Pan Gu Myth
All throughout history many cultures and civilization have had their own understandings of the world and its creation. These cultures seek to explain how everything in this world was created through creation myths. The two myths that will be compared are the Hindu myth of Purusha and the Chinese myth of Pan Gu. Both myths share many similarities and differences. One key similarity is both myths are considered etiological, because they answer the question of our origination.
The Rig Veda tells the story of a Primal Man named Purusha, who had been sacrificed by other primeval beings to create the world. It was said that his body was spread out, into all directions and it created the gods and the universe. It states that the visible world was …show more content…
The story of Purusha doesn’t answer the question of the creation of Purusha himself. The story of Pan Gu sheds light on his own creation alongside the creation of the earth. The Purusha myth also has to do with his sacrifice by other primeval beings meanwhile Pan Gu has a natural death. The natural death is more justifiable compared to the creation of primeval beings sacrificing one another for creation. Additionally, the story of Purusha is more specific; it created a caste system for the humans depending on the limbs of Purusha. Whereas, in the Pan Gu mythology humans were the fleas in his hair. Furthermore, the Hindu myth emphasizes on the fact that Purusha body created the god. The idea of god plays a large and religions play a large role in this creation myth. The myth of Pan Gu has no relations with the ideas of creation by gods. Lastly, both stories have different ways the heavens, the world and making earth habitable. Purusha created the earth with his two feet and there is no indication he created the heavens although his ¾ of his body lies there. Pan Gu created the earth and the heavens, by the separation of a giant egg. Also his death made the world habitable, his limbs turned into mountains, his blood turned into rivers, the sky formed from his hairs and his muscle became fertile land.
The creation myth of Pan Gu indentifies as an etiological myth. The story has a clear indication for the origin of the heavens
The Rig Veda tells the story of a Primal Man named Purusha, who had been sacrificed by other primeval beings to create the world. It was said that his body was spread out, into all directions and it created the gods and the universe. It states that the visible world was …show more content…
The story of Purusha doesn’t answer the question of the creation of Purusha himself. The story of Pan Gu sheds light on his own creation alongside the creation of the earth. The Purusha myth also has to do with his sacrifice by other primeval beings meanwhile Pan Gu has a natural death. The natural death is more justifiable compared to the creation of primeval beings sacrificing one another for creation. Additionally, the story of Purusha is more specific; it created a caste system for the humans depending on the limbs of Purusha. Whereas, in the Pan Gu mythology humans were the fleas in his hair. Furthermore, the Hindu myth emphasizes on the fact that Purusha body created the god. The idea of god plays a large and religions play a large role in this creation myth. The myth of Pan Gu has no relations with the ideas of creation by gods. Lastly, both stories have different ways the heavens, the world and making earth habitable. Purusha created the earth with his two feet and there is no indication he created the heavens although his ¾ of his body lies there. Pan Gu created the earth and the heavens, by the separation of a giant egg. Also his death made the world habitable, his limbs turned into mountains, his blood turned into rivers, the sky formed from his hairs and his muscle became fertile land.
The creation myth of Pan Gu indentifies as an etiological myth. The story has a clear indication for the origin of the heavens