Compare And Contrast Nu Kung And Izanami

Lesly Marroquin

ASST 104 Fall 2015

Essay 2

One main purpose of mythology is to provide explanation and origin to natural phenomenon. This function served to explain unknown concepts considering the lack of technology and scientific reasoning. This function also provided significance to the phenomenon because it connects anomalies to important divine beings from specific traditions. The myths, Nu Kua Marries Her Brother and Izanagi and Izanami focus on explaining creation achieved by celestial beings from ancient Chinese and Japanese traditions. Nu Kua Marries Her Brother focuses on explaining the creation of humanity through the marriage of siblings. The myth also presents ideal gender roles, emphasizing Nu Kua’s role as a female divinity. Additionally the ancient Chinese myth demonstrates the significance of the creation and

destruction (ICM, 33 - 35). Izanagi and Izanami explains the creation of specific spirits and of all the Japanese islands through the physical union of siblings. This myth also makes clear statements of Izanagi's and Izanami's gender roles. Lastly, the Shinto Japanese myth also shows the opposing powers of creation and destruction with the sibling couple (K, 8-19). The ancient Chinese myth, Nu Kua Marries Her Brother, and the ancient Japanese Shinto myth, Izanagi and Izanami, illustrate the function of a creation myth through the marriage and union of brother-sister deities.

Nu Kua Marries Her Brother and Izanagi and Izanami both share the same purpose of providing an explanation for the creation of living beings through the union of siblings. Both myths share that the siblings are significant deities given the task to create together. Nu Kua Marries Her Brother, is one of the most popular myths that explains human creation within ancient Chinese mythology (Lecture, Day 18, Slide 22). It follows the marriage of the two siblings Nu Kua and Fu Hsi, who work together to make human beings. Before their marriage, “they [had] talked about becoming husband and wife, but they felt ashamed. So the brother at once went with his sister up Mount K’un-Iun and made this prayer: 'Oh Heaven, if Thou wouldst send us two fourth as man and wife, then make all the misty vapor gather'" (ICM, 35). They decided that they would not become intimate unless the misty vapor appeared as a signal from T’ien, god in heaven (ICM, 34). This is because the myth itself does condone incest only because the siblings received permission from a higher being. The ancient Japanese myth also has the sibling couple receive permission from higher ranking divinities to become intimate. “Now the spirits of heaven all commanded the mighty one He Who Beckoned and the mighty one She Who Beckoned with mighty words proclaiming: ‘Make firm this drifting land and fashion it in its final form!’” (K, 8). Izanagi and Izanami were the first of the seventh generation, meaning they were the youngest of all the other spirits and had to obey their commands. They became intimate with each other to create other spirits and the islands of Japan. The Japanese Shinto myth also disregards the actions of incest because it was approved by higher beings. Though the myth does show the potential risks of incest when Izanagi and Izanami’s first born is described as being “a limbless Leech Child” and as “no good” (K, 9). Therefore, both mythologies utilize the function of explaining creation by condoning the relationship between sibling couples. Though both myths provide an explanation of the creation of different things. Nu Kua Marries Her Brother explains the creation of humans, and Izanagi and Izanami explains the creation of important spirits and the Japanese Islands.

