Chinese Legend Tells: Pan Gu Created the World

Chinese Legend Tells: Pan Gu Created the World
Aug 29, 2007 03:36
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: offline	From Wikipedia: In the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos began to coalesce into a cosmic egg for eighteen thousand years. Within it, the perfectly opposed principles of yin and yang became balanced and Pangu emerged (or woke up) from the egg. Pangu is usually depicted as a primitive, hairy giant with horns on his head (like the Greek Pan) and clad in furs. Pangu set about the task of creating the world: he separated Yin from Yang with a swing of his giant axe, creating the Earth (murky Yin) and the Sky (clear Yang). To keep them separated, Pangu stood between them and pushed up the Sky. This task took eighteen thousand years, with each day the sky grew ten feet higher, the Earth ten feet wider, and Pangu ten feet taller. In some versions of the story, Pangu is aided in this task by the four most prominent beasts, namely the Turtle, the Qilin, the Phoenix, and the Dragon. After the eighteen thousand years had elapsed, Pangu was laid to rest. His breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became human beings all over the world. The distance from Earth and Sky at the end of the 18,000 years would have been 65,700,000 feet, or over 12,443 miles.

Aug 29, 2007 03:36

MAY001
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From Wikipedia:

In the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos began to coalesce into a cosmic egg for eighteen thousand years.

Within it, the perfectly opposed principles of yin and yang became balanced and Pangu emerged (or woke up) from the egg. Pangu is usually depicted as a primitive, hairy giant with horns on his head (like the Greek Pan) and clad in furs. Pangu set about the task of creating the world: he separated Yin from Yang with a swing of his giant axe, creating the Earth (murky Yin) and the Sky (clear Yang).

To keep them separated, Pangu stood between them and pushed up the Sky. This task took eighteen thousand years, with each day the sky grew ten feet higher, the Earth ten feet wider, and Pangu ten feet taller. In some versions of the story, Pangu is aided in this task by the four most prominent beasts, namely the Turtle, the Qilin, the Phoenix, and the Dragon.

After the eighteen thousand years had elapsed, Pangu was laid to rest. His breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became human beings all over the world. The distance from Earth and Sky at the end of the 18,000 years would have been 65,700,000 feet, or over 12,443 miles.

Aug 29, 2007 03:41

MAY001
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The first record of Pan Gu myth comes from a book written by Xu Zheng in Three Kingdoms Period (220-280):

天地浑沌如鸡子。盘古生在其中。万八千岁。天地开辟。阳清为天。阴浊为地。盘古在其中。一日九变。神于天。圣于地。天日高一丈。地日厚一丈。盘古日长一丈。如此万八千岁。天数极高。地数极深。盘古极长。故天去地九万里。后乃有三皇。

天气蒙鸿，萌芽兹始，遂分天地，肇立乾坤，启阴感阳，分布元气，乃孕中和，是为人也。首生盘古。垂死化身。气成风云。声为雷霆。左眼为日。右眼为月。四肢五体为四极五岳。血液为江河。筋脉为地里。肌肉为田土。发为星辰。皮肤为草木。齿骨为金石。精髓为珠玉。汗流为雨泽。身之诸虫。因风所感。化为黎甿。

Aug 29, 2007 04:10	#2
FAERIEQUEENE Points: Join Date: Aug 8, 2006 Status: Offline	MAY001, whilst the story of the creation of the world by Pangu remains a myth, it is believed that Pangu occupied the first Chinese throne and the history of China dated to at least 6390 BC? (source : link from your wiki page => http://www.mondlango.com/kulturo/wl11.htm)

Aug 29, 2007 04:33	#3
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: Offline	O, I've never read this before. Very interesting. But it's really hard to confirm it since it is so far away from us...

Aug 29, 2007 06:13	#4
DODGER Points: Join Date: Jul 15, 2007 Status: Offline	I have read of this story before but it does not differ much from the Jewish/ Christian bible. But how many Chinese know of this story? Dodger.

Aug 29, 2007 10:00

WINDENERGY
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This is a great story to begin a book about ancient Chinese legends. It sounds very similar to ancient Greek Pan myths about Hercules and Poseidon. As far as the distance between the earth and the sky>>that is where this story loses any credibility. The earth and the sky are all part of a biosphere we call Earth. There is no distance, in terms of physical dimensions as, during any and every given moment, the earth and the sky are rearranged, yet remain intact and spinning. Quite amazing, considering that we are traveling over 20,000 miles per hour.

__WINDENERGY__

Aug 30, 2007 02:25	#6
YVONNE Points: Join Date: Nov 29, 2004 Status: Offline	Well, you can check out these legends in Shan Hai Jing( 山海经). It records many legends at ancient times. However, it is hard to read because it is written in classical Chinese. I have no idea that whether there is the English edition of this book.

Sep 11, 2007 02:01	#7
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: Offline	"But how many Chinese know of this story?" Almost every Chinese know it. After Pan Gu creating the world, human being was made by 女娲(Nv Wa), another poweful godess in ancient Chinese myth.

Nov 6, 2007 17:22	#8
GUEST89219	I have only seen a few pictures of what Pangu was believed to have looked like. Does anyone know where a good source for depictions of Pangu may be found??

Nov 6, 2007 20:01

FAERIEQUEENE
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Xu Zheng (徐整; pinyin: Xú Zhěng; 220-265 AD), in the book "Three Five Historic Records" (三五歷紀; pinyin: Sānwǔ Lìjì, Sanwu Liji), is the first to mention Pangu in the story "Pangu Separates the Sky from the Earth".
Ge Hong (葛洪; pinyin: Gě Hóng; 284-364 AD), in the book "Master of Preserving Simplicity Inner Writings" (抱朴子内篇; pinyin: Baopuzi Neipian), describes Pangu (ETC Werner, Myths & Legends of China, 1922).
Ouyang Xun (欧阳询; pinyin: Ōuyáng Xún; 557-641 AD), in the book "Classified Anthology of Literary Works" (藝文類聚; pinyin: Yiwen Leiju), also refers to Pangu.
Carus, Paul (1852-1919) in the book "Chinese Astrology, Early Chinese Occultism" (1974) based on an earlier book by the same author "Chinese Thought", published in 1907.

or just look in wiki...

May 18, 2010 15:32	#10
GUESTCASHONLINE	Good day! Im a newbie here, although i have been watching on the sidelines for a little while. Im a part time librarian, love baking and my wesie Daisy. I also am way too excited about Christmas for words!! I cant wait to get on here some more and 'meet' lots of new people! thanks.

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