Chapter 9: The Creation Myth
After the primordial ancestral star was shattered by the universe's sole ultimate species—the storm—everything returned to chaos.
Thousands of years later, new beings emerged from this chaos.
The Divine Bird Dijang (from Chinese mythology), the Primordial Waters Nun (Egyptian mythology), the sweet water Apsu and the salt water Tiamat (Babylonian mythology), and the Chaos Deity Chaos (Greek mythology) each took dominion over a realm of the primordial ancestral star. These gods, born from the chaos of the primordial star, began to nurture new mythologies.
Following them came the Supreme God Fuxi (Chinese mythology), the Primordial Mother Goddess Nüwa (Chinese mythology), the God of Wisdom Brahma, the Protector Vishnu, the Destroyer Shiva (all from Indian mythology), the Ancestral Giant Ymir (Norse mythology), the Sole God Hunab (Mayan mythology), the Twin Gods Omecihuatl (Native American mythology), and the Benevolent God Ahura (Persian mythology). These deities successively appeared within the chaos, and the various realms of the primordial star entered the stage of creation, each giving rise to its own representative mythological system.
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The Divine Bird Dijang resembled a yellow sack, glowing red like a burning flame. It had six legs and two pairs of wings but lacked ears, eyes, a mouth, or a nose. Yet, it was skilled in singing and dancing.
One day, Dijang encountered the Southern Ancient God Shuo and the Northern Ancient God Hu. During their conversation, Dijang expressed a longing for ears, eyes, a mouth, and a nose.
Moved by kindness, Shuo and Hu decided to help Dijang carve out the seven orifices.
On the appointed day, the two ancient gods came with their divine instruments and began carving the seven orifices for Dijang. The work took seven days, and finally, they opened seven holes.
On the first and second days, the left and right eyes were carved.
On the third and fourth days, the nostrils were formed.
On the fifth day, the mouth was opened.
On the sixth and seventh days, the ears were created.
At last, Dijang had its seven orifices but paid a grave price: it perished as a result.
This was the earliest recorded incident of divine transgression and regicide in Chinese mythology.
Upon realizing Dijang’s demise, the Southern and Northern Ancient Gods were so terrified that they retreated into seclusion and were never seen again.
After Dijang’s fall, the chaotic energy within its body escaped through the seven newly opened orifices, dispersing outward from the center.
After an unknown span of time, the primordial god Fuxi—depicted as a human-headed dragon-bodied figure—perceived the mysteries of the universe and finally understood its origin.
Thus, Fuxi drew a symbolic Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), then a stroke that split Heaven and Earth. The chaotic energy of Dijang was used to separate the heavens and the earth.
This stroke marked the beginning of Chinese mythology.
The creation of all things, the birth of life, the movement of the sun and moon—all were founded upon this stroke!
After splitting Heaven and Earth with his stroke, Fuxi was visited by the primordial dragon Yinglong, who bestowed upon him a divine stele.
Fuxi named this stele the Heavenly Emperor’s Stele.
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The place where Fuxi split Heaven and Earth was later named Mount Kunlun.
After Dijang’s fall, its divine body drifted between Heaven and Earth.
One day, Dijang’s body shattered near Tongbai, and from it emerged a colossal ancient god. This god was fully humanoid, towering and powerful, named Pan.
With a single fist, the primordial god Pan smashed Dijang’s fragmented body, from which a divine axe flew out. Pan seized the flying axe and, facing the nearby Heaven and Earth, struck them with it.
The primordial god Pan cleaved Heaven and Earth apart, and to prevent them from reuniting, he stood with his head supporting the sky and his feet pressing the ground.
Pan stood between Heaven and Earth, and as his divine form shifted, so too did the cosmos. He used the divine axe to carve out the Great Path, eventually creating three thousand paths.
When Pan ceased growing taller, the position of Heaven and Earth was fixed by these paths, and Pan transformed into a pillar supporting the heavens.
Believing his mission complete, Pan fell into eternal slumber, his body becoming the Mount Buzhou pillar that upholds Heaven and Earth.
Thereafter, Pan was revered by the gods as Pangu, the Primordial Creator, and the axe he wielded was hailed as the Heavenly-Cleaving Divine Axe.
After Pangu separated Heaven and Earth, the primordial dragon Yinglong foresaw that all things would be created by Nüwa. So, Yinglong fashioned three divine beasts: the True Dragon, the Phoenix, and the Qilin.
Yinglong instructed these three sacred beasts to cultivate their own tribes and to suppress the fierce beasts born from the chaos, thereby ensuring a perpetually thriving environment for the coming creations.
Yinglong promised the True Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin that all creatures would honor these three clans.
Thus, the fierce beasts that once roamed the cosmos clashed with the three sacred tribes, sparking a great war. The fierce beasts were defeated, and their unified territories shattered. From then on, these ferocious beasts were forced into hiding, secretly regrouping while lying low.
Eventually, these fierce beasts formed four great tribes, led respectively by Qiongqi, Hundun, Taowu, and Taotie.
These four were hence known as the Four Great Malevolent Beasts.
Regrettably, after forming their tribes, it was too late for these beasts to exact revenge on the True Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes. The myriad races led by humanity had grown strong, and the divine court established by the ancient gods maintained peace, allowing no license for the fierce beasts.
Following the creation of the three divine beasts by Yinglong, the primordial goddess Nüwa—depicted as human-headed and snake-bodied—prepared to mold life from earth.
Nüwa traversed the world created by Fuxi and Pangu and found it desolate, dominated mostly by fierce beasts born from chaos. Thus, she conceived the plan to create life and gathered water and soil from the Yellow River region.
Using the yellow earth mixed with her divine power, Nüwa fashioned life.
On the first day, she created creatures representing spring, symbolized by the chicken.
On the second day, she created summer creatures, represented by the dog.
On the third day, she created autumn creatures, represented by the pig.
On the fourth day, she created winter creatures, represented by the sheep.
On the fifth day, she created creatures representing the earth, symbolized by the ox.
On the sixth day, she created flying creatures, symbolized by the horse.
On the seventh day, using her own form as a model, she created humans.
Because humans were created last and Nüwa was especially satisfied and fond of her final masterpiece, she designated humans as the rulers over all beings.
After her creation of life, Nüwa was honored by the gods as the Primordial Mother, while the Yellow River was revered as the “Mother River” by all living things.
Yinglong appeared again after Nüwa created humans and bestowed upon her a divine weapon.
With the newly born life filling Heaven and Earth, the world flourished with vitality.
The deity Zhuyin of Mount Zhong took charge of the cycle of day and night, opening his eyes to bring daylight and closing them to bring night.
Zhuyin, with a human face and snake body, was red in color. His stewardship of day and night earned the gratitude of all creatures, and he later transformed into the dragon known as Zhulong.
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Dijang opened orifices, chaos flowed out,
One stroke split Yin and Yang, Heaven and Earth formed,
Mount Buzhou stood, divine beasts soared,
All creation born, day and night divided.
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The evolution of the True Dragon:
The Huai can transform into the Jiao,
The Jiao can become the Dragon,
When the Dragon’s horns grow long and even, it becomes the Horned Dragon,
The Horned Dragon grows wings and becomes the True Dragon.