Chinese mythology says Nuwa, the original ancestor of the Chinese nation, had the body of a snake, a human head and the virtue of a divine being. She is the goddess who separated heaven from the earth, creating the Divine Land (China).
Peace-loving Nuwa delighted in making things. She molded figures from the yellow earth and gave them life and the ability to bear children, creating humanity. According to the legend, later, demons fought a terrible war and broke the pillars which held up heaven. The sky cracked and the human world was put in mortal peril. In order to save the lives of those she had created, Nuwa melted the five-colored stones and worked unceasingly to mend the breach. Finally, the sky was whole again, but exhausted Nuwa collapsed and was transformed into a vast mountain range, nurturing the growth of the Chinese nation by providing a rich and fertile land.
Legend also says Nuwa was the younger sister and wife of Emperor Fuxi, who also had a human face and a snake body. Murals showing Nuwa and Fu Xi having snake-like tails interlocked were unearthed in ancient tombs where husband and wife were buried together as a symbol of undying love.
Fu Xi was the first ruler of this world in the Chinese myth legend. He was demigod. He lived among the people and taught life skills to early humans. These skills include using fire, fishing, hunting, writing, and fortunetelling. Some scholars believe he is an actual monarch who lived sometime remote ancient times.
While in the other side of world, in the Greek mythology, I find a character that was depicted as a man with a serpent's-tail in place of legs as well, Cecrops, who was an early earth-born king of Attika and founder of the city of Athens.
Cecrops was the first man to offer sacrifices to the goddess Athena following her birth from the head of Zeus, and he established the ancient Akropolis shrine. When Poseidon later disputed her claim to the city, Cecrops was asked to adjudicate and found in her favour. He was succeeded on the throne by Athena's foster-son, the earth-born man Erikthonios.
What is more, in Hinduism and Buddhism, we can take a look at naga(Sanskrit: “serpent”), a member of a class of semidivine beings, half human and half serpentine. They are considered to be a strong, handsome race who can assume either human or wholly serpentine form. They are regarded as being potentially dangerous but in some ways are superior to humans.
Reference:
http://www.mysteriouschina.com/chinese-myth-legend-1-fu-xi-legend/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Xi#cite_note-flp1-1
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-02/06/content_16206209.htm
http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Kekrops.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/401527/naga
没有评论:
发表评论