Aside from being creation myths, both the ancient Chinese and Japanese myths include clear gender roles for the primordial couples. In Chinese Mythology: An Introduction the author Anne Birrell states that in the myth, “the goddess [Nu Kua] has been demoted from primal creatix to a mortal subservient to God in Heaven (T’ien,) and also a lowly female subservient to the male, in the traditional manner of marital relations” (ICM, 34). This is because Nu Kua has another myth, Nuwa Molding Mud, where she is a Great Mother that makes human beings by herself with yellow clay (Lecture, Day 18, Slide 23). Nu Kua demotion of a serpent goddess can be seen through the visual depictions created of her, where she is later represented as an elegant goddess (Lecture, 10/28/15). This changes her focus on being more elegant and feminine, creating an ideal example of femininity through her. In Izanagi and Izanami they have specific gender roles within the myth. Their first attempt to conceive was stated to have gone wrong because Izanami has spoken first, even heaven’s spirits proclaimed that “Things did not go well because the woman spoke first” (K, 10). This implies that between the couple, the male figure should be the one to initiate action between them and also make choices for them as a couple. Towards the end of Izanagi and Izanami, Izanami dies from giving birth to “the spirit Swift Burning Flame” (K, 13). Grief stricken, Izanagi goes to the Underworld in attempt to reunite with his sister. She explains that she cannot leave unless she asks permission from the spirit of the underworld. She proclaims her to husband, “…beloved brother, my mighty one, the sight of you entering here fills me with awe and makes yearn to return with you. I will speak for a while with the spirits of this land. In the meantime, do not look at me!” (K, 14-15). This means that as a husband, Izanagi should have loyalty and trust towards his wife’s request. To give him faults as an imperfect divinity and to progress the story, Izanagi loses patience and goes into the underworld. Izanami’s anger from his actions justifies that he did not obey his duties as a husband. Even though both mythologies demonstrate gender roles, Nu Kua Marries Her Brother only focuses on Nu Kua's role. Izanagi and Izanami is the one that specifies the roles of both genders.

Creation and destruction are a popular topics discussed throughout all traditions, and the ancient Chinese and Japanese myths are no exception. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that creation and destruction are cyclic; one always follows the other and thus there is no definite end to life (Lecture, 09/2/15). In Nu Kua Marries Her Brother, the primordial couple gives birth to a “mass of flesh” (Lecture, 10/28/15). Fu Hsi then cuts the flesh lump into pieces, something which should result in its death but instead creates human beings. The destruction of their firstborn resulted in the birth of humanity. This closely resembles Hindu cyclic beliefs on creation and destruction. Another example within Nu Kua Marries Her Brother is another version which makes both deities human. Both of them are the only survivors after a major destructive flood. Nu Kua and Fu Hsi then ask for divine permission to procreate the human race (Lecture, Day 19, Slide 8). Again, this an example that shows creation being a result of destruction. Towards the end of Izanagi and Izanami, when the couple is divorcing, they each state their new roles. Izanami proclaims, “Beloved brother, my mighty one, if you do this, I will strangle to death one thousand of your land’s green-grass mortals each and every day” (K, 16). Izanagi replies that if she complies with her declaration, then he will retaliate by “build[ing] one thousand five hundred birthing huts” (K, 16). This is similar from Nu Kua Marries Her Brother because it demonstrates creation reaction to destruction. It also demonstrates Izanagi being able to create by himself. An opposing example of this is the birth of Swift Burning Flame, who later becomes Flickering Flame Elder. The creation of this spirit led to the death of Izanami, because “her mighty privates were burned and she fell gravely ill” (K, 12). Both mythologies seem to follow the example of Hinduism because they show a cyclic pattern for creation and destruction. Though Nu Kua Marries Her Brother focuses on only demonstrating creation following destruction, contrary to Izanagi and Izanami. The ancient Japanese myth does not give a pattern to creation and destruction.

Nu Ku Marries Her Brother and Izanagi and Izanami have more in common than just both using the function to explain phenomenon.

The ancient Chinese and Japanese myths also focus on exploring gender roles, and the pattern between creation and destruction. Even though both mythologies condone incest for the purpose of creation, each myth explains something different. The ancient Chinese myth explains the creation of humanity, while the ancient Japanese myth explains the creation of spirits and the islands of Japan. Looking at the myths’ depictions of gender roles, Izanagi and Izanami had clear demonstrations of gender roles for both genders. Nu Kua Marries Her Brother only focused on Nu Kua’s role. Lastly, when looking at both myths representations of creation and destruction, they are incredibly similar. The mild difference being that Nu Kua Marries Her Brother follows the pattern of having destruction follow creation. In conclusion, both Nu Kua Marries Her Brother and Izanagi and Izanami share similarities in providing explanations of creations, demonstrating clear gender roles, and exploring the pattern between creation and

destruction.