Name ______
Miss Wund
English 9 Period
Date
The Creation of the Universe
1) According to the myth, what did chaos decide do? Why?
He gave birth to two gods. One to control heaven and one to control hell.
2) What was “Yang?” What did he become?
Bright and light and became heaven
3) What was “Yin?” What did she become?
Dark and heavy and became hell
4) Why couldn’t Nu Kua stand on the earth?
She didn’t have legs…only a dragon tail.
5) Explain how Nu Kua formed the first human beings. How were the first
people formed? How did they become men or women?
She molded them out of clay
6) Explain the difference between the people Nu Kua formed from the yellow
earth and those formed from the droplets from her rope.
The men had Yang breathed into them. The women had Yin breathed into them.
Those born from yellow clay were wealthy and intelligent. Those born from the rope were less intelligent.
7) Who was Kung-Kung? List some of the effects of his anger.
He caused destruction and devestation by ramming his head into the mountain
8) What did Nu Kua do in order to help the children she created?
Patches up the cracks in the earth and puts extra pillars to hold up the sky
9) Why do the rivers flow eastward in China?
One of the pillars was not replaced and therefore China is lower that the rest of the earth.
10) Why couldn’t Pan Ku stand on the earth? What did he decide to do about it?
Heaven and earth were too close together. He separated them by lifting.
11) List some of Pan Ku’s body parts along with what they “formed?”
Eyes = sun and moon
Arms legs and torso = Pillars
Hair = flowers and plants
Fluids became rain and dew
12) How does the myth explain the “shape and substance of the universe?”
Everything comes from dying bodies