November, 2022 - The Paper Haunt

The emperor is referred to as the mate of Heaven and reveres it while alive and as an ancestor. This shows the exclusivity of worship and the separation of Heaven from the common people. The common man believed Heaven was too big and too mighty to approach and instead worshipped private gods of ancestors and lower spirits.nNuwa Nu WanLegends tell that the Early Chinese heaven deity Nuwa Nu wa was struck with the desire to create life forms that resembled herself. Then she began scooping up yellow clay and molding them into figures with arms and legs. She kneaded and shaped the clay until the figures began to sing and dance.nThe five colors of the goddess Nuwa are connected with the five aspects of the Supreme God in Chinese culture. Dragons are the symbols of the five elements, and the five colors of Nuwa are also associated with dragons. The legends also claim that Nuwa once destroyed a giant tortoise and chopped off its legs to build pillars. In one of the legends, Nuwa then reestablished the balance between the earth and heaven by destroying the enemy and restoring order to the world. As a result, the flood waters eventually stopped.nThe tale of Nuwa’s creation is a complex one. Some sources say that Nuwa and Fuxi were originally born as separate men, but soon after they came together, they fell in love and began seeking one another. As they grew closer together, they asked for a sign.nThe legend about Nuwa is a mythical story that originated in Chinese mythology. The goddess Nuwa is the first woman to marry, and her marriage with Fuxi was one of the most famous in the history of Chinese mythology. Her first marriage broke the taboos of human culture, and her cult was built around the idea of being a wife and mother. But her role was much broader than just this.nNuwa gave birth to three objects – a gourd, a knife stone and a ball of flesh. After she gave birth to these three, she and Fuxi scattered the pieces of flesh and mud in the wind, which became human beings. Another version says Nuwa molds mud into human beings. This story is also a myth of a cosmic disaster in ancient China. The Earth’s four poles had collapsed and the firmament and the earth itself could no longer support themselves. As a result, fire and water filled the land, causing floods, fires and other catastrophes.nYin Meng Niang NiangniangnThe Yin Meng Niangniang early Chinese heaven deity is often linked with the dawn. The goddess was also associated with childbirth, and the goddess was said to have drank all the water of immortality. She also cheated on her husband to become a goddess.nAs the creator goddess, she created the first humans on yellow earth after Heaven and Earth separated. Her creation was a dramatic event – she dipped a rope into the mud, twisted it around and created lumps of mud. In turn, these lumps became rich and noble, while splashes of mud became the poor.nThe Yin Meng Niangniang early Chinese heaven deity is often referred to as a goddess of immortality and a wife to the Jade Emperor. She has various forms and is described as a beautiful lady of about thirty years of age. Her role in Chinese culture has evolved since ancient times, when she was known as Xiwangmu (a bugbear with a panther tail). She was the leader of a tribe in Western China.nAnother early Chinese heaven deity is Heng O, the moon goddess, who represents the dark and cold principle of yin. She supposedly tried to steal immortality from Shen Yi, but she was caught before she could finish drinking. As a result, she only got half way to Heaven and eventually settled on the moon. She is represented in beautiful robes, sometimes sitting on a tree-legged toad. She is also the younger sister of the river god He Bo.nThis early Chinese heaven deity represents the powers of nature and the power of the wind. Her role is to protect the human race from dangers. She is the guardian of all living creatures. She is also responsible for the creation of animals such as sheep, dogs, and pigs.nThe early Chinese heaven deity Baosheng Dadi is also associated with the earth and is associated with the mountains. His treasure is a Buddhist parasol. Another early Chinese heaven deity is Xian Wu Di, a Buddhist bodhisattva who rules the netherworld and is the supreme authority over the Ten Judges of Hell.nYanluo WangnYanluo Wang is a god of the underworld who is often compared to the Buddhist deity Yama, but in fact has his own story and character. He has long been worshipped in China. According to legend, Yan is the judge of the underworld and always appears in a male form. He is accompanied by his minions, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face, who bring the newly deceased to him. If they have merit, they will be rewarded with a good future life, or perhaps even a revival in a previous life.nThe concept of heaven and hell in Chinese culture has a very similar concept. Both are deities who are considered high-ranking in the divine pantheon, but are not supreme deities. They report to the Court of Heaven, the highest divine authority in Chinese belief.nYanluo’s name is a combination of the Chinese word ‘Yan’ and the Sanskrit word ‘Yamaraja’. The Chinese also called him ‘Xi Wangmu’, which means immortality in Chinese.nYanluo Wang also has a female counterpart, the goddess Shangti. She is the wife of Mugong, the Lord of the Spirits, and watches over the male spirits in Donghua. The goddess is sometimes represented as a woman, and her role in the Chinese pantheon is often described as a role model for a male deity.nYanluo Wang is a common deity in early Chinese culture. Other names for her include Diem La Vuong, Yan Wang, and Minh Vuong. The most important aspect of the goddess is her ability to grant human beings immortality and a state of eternal bliss. Her birthday is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, known as Zhongyuan Jie.nThe dragon is another important deity in Chinese mythology. It appears on Neolithic pottery dating from 4500-3750 BCE. It was considered to be the most powerful of all creatures and a balancing force between the yin and yang energies. Yinglong, the dragon, was also revered as the god of rain, water, and sea. During ancient times, sailors and farmers would pray to the dragon for rain on a regular basis.nThe other two main deities of the early Chinese mythology are Guan Yu and Mazu. Mazu was associated with fishing and seafaring, while Guan Yu was associated with warfare and military valor. Mazu was considered a very exceptional young woman who was also a famous warrior.nPangunThe earliest depictions of the heaven deity Pangu date back to the early Chinese period. According to Chinese legend, Pangu was the first existent creature, existing before the world was created. This deity, considered the ancestor of all gods, is believed to have come from an egg that contained the universe and earth, and he awoke from the egg to form the world and cosmos.nPangu was a primitive giant who grew to immense proportions inside the egg. As he continued to grow, he separated the two halves of the egg. The left half became the earth, the right half the sky. The limbs and muscles of Pangu were used to create the mountains and fertile land. The bones in his body were transformed into precious metals and gemstones and his sweat was transformed into rain.nMany Chinese stories of Pangu tell of this deity having children. A popular myth teaches that Pangu had a son, Xinheng, after marrying the daughter of Long Wang (the Dragon King). The son was said to have a fiery temper and was disrespectful to his mother. He was eventually taken to heaven by his mother.nThroughout Chinese history, the worship of the gods has been a part of Chinese culture. While some gods have been worshipped earlier than others, all are important to the Chinese people. The names of some gods include Pangu and Fuxi. Pangu is a male god who has many qualities, including compassion, generosity, and a sense of justice.nThe earliest version of the Chinese myth says that humans were created from the earth and the heavens. Ultimately, humans are the descendants of the mother-goddess, who moulded yellow earth into human form with a string. This myth is often the origin of the human race.nThe creator god, Pan Gu, is described as a hairy dwarf with horns. He grew from the cosmic egg for thousands of years. After that, he married the daughter of the Dragon King, who was the god of water and weather. The two of them had a son, Xinheng.