Goddess Xi Wangmu (Xiwangmu) Who Controlled Life, Death, Creation And Talked Directly To Humans In Chinese Mythology
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - One of our earlier articles we devoted to the sacred Kunlun Mountains believed to be a Taoist paradise and the central pillar of the world that supported the heavens.
In Chinese mythology, it was to be the sacred place where the earthly world was connected with the world of the gods.
This powerful Chinese goddess was also known as the 'Queen of the West' or 'Queen Mother of the West. Source
Kunlun was the sacred place associated with the goddess Xiwangmu (Xi Wangmu), as her place of residence, and as some tales say, there lived the divine siblings – Nuwa (Nüwa) and Fuxi lived. It was after the world was just created, and they were the only survivors of a great flood.
The Kunlun Mountains have been seen as the origin of the Chinese civilization, and a place where wonderful trees grew, producing precious stones instead of fruit, and cinnabar streams had magnificent properties. 'Those who drank from those streams escaped death.' 1
For the Hindu and other eastern religions, the sacred Mount Meru was of very similar importance.
Queen Mother Of The West And Great Instructor
This powerful goddess, also called the 'Queen of the West' or 'Queen Mother of the West lived in the Jade palace (or silver palace), where the herbs of immortality and long-lived fish grew. Blue magical birds were her messengers, and she traveled alone on a white crane.
See also:
Jade Emperor – Supreme Ruler Of Heaven In Chinese Mythology
Legendary Erlang Shen And His Third Seeing Eye That Could Distinguish Between Truth And Lie
Legendary Mount Penglai Where The Eight Immortals Reside
Xiwangmu possessed an elixir of immortality made from beautiful peaches that were cultivated during 6,000 years in an orchard on Kunlun Mountain. These wondrous fruits assured longevity or immortality and were served by Xiwangmu to the immortals who attended her great feast. The goddess' palace was believed to be a perfect paradise, where it was used as a gathering place for the divinities and a cosmic pillar where communications between deities and humans were possible.
In an ancient Chinese text Zhuangzi, Xiwangmu was the instructor of the ways of the Dao and immortality for the Yellow Emperor, who received instructions from Xiwangmu on how to civilize the world of humans, She also instructed other Chinese sage kings.
Goddess Of Destruction Or Vampire Sucking Yang Energy
Myths and legends usually vary much, and Xiwangmu's status and attributes have changed as well. In one legend, she was the Chinese goddess of disaster and destruction, who had tiger teeth and a leopard tail, or was a kind of vampire who sucked vitality yang out of men to strengthen her own yin. It is said she an excellent practitioner of Yin and Yang.
Blue magical birds were Xiwangmu's messengers, and she traveled alone on a white crane. source
Xiwangmu was occasionally considered the 'mysterious woman of the nine heavens,' each one in charge of the immortals of her sex.
Xiwangmu And The Heavenly Archer Yi (Hou Yi)
The Heavenly Archer Yi was a husband of the famous Chinese lunar goddess Chang'e ('the Lunar Toad'), which is the subject of many Chinese myths that date back to the Tang Dynasty (AD. 618 – 906).
Yi was the mythical hero who was capable of shooting down nine of the suns with his arrow. One day, for his impressive achievements, Yi was granted the herb of immortality by Xiwangmu. It was Yi who managed to build a jade palace for her, and as a reward, he received a pill made of longevity peaches. However, he was to eat it only after a year's fast, during which he could only feed on the scent of flowers.
Houyi decided to fast and hid a strong light-emitting pill on the roof of his home. Unfortunately, his curious wife Chang'e found the pill; she swallowed it and suddenly began to float in the air until it finally landed on the moon and turned into a three-toed toad.
Interestingly, on the historic Mawangdui funeral banner, the goddess Xiwangmu is accompanied by a toad tripod and a hare that prepares an elixir potion of life under the moon cassia tree that possesses seeds with magical powers.
During the spring festival of fertility, the Chinese offered Xiwangmu gifts on the sacrificial altar.
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesReferences:
Walters D., Chinese Mythology
James, Jean M. "An Iconographic Study of Xiwangmu during the Han Dynasty." Artibus Asiae 55, no. 1/2 (1995): 17-41.
More From Ancient Pages
-
Roman-Byzantine Grave Unearthed In Turkey
Archaeology | Jan 28, 2016
-
Rare Viking Graffiti And Artifacts Found In Dublin – Depiction Of God Odin Riding Sleipnir Followed By Huginn And Muninn?
Archaeology | Mar 31, 2018
-
Mysterious ‘Las Labradas’ Petroglyphs With Roots In The Pre-Columbian Times Of Mexico
Featured Stories | Oct 9, 2020
-
Puzzling Case Of An Ancient French Giant Whose Bones Caused Sensation And Controversy
Featured Stories | Jan 22, 2019
-
Cog Stones – Unusual Stone Discs Made By An Ancient Lost Civilization In California
Artifacts | Jan 4, 2018
-
Magnificent And Massive Great Wall Of India – Astonishing Ancient Structure Shrouded In Secrecy
Civilizations | Jul 7, 2015
-
Ancient Treasure Hidden In Perplexing Secret Underground Labyrinth In France – Discovery And Forbidden Excavations – Part 2
Featured Stories | Jan 19, 2020
-
Pyramid-Builders’ Cemetery With Coffins Discovered Near Giza, Egypt
Archaeology | May 6, 2019
-
Temple Dedicated To Goddess Nemesis Discovered Under Ancient Theater In Greece
Archaeology | May 20, 2019
-
Secrets Of The Jungle And Hidden Ancient Treasures Of The Serpent People
Featured Stories | Feb 29, 2020
-
Lost Advanced Ancient Forest Civilization In The South West Pacific Could Re-Write History – Legends And Archaeological Findings Examined
Civilizations | Apr 25, 2018
-
Simple 1,000-Year-Old Medieval Medicine Cure Can Treat Modern Infections – Study Shows
Civilizations | Jul 28, 2020
-
Vindolanda Wooden Tablets: Ancient Military And Private Correspondence Left By Departing Roman Troops
Civilizations | Apr 17, 2016
-
Early Humans In The Paleolithic Age Had A More Varied Diet Than Previously Assumed
Archaeology | Nov 29, 2023
-
Ants May Hold the Clues Why The Human Brain Decreased In Size 3,000 Years Ago – Scientists Say
Archaeology | Oct 22, 2021
-
Bad King John’s Lost Treasure May Be Hidden Near The Walpole Marsh In The Fenlands – Archaeologists Say
Archaeology | Mar 27, 2024
-
War Between Romans And Persians Lasted 721 Years: One Of The World’s Longest Human Conflicts In History
Featured Stories | Apr 18, 2022
-
1500-Year-Old Mystery Of The Sandby Borg – Excavation Of Ringfort On Öland, Sweden
News | Jan 1, 2014
-
Pena Molexa (Lunar Boat): Megalithic Corner Dedicated To A Magician Woman Who Knows The Secrets Of Earth And Underworld
Featured Stories | Jul 23, 2023
-
Great Pyramid of Cholula Is The Largest In The World Today
Ancient History Facts | Feb 9, 2016