In this article we bring you a lot of information about the chinese gods, beings with great powers and great wisdom that have led Chinese culture to be known throughout the world for the adventures that the gods have had in shaping the world. You cannot miss this interesting article!
chinese gods
China is one of the countries with the oldest and most complex culture in the world. Since its culture covers a large geographical area that has a variety of traditions and customs among different towns, provinces and cities. The most important exponents of Chinese culture are its mythology, philosophy, music, art and its Chinese gods.
Although China adopted a lot of culture from other countries, such as the Buddhist philosophy of India, thus giving birth to Chán Buddhism. In this way, China opened two very important philosophical currents known as Taoism and Confucianism.
That is why China is a country with one of the oldest civilizations on planet Earth, it has been very prominent in its progress and its great development, in the same way it stands out for the mystery and charm of its mythology and culture where its gods are very important. Chinese.
In Chinese mythology, it has as a specialty the awe and wonder that make a very fine line between the mythical and the real. For this reason, many legends and myths are linked with the history of China, thus giving rise to the beliefs that many Chinese have today. In this way it can be said that Chinese mythology and Chinese gods have made a large part of the culture and history of this great nation.
Focusing particularly on the Chinese gods, they are very representative figures of Chinese culture and fundamental for the construction of various philosophies and ways of life for the Chinese population from ancient times to the present day and possibly to other regions of the Asian continent. That is why we are going to give you a lot of information about the main Chinese gods:
God Pan Gu "The God of Creation"
According to Chinese mythology. At the beginning of the universe there was nothing but a great chaos and a mass of black color. That is why the chaos began to merge into a cosmic egg for 18 thousand years. Inside the egg the principles of yin and yang were balancing and there God Pan Gu came out, the God who had the task of starting to create the world.
The God Pan Gu, is one of the Chinese gods who with his great ax divided the yin and yang, in order to create heaven and earth. After you have performed this action. He had to keep between them by pushing the sky up and the earth down. In order not to unite this work he carried it out for 18 thousand years. Pushing up to the sky at a height of 3,33 meters every day which in China is known as a zhang 丈.
This work that the Chinese god Pan Gu did at that time turned him into a giant, according to one of the legends that are told. He then he began to form valleys and mountains. Little by little he was adding details to his great creation.
There are some versions that the Chinese god Pan Gu was helped by the four main animals: the turtle, the qilin, a bird and the dragon. That is why there are many Chinese deities, but the god Pan Gu is one of the main Chinese gods for being the one in charge of creating the Earth.
The God Pan Gu is also known as P'an Ku or Pangu. He holds the title of being the first god and the first man. He is also the central figure of yin and yang and of Taoist philosophy. In Chinese mythology, the god Pan Gu is represented as a dwarf the size of a man. He has horns and fangs and his body is completely furry.
When the end of his life came, God Pan Gu lay down to rest and was so old that sleep was taking him to death. That is why it is said that his breath became the wind, the god's voice the mighty thunder, the right eye the moon and the left eye the sun.
His body became part of the mountains, his blood became great rivers, his muscles became the fertile land, the hair on his face became stars and the entire Milky Way, the forests were born from his hair, from the Bones gave rise to minerals of value, from marrow pearls and jade.
From his sweat began to fall the rain and the little creatures (some legends claim they were fleas) that inhabited his body, humans were born. It is said that the Chinese God Pan Gu finished creating the world in the year 2.229.000 BC, giving rise to the legend that is known today.
Nüwa "The Goddess of Humanity"
It is considered among the Chinese gods, as the mother and creator of human beings. In Chinese mythology, the goddess Nüwa is the fundamental goddess in the art of the creation of the universe. In the story that is told, she, who after the world was newly created, felt very alone and disconsolate.
Because she wanted people who could think and act like she can. That is why the goddess Nüwa, feeling so alone, went to the Yellow River and began to scoop up mud by handfuls. In this way, she began to mold figures, making them heads, hands and legs and then blowing them and giving them the breath of life.
After having created many humans, the goddess Nüwa demanded that they marry each other so that the humans could reproduce without her intervening. The goddess Nüwa is very important among the Chinese gods because she is considered together with the god Fuxi as those who created life in the universe.
