Gong Gong
Encyclopedia
Gong Gong is a Chinese water god or sea monster
, said to resemble a serpent or dragon
. He is responsible for the great floods together with his associate, Xiang Yao , who had nine heads and the body of a snake.
In Chinese mythology
, Gong Gong was ashamed that he lost the fight with Zhu Rong, the Chinese god of fire, to claim the throne of Heaven and in a fit of rage he smashed his head against Buzhou Mountain (不周山), a pillar holding up the sky. The pillar suffered great damage and caused the sky to tilt towards the northwest and the earth to shift to the southeast. This also created the tilt of the earth. This caused great floods and suffering to the people.
Nüwa
(女媧), an important and benevolent goddess, cut off the legs of the giant turtle
Ao
then used them to supplant the fallen pillar and alleviate the situation. She was unable to fully correct the tilted sky which is said to explain the phenomenon that the sun, moon, and stars move towards the northwest, and that rivers in China flow southeast into the Pacific Ocean
.
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
, said to resemble a serpent or dragon
Chinese dragon
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
. He is responsible for the great floods together with his associate, Xiang Yao , who had nine heads and the body of a snake.
In Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
, Gong Gong was ashamed that he lost the fight with Zhu Rong, the Chinese god of fire, to claim the throne of Heaven and in a fit of rage he smashed his head against Buzhou Mountain (不周山), a pillar holding up the sky. The pillar suffered great damage and caused the sky to tilt towards the northwest and the earth to shift to the southeast. This also created the tilt of the earth. This caused great floods and suffering to the people.
Nüwa
Nüwa
Nüwa is a goddess in ancient Chinese mythology best known for creating mankind and repairing the wall of heaven.-Primary sources:...
(女媧), an important and benevolent goddess, cut off the legs of the giant turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
Ao
Ao (turtle)
According to legend, Ao was a large marine turtle or tortoise who lived in the South China Sea during the time of the formation of the world by the goddess Nüwa, creator of mankind...
then used them to supplant the fallen pillar and alleviate the situation. She was unable to fully correct the tilted sky which is said to explain the phenomenon that the sun, moon, and stars move towards the northwest, and that rivers in China flow southeast into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.