Chinese mythology
From Wikinfo
Chinese mythology is the mythology of Chinese civilization. Many of the legends of Chinese mythology take place during the period of Sanhuangwudi.
Contents |
Important mythologies and deities
- 盘古开天辟地 Pangu cleaves open heaven and earth -- the traditional story of the Earth's creation in Chinese mythology.
- Three Pure Ones -- highest deities of Daoism.
- Jade Emperor -- ruler of Heaven and Earth.
- 女娲补天: [[N�wa]] seals the broken sky using stones of seven different colours -- the patch becomes the rainbow.
- 女娲造人: N�wa creates humanity -- the story has been retold through many Chinese cartoons.
- 仓颉造字: Cangjie creates the characters
- 大禹治水: Great Yu regulates the courses of rivers (to control floods)
- The Eight Immortals.
- The Cowherd and Weaver Girl.
- Xi Wangmu (西王母) The Queen Mother of the west.
- Shen Yi The saviour of China. A great archer. (See note in solar deity)
- Chang E Yi's wife, moon Goddess.
- Shen Nong Inventor of agriculture.
- Zao Jun popular god of the Kitchen.
- Matsu (Tin Hau)
- Guan Yin
- Wong Tai Sin
- Sun Wukong The Monkey King from the story Journey to the West
- Guan Yu
- Gong Gong Evil water demon who crushed Mount Buzhou.
- Chi You (蚩尤 chi1you2) A war god who fought Huang Di. Inventor of metal weapons.
- [[N� Ba]] Ancient goddess of drought.
- Zhu Rong God of fire. Defeated Gong Gong.
- Fei Lian or Feng Bo Wind God. Enemy of Shen Yi.
- Tam Kung, sea god
- Sam Po, sister of Matsu
- God of North (Bei Di, Pak Tai)
- Bi Fang (必方 bi4fang1) mythical god of fire (also write as 畢方).
- Huang Di (黃帝) fathers of medicine
- Hai Re (海若 hai3re4) god of the sea.
- Zhong Kui (鍾馗 [zhong1kui2) mythical person reputed for subjugating demons.
- Lei Gong (雷公 lei2gong0) god of thunder
- A Xiang (阿香 a4xiang1) the girl driver of the chariot of God of Thunder
- Xuan Nu (玄女 (xUan2nU3) who assisted Huang Di (黃帝) to subdue Chi Yau (蚩尤).
- Yan Luo (閻羅 yan2luo2) ruler of Hell (short from 閻魔羅社 Sanskrit Yama Raja).
- Che Kung
- Hau Wong
- Hung Shing
- Jung Kwae, or Zhong Kui
- Kam Fa
- Lung Mo
- Man Cheong
- Tam Kung
- Tou Tei, or Tou Dei
- Bi Gan, Cai Shen God of Wealth; Rides on a Tiger
Mythical creatures
- Ba She (巴蛇 ba1she2) a snake reputed to swallow elephants
- Birds:
- Fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix)
- Ji Guang (吉光 ji2guang1)
- Jian (鶼 jian1) A mythical bird supposed to have only one eye and one wing: 鶼鶼 a pair of such birds dependent on each other, inseparable, hence, represent husband and wife.
- Jing Wei (精衛) a mythical bird which tries to fill up the ocean with twigs and pebbles.
- Shang-Yang (a rainbird)
- Su Shuang (鷫鵊 su4shuang3) a mythical bird, also variously described as a water bird, like the crane.
- Peng (鵬, a mythical bird of giant size and terrific flying power)
- Qing Niao (青鳥 qing1niao3) a mythical bird, the messenger of Xi Wang Mu.
- Zhu (a bad omen)
- Chinese dragon
- Yinglong, a powerful servant of Huang Di.
- Dragon King
- Fucanglong, the treasure dragon
- Shenlong, the rain dragon
- Dilong, the earth dragon
- Tianlong, the celestial dragon
- Kirin (Better: Qilin)
- Kui (夔 kui2) a mythical one legged monster.
- Kun (鯤 kun1) a mythical giant monsterous fish.
- Hopping corpse
- Fox Spirit
- Nian, the beast
- Ox heads & horse faces 牛頭馬面 messenger boy in Hell.
- Rui Shi (瑞獅)
- Tao Tie (饕餮 tao1tie4) a mythical gargoyle like figure, often found on ancient bronze vessels, representing greed.
- Xiao (魈 xiao1) A mythical mountain spirit or demon.
Mythical places
- Xuan Pu (玄圃 xUan2pu3), a mythical fairyland on Kunlun Mountain (崑崙).
- Yao Chi (瑤池 yao2chi2), abode of immortals where Xi Wang Mu lives.
- Fu Sang (扶桑 fu2sang1), a mythical island, often interpreted as Japan.
- Que Qiao (鵲橋 qUe4qiao2) the bridge formed by birds across the milky way.
- Peng lai (蓬萊 peng2lai2) the paradise, a fabled Fairy Isle on the China Sea.
- Long Men (龍門 long2men2) the dragon gate where a carp can transformed into a dragon.
See also:
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Chinese_mythology" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology, used under the GNU Free Documentation License