The goddess Nüwa represents the role played by Adam and Eve in paradise in the Catholic religion, the same being the case of Osiris and Horus in Egyptian mythology. Currently in China there are many indications that the goddess Nüwa may have existed such as historical relics and temples. The goddess Nüwa is a deity who helps men reproduce in the event of an unexpected event.
The goddess Nüwa is represented with a human body and with a serpent or dragon tail. Since that is the way rivers around the world were carved and dried up after the floods that occurred.
Similarly, the goddess Nüwa plays an interesting role in Greek mythology as she can play the role of creator, mother, goddess, wife, sister, tribal leader or even empress.
An interesting myth about the goddess Nüwa was the dispute between two of the most powerful Chinese gods. When one of these gods was losing, she decides to hit Mount Buzhou with her head.
One of the pillars that supported the sky, causing the Earth to tilt to the southwest. While the sky tilted to the northwest producing several floods.
The goddess Nüwa decided to cut off the legs of the giant tortoise and use it as a pillar to replace what the god destroyed with his head. But she couldn't do anything with the tilt of the sky. That is why there is a tradition, which is why the stars, the moon and the sun tend to move to the northwest and the rivers flow to the southwest.
There is another similar legend where the goddess Nüwa fills the hole that is made in the sky with her own body so that the floods stop. Some minorities in southwestern China prefer her as the mother goddess and pay tribute to her by holding parties in her name.
The God Fuxi "God of Knowledge"
The fuxi god is one of the most outstanding Chinese gods in Chinese mythology, this god is credited with the invention of writing, hunting and fishing. He is also depicted as half serpent and half human for being the husband of the mother goddess Nüwa where he appears in many writings and various paintings.
This Chinese god is also considered as the bearer of the breath of life to human beings since, together with his wife, they molded the figures of the first humans. Both gods worked together because the goddess Nüwa was the one who molded the bodies of human beings. While the god Fuxi provided them with the knowledge and wisdom necessary for them to hunt and fish.
That is why this god became very famous among all the Chinese gods since he dedicated time to the people to instruct them in the skills of survival, he also gave them the knowledge so that they could write, cook and make riddles.
The God Fuxi gave a great gift to humanity by giving them the gift of culture, music and art. For the ancient Chinese, they believed that the god Fuxi was one of the Chinese gods that gave them the ability to think and to make the best decision at the right time. That is why there is this writing dedicated to God Fuxi:
“In the beginning there was neither morality nor social order. The men only knew their mothers, not their fathers. When they were hungry, they looked for food; when they were satisfied, they threw away the remains. They ate the animals with their fur and skin, drank their blood, and dressed in furs and reeds.
Then Fuxi came and looked up and saw what was in the heavens and looked down and saw what was happening on earth. He united man with woman, regulated the five changes, and established the laws of humanity. He conceived the eight trigrams to gain dominion over the world"
In China there is a tombstone that was made in the year 160 BC where it is said that the bodies of the God Fuxi are found together with his wife the Goddess Nüwa, who was also his sister and his lover. God Fuxi was also credited with the invention of the guqin, a Chinese string instrument. Along with Shennong and Huang Di.
The Goddess Guan Yin "Goddess of Compassion and Mercy"
In China she is known as the goddess Guan Yin, while in Buddhist philosophy she is known as Avalokiteśvara bodhisattva. Although her name translated into Spanish means "who hears the cries of the world".
The first person to write about the Chinese goddess Kuan Yin was the Buddhist monk named Kumarajiva. When he translated the Lotus Sutra into Mandarin in 406 AD. C. in the Mandarin translation made by the Buddhist monk he made seven of the thirty-three appearances of the goddess he made them referring to the feminine.
For this reason, the Tang dynasty, in the XNUMXth century, made the goddess Guan Yin very popular by making a figure of this goddess with very beautiful feminine features and with several very showy white dresses. In the legends and myths that are told about the goddess, it is said that she will not enter the celestial kingdom.
Until all human beings have been able to complete the enlightenment process and be able to free themselves from the cycle of birth and death and finally reach reincarnation.
