Overview
In the realm of Chinese mythology, Pangu (盤古) stands as the archetypal horned and hairy entity, recognized as the very first being to exist in the universe. His narrative unfolds prior to time itself, serving as an integral explanation for the creation of the cosmos. Born from a cosmic egg, Pangu shattered its confines, thus releasing the elements of the universe and establishing the earth and sky. As one of the most ancient tales in Chinese tradition, Pangu’s legend exists in multiple versions, with three predominant retellings being widely acknowledged.
Etymology
The name Pangu is derived from two Chinese characters: pán (盤), which translates to “coil,” and gǔ (古), meaning “ancient.” This nomenclature reflects Pangu’s need to curl up tightly due to the cramped conditions of the egg that encompassed the universe’s entirety. Thus, his name signifies both his age-old nature and the peculiar circumstances surrounding his emergence. In various romanization forms, it might also appear as P’an-ku.
Attributes
Artistic depictions often illustrate Pangu as a stocky creature enveloped in hair, sporting a human-like face adorned with rounded horns. He is typically portrayed wielding tools such as a hammer and chisel, or perhaps holding the sun and moon. Scottish missionary James Legge characterized Pangu with the following description: “P’an-ku is recognized by the common people as ‘the first man, who opened up heaven and earth.’ In Taoist illustrations, I have encountered representations of him as a shaggily dwarfed figure, brandishing a massive hammer and chisel, breaking the chaotic rocks.”
Family
Although Pangu is regarded as the premier living being of the universe with no offspring, certain renditions of his myth describe him as receiving assistance from celestial companions, including the dragon, phoenix, tortoise, and qilin, particularly during his monumental task of elevating the heavens.
Mythology
Numerous popular legends illuminate Pangu’s role in cosmic creation. Various ethnic groups across China maintain their distinct oral traditions regarding his myth. The earliest recorded narrative of Pangu comes from Xu Zheng, an ancient Chinese author from the Three Kingdoms period. While all narratives concur that Pangu and the universe emerged from an egg, they diverge in their depictions of his liberation and the ensuing formation of the cosmos. Below are the three most notable versions of the Pangu myth.
The Egg
In the epoch preceding the universe’s emergence, there existed nothing but chaotic darkness. Over a span of 18,000 earth years, this chaos coalesced into an egg-like form. Despite the egg encasing the entire universe, its inner realm was far from serene; the forces known as yin and yang engaged in ceaseless conflict until they ultimately balanced each other. It is from this quintessential union that Pangu was born.
Upon realizing his confinement in such a limited space, he grew restless, wriggling until—crack!—the egg split two ways. The egg’s contents poured out; the airy whites ascended to form clouds, sky, and stars, while the denser yolk descended and became the earth. The shards of the eggshell soared into the sky to become the sun and moon.
Pangu Raises the Heavens
In another iteration of the myth, after yin and yang found equilibrium in the egg, Pangu felt trapped and chose to break open the shell. In doing so, he separated yin and yang, allowing stars and planets to spill forth. As these forces wandered, yin settled to cultivate the earth while yang became the heavens, encasing the earth above.
Determined to prevent their reunion and remaining confined, Pangu raised the sky with his own limbs. Over a lengthy timeframe of 18,000 years, Pangu’s form grew taller, and the earth became more substantial, until both reached their current positioning. Eventually, Pangu perished, and his body morphed into the structural pillars upholding the sky.
Pangu’s Body Becomes the Earth
A different account suggests that Pangu, worn out from his efforts to escape the egg, succumbed to exhaustion and passed away during his rest. As his body decomposed, it transformed notably. His last breath became the clouds, his spine transitioned into majestic mountain ranges, and his left eye ascended to become the sun while the right ascended as the moon. His flesh morphed into fertile soil, arteries became canyons, and blood transformed into rivers. Even his hair—even fell and transformed into stars, while his teeth and bones transmuted into metals and gemstones. Furthermore, his limbs structure was transformed into pillars that separate the heavens from the earth.
Popular Culture
A festival honoring Pangu takes place from March 1-7 based on the Lunar Calendar, particularly at the Pangu King Temple in Guangdong Province. Despite his significance in Chinese folk religion, Pangu’s popularity does not rival that of other deities, primarily due to his lack of descendants, which diminishes some of his influence in the context of ancestor worship that prevails in Chinese-Buddhism and society at large. Nevertheless, Pangu is cherished and regarded as a benevolent deity.
The prominent Chinese programming team known as Pangu, which developed a jailbreaking tool for several Apple devices, derives its name from this primordial being. Additionally, Pangu makes an appearance in the video game “Age of Mythology: Titan.”
