water, wood, earth, fire and metal. When the creator of the universe took a breath, it began to rain and the wind howled; exhaled - a thunderstorm immediately began, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. When Pan-gu's eyes were open, it was day on the planet; when he closed them, everything around became dark, and night fell.

Pan-gu really liked the creation of his own hands, and he was very afraid of losing it all again. The mighty Pan-gu stood firmly on his feet, raised his hands up and rested his hands on the sky, now the earth and sky could not unite again and create primeval chaos. It stood like that for eighteen thousand years, and every day the distance between earth and sky increased. Now they will no longer be able to unite in any way, and Pan-gu’s duty is fulfilled. He powerlessly dropped his hands, lay down on the ground and fell into an eternal sleep. According to legend, his eyes turned into the moon and the sky, his blood gave rise to large rivers, and his bones turned into huge stones. People on earth appeared from those insects that crawled over the dead body of Pan-gu.

Second Chinese myth of human origin also beautiful and a little sad. According to its plot, the creators of people are considered to be the son and daughter of the majestic Shen-nun - the god of the seas and water. Fu-si and Nui-wu lived at the top sacred mountain Kun-lun and had the appearance of half snake and half man. Moreover top part was similar human form, but the body and legs were like a sea serpent. Of these two twins, Noah is considered the ancestor of all people on earth. The first version of the legend tells that Noah was able to give birth to a certain lump that had no shape at all. Then she took this lump in her hands and divided it into many small lumps. She threw these small particles so that they scattered all over the earth. In place of each fallen lump, people appeared. The second option says that one day, sitting on the shore of a pond, Noy-va molded a little girl in her own image and likeness. clay figurine, who came to life and turned out to be very welcoming and friendly. And then it occurred to Noah great idea: make a lot of such figures. She really wanted these friendly creatures to populate the whole earth. Sculpting such figures was very slow, and Noy-va found a solution: she took a long vine in her hands, lowered it into wet clay, and shook it above the ground. In an instant, the clay scattered into small lumps, and a person appeared from each small piece. But the land is very large and Noah could not stick together enough people to populate the entire territory. Then she decided to give the little men feminine and masculinity, separate them in pairs and order them to live in peace and harmony and have children. Fu-xi in turn taught the human race useful things: get your own food, light a fire, cook food. Gave musical instrument, gave the first basics of science, or rather eight trigrams. And people lived happily: no one was at enmity, animals and people lived in peace, nature bestowed them with its riches. But one day the spirits of water and fire quarreled and started a war. Victory was for the spirit of fire Ju-zhun, and the spirit of water Gun-gun was so desperate that with all his might he hit his head on the mountain, which was a support for the sky. The sky broke in several places, and water poured out of the resulting holes, sweeping away everything in its path. Noah-va rushed with all her might to save the earth from disaster. She melted the pebbles and filled the hole in the sky with them. The pebbles froze and turned into stars. Noah was able to return order and calm to the earth. Now she deserves a rest. Some say that Noah died, and others say that she flew to heaven and from there keeps order on earth.

In the section about the myths of Ancient China, children will learn about how the world and people’s lives were created, about brave heroes who protect their people from evil. How people got food, defended themselves from angry Chinese gods who sent difficulties, and how they learned to experience feelings and emotions. They will understand that the origin of language, rituals, etiquette - all this came from ancient oriental legends!

Myths of Ancient China read

China has been famous for its rich mythology since ancient times. Its history includes ancient Chinese, Taoist, Buddhist and later folk tales peoples of China. It is several thousand years old.

The main strong-willed characters became Chinese emperors and rulers, who were honored and respected by the people as a sign of gratitude. Minor characters became dignitaries and officials. Ancient people did not know the laws of science, but they believed that everything that happened to them were the acts of the gods. Thanks to mythology appeared chinese holidays, still relevant today.

Mythology is the way of thinking of a people, its legends, beliefs and teachings. She takes your breath away with her stories and stories. Typically, characters in legends are presented as brave, unpredictable and infinitely kind. These brave men cannot be confused with any other mythology! Unfortunately, over time, the Chinese began to forget their myths, and in our time only isolated fragments of legends have survived.

On our website you can read the myths of ancient China with interest, because chinese legends unique in their own way. It contains teachings that bring wisdom and kindness. Due to this, the traits of philanthropy, responsiveness, internal harmony and morality are cultivated in a person. And this is so necessary for children in the future.

The Heimiao, or Black Miao (so named because of the dark color of their skin), do not have a written language, but have a developed epic tradition. From generation to generation they pass on poetic legends about the creation of the world and Flood. During holidays, they are performed by storytellers accompanied by a choir consisting of one or two groups of performers. The story is interspersed with poetic inserts consisting of one or more five-line lines. They ask questions and answer them themselves:

Who created the sky and land?

Who created insects?

Who created people?

Created men and women?

I don't know.

The Heavenly Lord created the Sky and the land,

He created insects

He created people and spirits,

Created men and women.

Do you know how?

How did Heaven and Earth come into being?

How did insects appear?

How did people and spirits appear?

How did men and women come into being?