In Chinese popular belief, the goddess Guan Yin comes to all people who are going through some difficulty, especially in the dangers that occur in water, fire and with weapons. She is one of the goddesses who represent her with a beautiful and elegant white dress and in her arms she carries a baby that is symbolizing mercy and compassion towards humanity.
In other representations that are made of the goddess Guan Yin, it is that she holds a willow branch in one hand and in the other she carries a vase of pure and crystalline water. She although she is highly adored by the old and young in ancient China, but when she was alive she did not have the same luck.
Since in life the goddess Guan Yin was killed by her father, since she challenged him because she did not want to get married, because her purpose in life was to end the suffering that people in the world had. But her father thought that purpose was a waste of time and ridiculous.
When the goddess was in hell, the goodness that she carried in her heart freed her from this circle. That is why she is one of the Chinese gods who was able to get out of hell and has put an end to the suffering of many souls today.
This is why Yana, one of the Chinese gods, was upset because she could not do her job correctly and thus decided to send her to the realm of the living again. Being in this realm she was given to the Buddha so that with her compassion he can help those in need.
The Gong Gong God known as "The God of Water"
He is the god of water among the Chinese gods, which has been considered by several people as a monster or a demon, since the power exerted in the water can cause harm to many people and many destructions to material goods because great power is associated with it. floods.
In ancient texts of Chinese mythology, the Chinese God Gong gong is referred to as Kang Hui (康回). In addition, this Chinese God is represented as a man who has red hair color and has a large horn on his head and his body is black.
In the stories that are told of the Chinese god Gong Gong, they describe him as being vain, ambitious and cruel. Many have come to say that this is the cause of his wickedness and the fury he has. While others say that he is a good person and a great leader in ancient China who did great deeds for the Chinese people. Since he built dams and dealt with floods to minimize the risk.
It is said that there is a legend between the god Gong Gong who, together with the God Fuxi and the God Shennong, formed a team that was known as "the three Augustus" who were descendants of Red Emperor Yan Di, were also sons of Zhu Rong. He was also known to have a son named Hou Tu (后土). That he was called as lord of the land.
One of the most amazing stories about the Chinese gods is the story of the Chinese god Gong gong, because once he wanted to prove that he was one of the most powerful Chinese gods and he challenged the Zhu Rong God known as the god of thunder to a battle to see who got the throne of heaven.
The battle takes place in the sky, both Chinese gods fight using all their powers until they fall on Earth, being the god Gong Gong who loses the hard battle.
After this, the god Gong Gong dealt a strong blow to Mount Buzhou on the head, which was known as one of the four pillars that supported the sky. Many say that the blow he gave Mount Buzhou was out of anger since he lost the battle, while others allege that he hit it because he was ashamed of having lost the battle.
That blow that he gave to Mount Buzhou had as consequences that the sky tilted to the northwest and the Earth moved to the southeast. In addition, the earth cracked and through those cracks the water entered and the fire that was there caused many deaths.
The God Yu the Great "The Demigod"
Being one of the Chinese gods and one of the last kings of the golden age of China, this demigod is the founder of the questionable and mythical Xia dynasty. He was the god who succeeded Shun and Yao. He was a Demigod and at the same time a Chinese Emperor who was the protagonist of several Chinese stories.
One of the most interesting stories where the demigod Yu the Great participated was in the construction of China after it was flooded. He is adored by the Chinese people as he represents perseverance and strength to face obstacles in life.
It is said that Yu's birth was complicated since the Earth was totally flooded and his father decided to go up to heaven and took the Xirang, which is the divine land that grows by itself. One of the Chinese gods named Zhu Rong who is the god of fire was very upset by this action.
So Zhu Rong killed Gun the father of the demigod Yu for the sin he had committed. Once dead, the demigod is born from Gun's navel. Three years after Gun's death, his body remained intact. By opening his body with a sword, the demigod Yu is born. The Fire God Zhu Rong decides to take care of humanity and reflecting on what Gun had done was not very bad. He allowed the demigod Yu to take a little earth that is born by itself and spread it in the sky so that he could build the entire planet.
