There is a legend that Chang’e was the wife of a great archer who saved the world from an overabundance of suns. In return for his services, he gained possession of the Elixir of Life, which was said to give immortality and a place in the heavens. Chang’e was a principled woman and devoted wife, so she refused to drink the Elixir. But despite her refusal to do so, she was ultimately forced to.
Mazu
According to myth, Mazu was once a martial artist who fell in love with two men. She told them that she would marry the man who could defeat her in a combat. But in the end, she killed them both with her amazing martial arts skills. After that, she became immortal, and she appeared to help people in need.
Mazu is believed to have been born on Meizhou Island to poor fishermen. She was the youngest and the only girl in her family. She was born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month and was thus given the name Mo Miang.
The story of Mazu’s transformation into the goddess of the moon goes back several thousand years. The first mention of the goddess came in the early fifth century CE. Mazu then ascended a mountain alone to the heavens, where she was first referred to as the “Queen of the Heaven Palace.” She was given the title by the Chinese emperor in 1839. Her two assistants were Shunfenger and Qianliyan, whose names mean “ears that hear the wind” and “eyes that see the thousand leagues.” The latter was given the name “lady,” but this title wasn’t long enough.
The worship of Mazu spread beyond China to Southeast Asia, where temples were built. Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines all have temples dedicated to the goddess. And in the United States, her worship spread to California and the Pacific Northwest, where the first temple was built in 1852. This temple also uses the name Tian Hou. However, this temple has not survived for very long. The second temple in San Francisco is very close to Chinese-Vietnamese communities.
Xiwangmu
Legend has it that the goddess Xiwangmu lived in western China, which was always a place of danger and mystery, and then became a land of great power. The goddess was known by various names throughout Chinese history and other Asian cultures, but is most often called the Queen Mother of the West. Her story is one of the earliest written accounts of a goddess in China. The goddess was originally a wild, feral creature, and her appearance changed throughout history. During the Tang Dynasty, the goddess was described as human, but she retained many of her beastly traits. She also wore a headdress to cover her hair.
Her story is similar to other legends of the goddess of the moon, but with a different focus. According to legend, Chang’e stole an elixir from Xiwangmu, the queen of the West. After she drank the elixir, she flew to the moon and became the goddess of the moon.
Xiwangmu was associated with wildcats and tigers, and she was also believed to have a cat-like tail and teeth. She was said to have a tiger companion, who accompanied her in her nocturnal adventures. Other associations include the moon rabbit pounding an elixir of immortality and the dancing frog.
Hou Yi
Hou Yi is a Chinese goddess of moon, whose story is rooted in the ancient myths of the country. In one legend, she was tasked with saving China from the plagues of ancient times. To this end, she trained a dog to drink an elixir that would give it eternal life. The dog then spit out the moon, which Hou Yi then placed at the gates of heaven as a guardian. The story is one of the most well-known myths of ancient China.
According to the legend, Hou Yi longed for Chang’e and missed her dearly. One year, on the anniversary of her wife’s departure, she began laying out offerings of her wife’s favorite foods. Soon after, other people began to do the same. As a result, the mid-Autumn festival was born.
The myths about Hou Yi reveal that she had incredible strength. She was capable of drawing a tiger bone bow and dragon tendon arrows. She is often depicted in animal skins, and she is a symbol of strength and power. The name Hou Yi literally means ‘Lord Archer’. However, Hou Yi is also known as Yi, a reference to her royal title.
Chang’e
According to Chinese mythology, Chang’e is the Chinese goddess of the moon. She was once a mortal who lived on Earth. After she was exiled from Heaven, the deity was unable to return to the Earth and decided to make the moon her permanent home. The moon is the closest celestial body to the Earth. After her departure, people began to worship the moon.
Chang’e is an important part of Chinese mythology. She is the Chinese goddess of the moon and is associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. She is married to the mythical archer Hou Yi and lives in a lunar palace with her pet hare, Yu Tu. She is often depicted in mooncakes, which are special celebrations in the Chinese calendar.
Her myth dates back to the 5th century BC, during the Warring States period. The myth of Chang’e describes her as a beautiful goddess of grace and intelligence. She also embodies selflessness and service. In the myth, Chang’e steals an elixir from Xi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West, and flies up to the moon. This makes her the Chinese goddess of immortality.
Guan Yin
Chinese mythology describes Kuan Yin, the goddess of fertility, as a human being. She is often depicted holding infants, and her flowing form is reminiscent of a willow tree, which can bend during violent winds and then spring back into shape. Similarly, people who are flexible are more likely to survive a storm.
In addition to her role as the goddess of the moon, Guanyin is often associated with the god Avalokitesvara. She is also mentioned in the Lotus Sutra’s chapter entitled “Perceiver of the World’s Sounds.” In some of her most well-known depictions, Guanyin is shown with both hands linked, as if she is holding a pearl. She is also sometimes depicted with knees bent, indicating that she was once a cripple.
As a deity, Guan Yin is a popular figure in Chinese folk religion. She is worshipped by many Chinese communities in East and Southeast Asia. Taoist records claim that Guanyin is immortal.
Taiyin Zhenjun
Taiyin Zhenjun is a Chinese goddess and the supreme yin. She often appears with the Taoist God of the Sun, Taiyang Zhenjun. She is also prayed to for love. One such prayer scene can be found in The Romance of the Western Chamber.
Taiyin Zhenjun’s first appearance in the myth was as the bride of the legendary archer hero, Hou Yi. Her marriage to the Jade Emperor made her an empress and a powerful ruler in Heaven. However, she was later forced to live in the mortal world, where she accidentally broke a porcelain pot. During this time, the earth was still young. The sky was full of ten suns, making it extremely hot. Without night, entire populations were at risk.
The Shinto god is the most popular of moon goddesses, but in ancient times, there were other moon gods. In ancient Mesopotamia, Khonsu was worshipped by many people. The ibis-headed god Thoth was a god who was also worshipped by many. Thoth was also a scribe god. Although the two gods were different, the mythology attributed both to Khonsu.
Zhi Nu
Zhi Nu, the Chinese goddess of the moon, is the goddess of the moon. She was born a weaver of the heavens. Her seamless robes were made from the clouds. Her father allowed her to visit earth to be with her lover, Niu Lang. Zhi Nu fell in love with Niu Lang and married him. She then returned to her home in the heavens, but her father was furious and separated them, so that they could only meet once every year.
Zhi Nu is also known as the goddess of love. This ancient Chinese goddess was believed to rescue people from danger on boats and became the patron goddess of sailors and fishermen. She is one of the most revered and popular deities in all of China, and is a favorite of both men and women.
The moon is also associated with the goddess Chang’e. Chang’e is a popular deity in ancient China, and her story is one of the most famous in Chinese mythology. Her name is derived from the Chinese characters chang and e, which mean “pretty young woman.” In modern Chinese, her name is usually romanized as Chang’o or Chang’eo.
