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Nu Wa Mends the Heaven
Nu Wa 女娲 is a goddess in ancient Chinese mythology best known for creating mankind and setting up the pillar of heaven. The legend of Nüwa Mends the Heaven is well-known in
China.
Ancient Chinese regarded that the earth was covered originally by heaven in more ancient times. One day, the heaven were broken suddenly which did not completely cover the earth. And the earth could not hold up the Heaven all the way around its circumference.
At that time, fires from the sun blazed out of control and could not be extinguished, and water on the earth flooded in great expanses and would not recede. Ferocious animals ate blameless people, predatory birds snatched the elderly and the weak.
Thereupon, Nüwa smelted together five-colored stones in order to patch up the azure sky, cut off the legs of the great turtle to set them up as the four pillars, killed the black dragon to provide relief for people of the Ji area, and piled up reeds and cinders to stop the surging waters.
After the azure sky was patched, Nuwa set up the four pillars to hold up the heaven. And then, the surging waters were drained, the area of Ji was tranquil, crafty vermin died off, blameless people could live again.
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