It is said in the story of the demigod Yu, that his work lasted about 30 years and he dedicated so much time to this trade that he forgot to return home, although he had three opportunities to do so, but he did not do it since he wanted to fulfill the mission. of improving the situation of humans and for this reason he has earned a place among the Chinese gods and the respect of the Chinese community.
There is another story around the demigod Yu which deals with the encounter with the God Hebo who is known as the god of the yellow river, it was said that while this god was in his human form he drowned while navigating the river. Yu started an investigation to find out what had happened.
The demigod Yu finds a figure in the yellow river with the face of a human but with the body of a fish, this figure told Yu that he was the god Hebo, he also narrated what happened and gave him a map that had information about Where are the different rivers located? With this information, demigod Yu had a general idea of how it happened and devised a strategy to solve the flood problem.
The solution he devised was to drain the waters that covered the plains of all of China and convert them into islands, which formed nine provinces, which he did in the extreme west of China. He then drilled holes in the mountains and created great rivers with strong torrents in order to control the floods.
While in the far east of China he had a plan which was to build a large irrigation system to be able to drain the excess water into the sea, in this way to be able to use the land for planting and growing rice.
Then he began to connect all the roads of the provinces with each other, in this work he was helped by the yellow dragon named Yinglong, who with his big tail dragged the earth to make a great road. While the black turtle began to take the mud and deposit it in the sea.
After having finished all this work, one of the Chinese gods named Gong gong, god of water, says that the sea rises in level. For this reason the demigod Yu had to capture him and exiled him, there is another version where the demigod Yu kills him.
The God Hou Yi "The God of Archery"
He is one of the Chinese gods who is known as the hero who saved the earth from the heat. Formerly known as Hou-i, he was an archer in Chinese mythology. In other parts of China he was known as Shenyi or simply Yi. He is depicted as one of the Chinese gods who came down from heaven in order to help humanity.
In Chinese mythology, the sun is symbolized as a crow that has three legs and is known as the solar bird. They often place ten of these birds, as they are descendants of Di Jun. The god of the Eastern Chinese sky, these sun birds reside on an island in the East China Sea. Every day they travel around the world in a large carriage driven by Xihe. Who is known as the mother of the suns.
Since these birds were already bored with the same routine every day, they decided to descend and ascend higher. This caused a big problem as the temperature got very high and all the crops were wilting from the heat and intense fire. Lakes and ponds dried up and there was not much water to drink and irrigate crops.
God Hou Yi saw such a dramatic situation and tried to do something. Whereupon he took his bow from him and began to shoot his arrows against the sunbirds who had taken a very bad course. He had already killed nine birds. So Emperor Yao stopped him since if he killed the ten birds he would leave the world in absolute darkness.
For this decision that the god of archery took, he was proclaimed as one of the Chinese gods that has been hailed as a hero by mankind. But this decision that the god made won many enemies in heaven and he was punished with divine wrath.
The Goddess Chang'e "The Goddess of the Moon"
Known as the Chinese goddess of the Moon and differs from the other Chinese gods because she lives on the Moon, all her legends are accompanied by her husband the Chinese god of archery Hou Yi who is known as the emperor and the elixir of lifetime.
According to the legends these two Chinese gods Hou Yi and the Goddess Chang'e are immortal beings who live on the moon, unlike the other Chinese gods who live in the sky.
The best known story about the goddess Chang'e is that when her husband made the decision to kill the solar birds, both were punished with divine wrath, the punishment was that they were stripped of their immortality. Feeling the goddess Chang'e without her immortality, she was very sad.
That is why her husband, the god of archery, embarked on an adventure in search of the pill of immortality that the Queen Mother of the West had, in his dangerous search, I can find the queen mother who effectively gave him the pill of immortality and told him that he only needs to eat half of the pill to gain immortality again.
The god of archery took the pill and kept it to take it to his wife, when he got home he put the pill in a drawer and the goddess Chang'e came out again, observed the situation, after a while she went to where the god was. drawer took the pill and ate it for fear that her husband would not give it to her.
