myths

We've been talking about myth in the culture class and I had the students write out a few of the myths that they knew. Here are some of the more common ones

1. Long time ago, there were nine suns in the sky. It is very hot and everything is going to b burned by the suns. All creatures are going to die, even human beings. In a small village there's a person named Hou Yi. He is a hunter. He can shoot anything with his bow and never miss. An oracle from heaven gives him a bow and asks him to rescue the world. Then he shoots 8 suns out of the sky and leaves one to serve people.

2. In the West it's the God who creaes the world. But in China itis a man named Pangu who creates the sky and the earth. It is said that PanGu used several days to divide the sky and the earth because he is very strong. But on the last day he felt exhuasted and fell down and died. And then his eyes became the sun and the noon andhis hair became the trees and greasses and his breath became the air and wind and his body became the mountains.

3. Long ago there was a beauty called Chang'e. She lieved a happy life with her husband. One day her husband bough some strange pills back home and told here "Don't eat those pills without my permission." But Chang'e didn't follow what her husband said and ate them all. After that she gound she had some special ability. When her husband returned home he was very angry and couldn't forgive her. She flew to the moon. Since then, she has lived there, very lonely