NuWa Myth – Chinese Myth and LegendsIn every culture there is a god/goddesswho stands out above the others. In Chinese legends the deity thatstands out above the rest is the goddess Nu Wa. In all readings itis only good things that being written about this goddess. She iscredited not only with the creation of man, but also restoring order betweenthe heavens and earth.
She is not only the most humble and caringof all deities but also one of the most important in Chinese mythology. Maybe the best way to describe Nu Wa isto simply call her a mother figure. What other title would be betterfor the one who took yellow clay and mud and brought them to life, bringingforth humans and all other living things. Or would it be more appropriateto call her mother Nu Wa because it was Fu Xi and her whom were the firstcouple to be wedded and later with the consent of the gods given the rightto create other people. This is why in the second month of everylunar year, thousands of people pray and offer sacrifices to her in searchof love and fertility.
Nu Wa is also the goddess that young newlywedded couples go to in order to ask for a daughter or a son. Even with all her great accomplishmentsNu Wa is still a humble figure. There was a time when the four pillarshad collapsed and the Nine Regions were divided. During this period fireand water had a war; fires rushed throughout the land without cease andoceans rose and flooded everything else. Not only this, but beastsand dragons also were devouring the people of Chuan. Seeing all ofher children in such pain Nu Wa decided something had to be done.
Making mortar out of rocks and pebbles she had gathered Nu Wa then wentto patch up the falling heavens. To make sure that they wouldn’tfall again she went and cut of the legs of a giant turtle and placed themas heavenly pillars to prop up the four corners of the sky. Withthis settled, she then went to slay the dragon and beasts who had beenterrorizing her children. Nu Wa repaired the damaged and saved theworld from extinction. Even doing all of this Nu Wa was still a humblecharacter.
After she was done saving the planet, “Then, without displayingher achievements, without spreading her fame, she hold the secret of theWay of the True Person and follows the eternal nature of Heaven and earth. “(Huai-nan Tzu, Lan ming, SPPY 6. 7b-8a)After saving the world from extinctionnot much else was ever heard about Nu Wa again. No historian is quitesure exactly what did happen to Nu Wa. Some believed that she diedand morphed into thousands of little fairies. While others say thatshe had just road off to heaven and never spoke of the earth again.
Whatever did happen to Nu Wa, she will always be credited for the creationof humans and the savor of the world from extinction. This is whyin Chinese mythology “She bears the emblem of the Fortune of Life and Death. “(Birrell, Anne. Chinese Mythology. Pg.
71)