The goddess began to float through the air towards the sky, the god Houyi, as he was a great archer, thought of shooting an arrow but could not, while the goddess continued to float until she finally landed on the moon.
The God Sun Wunkong better known as "The Monkey God" or "The God of Mischief"
Being the most famous of the Chinese gods, the God Sun Wunkong "The Monkey King" is an adaptation of the book written by Wu Cheng which is titled "Journey to the West written in the XNUMXth century" this book is considered as one of the classic works of Chinese literature. This book is based on the story of a monk named Xuan Zang who belongs to the Tang dynasty.
In the story, it is said that Sun Wukong emerged from a magical stone and was later proclaimed the king of all monkeys, since he proved to be very brave when he jumped from a very high waterfall and became aware that one day he may die. So he decided to go on a secret journey in search of immortality.
In the first phase of his journey he meets the venerable Subhuti, one of the Buddha's disciples. This monk teaches him the technique to make great jumps at a distance of 8 thousand miles and have the ability to transform into 72 different figures, from animals to objects and people. But there is a small problem and that is that his tail will never disappear.
Then a magic wand is found, thanks to his luck, this wand is known by the name of Ru Yi Bang, and the Dragon King uses it to have balance and control of the tides and his palace that is in the background. from sea. It was a rod weighing about 7 thousand kilos and very long since it joins the bottom of the sea with the sky. But the Monkey King had the ability to make it so small that it was the size of a needle. With this he produced a great tidal wave and several floods.
For this the Jade Emperor who is the lord of the seas, the sky, the underworld and the earth. He made the decision to place the monkey king under his authority. In order to lure the monkey king to his palace, he offered him a noble title. But when he finds himself compromised in the palace, he decides to drink a magical liquid with the mission of prolonging his life a little more.
The monkey king was attacked by about a hundred thousand heavenly warriors and was defeated and sentenced to die. But no sword could cut his neck. So the Jade Emperor decided to throw it in a sacred forge on that site, it remained for 49 days. When he was able to get out he wanted revenge for what they did to him.
The Jade Emperor, not knowing what to do, had to go to Buddha in search of a solution. The Buddha who is very wise I challenge you to jump the palm of his hand. But if he fails this he would be sent to the mortal world. The monkey king, seeing that it was easy, asked for the position of the Jade Emperor if he could pass such an easy challenge, Buddha also accepted it.
When the monkey king took flight to make the jump, he made it so big that when he took off from the ground he could see five great columns and he believed that he had been able to overcome the challenge imposed by Buddha. So he wrote in the topmost column the following sentence “The great sage was here.” But his happiness fell to the ground when some small words were written on one of the Buddha's fingers and he realized that his great jump had not even reached the Buddha's fingers, that is why he could not pass the challenge.
Seeing that he failed the test, the monkey king decided to escape from the Buddha. But Buddha closed his hand and managed to capture and transform his hand into a huge mountain where he imprisoned the monkey king for five centuries. After spending all that time, Buddha sent him to earth to protect a monk named Xuan Zang, on a long journey that he would undertake from China to India.
The God Chin Lin "The Prophecy of the Unicorn"
It is one of the Chinese gods that is born from the teachings of Confucius and is an animal in Chinese mythology that is sacred and is the combination of a dragon, a deer, an ox and a horse. He is considered to be a very peaceful animal that has the power to prophesy what is going to happen. For this he is considered one of the Chinese gods and is very sacred.
In Chinese mythology, God Chin Lin is considered an animal that is very shy, but if they make him angry, he will lose his innocent behavior and turn into a unicorn that will cause many disasters. With people who are evil he will also do very bad things to them. This is why he tends to be a very significant figure among Chinese gods and Chinese mythology.
Conclusion on the Chinese Gods
Chinese mythology is undoubtedly very fascinating and wonderful, since they are not only tales from ancient times but are still remembered today and become a teaching for the current generation in China and in the world, especially its Taoist philosophies and Confucian, as well as all the Chinese gods are portrayed with their abilities and powers as well as the deficiencies they may have. But some wisdom is always taught by all this, the mythological tales of China are learning from the ancient world and should be considered in the current generations.
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