I don't know.

Heavenly Lord wise

He spat on his palm,

He clapped his hands loudly -

Heaven and land appeared,

Made insects from tall grass,

Created people and spirits

Men and women.

The legend of the World River is interesting because it mentions the Great Flood:

Sent fire and set the mountains on fire?

Who came to cleanse the world?

Did you release water to wash the earth?

I, who sing to you, do not know.

Ze cleansed the world.

He summoned fire and set the mountains on fire.

The god of thunder has cleansed the world,

He washed the earth with water.

Do you know, why?

The legend goes on to say that after the flood, only Ze and his sister remained on earth. When the water subsided, the brother wanted to marry his sister, but she did not agree. Finally, they decided to take a millstone each and climb two mountains, and then let the millstones roll down. If they collide and fall on each other, then she will become Ze’s wife, but if not, then there will be no marriage. Fearing that the wheels would roll, the brother prepared two similar stones in the valley in advance. When the millstones they had thrown were lost in the tall grass, Ze brought his sister and showed her the stones he had hidden. However, she did not agree and suggested placing double sheaths below and throwing a knife into them. If they fall into the sheath, the marriage will take place. The brother deceived his sister again, and she finally became his wife. They had a child without arms and legs. Seeing him, Ze became angry and chopped him into pieces, and then threw him off the mountain. Having touched the ground, the pieces of meat turned into men and women - this is how people appeared on the earth again.

The period from the 8th to the 10th centuries was the heyday of Chinese literature. After the unification of the empire and the establishment of strong centralized power in Beijing, representatives of all states of South Asia appeared. It was at this time that Indian Buddhist texts began to be translated, and the achievements Chinese culture become known in Central Asia, Iran and Byzantium. Chinese translators reinterpret borrowed texts and introduce into them the motives of their own beliefs and surrounding realities.

Literary tradition reaches highest point during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). In the history of Chinese literature, the Tang era is rightly considered the “golden age”. Thanks to the examination system, representatives of all classes gained access to knowledge. Art and literature flourished, a galaxy of masters appeared short story– Li Chaowei, Sheng Jiji, Niu Senzhu, and Li Gongzuo. Below we present one of his short stories.

Miao legends about the creation of the world

The Heimiao, or Black Miao (so named because of the dark color of their skin), do not have a written language, but have a developed epic tradition. From generation to generation they pass on poetic legends about the creation of the world and the Flood. During holidays, they are performed by storytellers accompanied by a choir consisting of one or two groups of performers. The story is interspersed with poetic inserts consisting of one or more five-line lines. They ask questions and answer them themselves:

Who created the sky and land?

Who created insects?

Who created people?

Created men and women?

I don't know.

The Heavenly Lord created the Sky and the land,

He created insects

He created people and spirits,

Created men and women.

Do you know how?

How did Heaven and Earth come into being?

How did insects appear?

How did people and spirits appear?

How did men and women come into being?

I don't know.

Heavenly Lord wise

He spat on his palm,

He clapped his hands loudly -

Heaven and land appeared,

Made insects from tall grass,

Created people and spirits

Men and women.

The legend of the World River is interesting because it mentions the Great Flood:

Sent fire and set the mountains on fire?

Who came to cleanse the world?

Did you release water to wash the earth?

I, who sing to you, do not know.

Ze cleansed the world.

He summoned fire and set the mountains on fire.

The god of thunder has cleansed the world,

He washed the earth with water.

Do you know, why?

The legend goes on to say that after the flood, only Ze and his sister remained on earth. When the water subsided, the brother wanted to marry his sister, but she did not agree. Finally, they decided to take a millstone each and climb two mountains, and then let the millstones roll down. If they collide and fall on each other, then she will become Ze’s wife, but if not, then there will be no marriage. Fearing that the wheels would roll, the brother prepared two similar stones in the valley in advance. When the millstones they had thrown were lost in the tall grass, Ze brought his sister and showed her the stones he had hidden. However, she did not agree and suggested placing double sheaths below and throwing a knife into them. If they fall into the sheath, the marriage will take place. The brother deceived his sister again, and she finally became his wife. They had a child without arms and legs. Seeing him, Ze became angry and chopped him into pieces, and then threw him off the mountain. Having touched the ground, the pieces of meat turned into men and women - this is how people appeared on the earth again.

The period from the 8th to the 10th centuries was the heyday of Chinese literature. After the unification of the empire and the establishment of strong centralized power in Beijing, representatives of all states of South Asia appeared. It was at this time that Indian Buddhist texts began to be translated, and the achievements of Chinese culture became known in Central Asia, Iran and Byzantium. Chinese translators reinterpret borrowed texts and introduce into them the motives of their own beliefs and surrounding realities.

The literary tradition reaches its highest point during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). In the history of Chinese literature, the Tang era is rightly considered the “golden age”. Thanks to the examination system, representatives of all classes gained access to knowledge. Art and literature flourished, and a galaxy of short story masters emerged—Li Chaowei, Sheng Jiji, Niu Senzhu, and Li Gongzuo. Below we present one of his short stories.