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We follow mythology from many Western cultures like Greece or Rome, but we don’t often
hear about many Chinese gods.
New Disney movie idea?
You heard it here first!
There are actually many Chinese Gods in mythology that are extremely powerful.
In Chinese mythology there are separate gods for the creation of humanity, the oceans,
love, even money!
What’s more powerful than money these days?
Join us to hear about the 10 Most Powerful Chinese Gods of Mythology.
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10.
Nuwa and Fuxi Let’s start at the beginning, literally,
though.
Nuwa and Fuxi are the mother and father of human beings.
Nuwa was born in the beginning of time and was the fixer of mistakes made when the world
first began.
She created a palace for herself, her brother Fuxi, and her friend, who are shown in representations
as human-dragons.
However, her palace, which became the model for construction in China, started to feel
empty and she started creating humans using the mud from the Yellow River for company.
To give them life, she breathed fire into them, to take the work away from their creation,
she created marriage and reproduction.
Fuxi, on his end, gave them the gifts of skills and fire to live on their own.
According to Chinese mythology, they’re the beginning of everything that encompasses
humanity.
9.
Yan Wang Of course, next to the God of human life,
we have to put the Chinese God of Death and King of the Afterlife.
While in Greek Mythology, this would be our favorite Disney Character, Hades, in Chinese
Mythology he’s Yang-Wang-Yeh.
Yang Wang is in charge of the judgment of souls and is the judge of punishments and
fates after death.
He’s vicious, too.
In one legend, a soldier comes to him denying the suffering he’d inflicted in his life.
Yan Wang brought out the scrolls of his life and the soldier’s sins, which he had denied,
were read to him.
Suddenly, a large hand came down to grab him and crush him.
No one can escape the justice of Yan Wang, so don’t even try.
8.
The Eight Immortals Think of the Eight Immortals kind of like
the Avengers.
Each one has their own power, they live in a secluded area, and they’re all coming
out with their own movies.
Just kidding about that last part.
According to Chinese Mythology, the eight immortals live on five islands in the Chinese
Bohai Sea.
They’ve also been called the Eight Genies and their powers can either bestow life or
destroy evil.
Seeing as there’s eight of them, this is the best rescue team you want around when
evil does make an appearance.
Boom life!
Pow Evil!
Someone needs to make an Eight Immortals comic book series.
7.
Guanyin Guanyin, or Guanyin Pusa is the goddess of
Mercy.
So while Yan Wang will bust you, Guanyin is your mythological grandma, ready to come bail
you out.
She is known for helping the distressed, the hungry and comforting those who need it.
She is well-known by all ages and well-liked as a god.
I mean, it’s easy to like someone who comforts you when you need it, isn’t it?
She’s also often represented in art and has names in many Asian languages, as she’s
a Buddhist symbol of forgiveness and maternal compassion.
6.
Wangmu Niangniang Also known as The Queen Mother of the West
is the wife of The Jade Emperor.
She is in charge of all female gods, she’s the goddess of happiness and longevity.
She even has some handy elixirs and pills to make people live forever.
She grows magic peaches in a garden which, if eaten, can keep people young forever.
It’s no wonder she and the Jade Emperor are married - him with his calm demeanor and
her with happiness and longevity.
That’s the kind of marriage we all wish for.
5.
Chang’e Next up, we have the goddess of the moon,
Chang’e.
She was one of the most popular gods in ancient China, and often represented in literature
and art.
She was rescued by the archer god Hou Yi during a lunar eclipse, but betrayed him, stealing
his elixir to become immortal, given to him by the gods.
She transformed herself into a toad to hide from him on the moon and when the anger had
passed, Chang’e had already been a toad for too long, and remained in this form.
Now, it’s said that the silhouette of a toad can be seen on the moon for this very
reason.
This story is often celebrated during the Moon Festival in the Fall, when people spend
time outside observing the moon, eating mooncakes and exchanging gifts.
She may not have powers, but she is certainly revered and is an entity bringing people together.
4.
Niu Lang & Zhi Nu Ahh, love.
We had to come to the gods of love at one point, didn’t we?
Zhi Nu was the goddess of weaving.
She was never allowed to visit earth, though she desperately wanted to.
When she was finally allowed to, she of course fell in love with a cowherd named Niu Lang,
who stole her clothes while she was swimming so she couldn’t get away.
Soldiers were sent from the heavens to return Zhi Nu to her home and Niu Lang was forbidden
to follow, stopped in fact by a wall of stars we now call The Milky Way.
Now, every year, magpies travel from earth to the Milky Way, forming a bridge between
the two lovers.
On earth, festivals are held to celebrate her and love itself.
3.
Caishen Caishen is the Chinese god of wealth.
Businesspeople often offer sacrifices to him in their homes, at their shops, and hope that
these will be enough to elicit his help in becoming richer.
He is usually depicted in red with a golden rod, and sometimes lots of gold accessories
like crowns.
He’s very popular around Chinese New Year, when luck is renewed, debts are paid, and
cash brings in brand new luck for the coming year.
So you better Cash-in on that! Oh, come on, that one was a good one.
2.
Long Wang The Dragon King.
Anytime you see a dragon in Chinese mythology you know that there’s going to be some power
involved.
The Dragon King, Long Wang, is the king of the sea.
Long Wang rules his own court, and all creatures in the ocean.
He is also in charge of other waters, like rain, and also controls the wind.
He is worshipped in China with sacrifices, usually taking place around the fifth or sixth
moon.
1.
The Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor couldn’t possibly be a
regular god with that name.
He’s ruler of the universe and controller of all gods from several religions.
He is worshipped by people all over China and it’s sometimes said that he was the
one that created humans from clay.
Though he is portrayed as one of the most powerful gods, he is also known as a kind
and gentle old man, who enjoys resolving things amicably.
Basically, he’s the ruler we
all need.