In a ancient times, the four corners of the sky collapsed and the world with its nine regions split open. The sky could not cover all the things under it, nor could the earth carry all the things on it. A great fire raged and would not die out; a fierce flood raced about and could not be checked. Savage beasts devoured innocent people; vicious birds preyed on the weak and old.
Then Nuwa melted rocks of five colours and used them to mend the cracks in the sky. She supported the four corners of the sky with the legs she had cut off from a giant turtle. She killed the black dragon to save the people of J1zhou, and blocked the flood with the ashes of reeds.
Thus the sky was mended, its four corners lifted, the flood tamed, Jizhou pacified, and harmful birds and beasts killed, and the innocent people were able to live on the square earth under the dome of the sky. It was a time when birds, beasts, insects and snakes no longer used their claws or teeth or poisonous stings, for they did not want to catch or eat weaker things.
Nuwa's deeds benefited the heavens above and the earth below. Her name was remembered by later generations and her light shone on every creation. Now she was traveling on a thunder-chariot drawn by a two-winged dragon and two green hornless dragons, with auspicious objects in her hands and a special mattress underneath, surrounded by golden clouds, a white dragon leading the way and a flying snake following behind. Floating freely over the clouds, she took ghosts and gods to the ninth heaven and had an audience with the Heavenly Emperor at Lin Men where she rested in peace and dignity under the emperor. She never boasted of her achievements, nor did she try to win any renown; she wanted to conceal her virtues, in line with the ways of the universe.
女媧補(bǔ)天的神話故事
傳說很久很久以前,沒有天,沒有地,沒有山川湖泊,沒有花草樹木,沒有飛禽走獸,更不用說有人類。
在盤古開天辟地之后才有了萬物生靈。不知哪一年,西天突然塌了一塊,天河中的水嘩嘩地從缺口流下人間,淹死了無數(shù)人畜,天下頓時淪為澤國。
當(dāng)時,有個姑娘名叫女媧,住在再大的水也淹不到的山崖洞里。她目睹百姓顛沛流離,動了惻隱之心,立誓要把天上缺口補(bǔ)起來。她離開所住的崖洞,爬過無數(shù)高山,淌過許多大河,到處尋求補(bǔ)天的辦法,可是都無結(jié)果。
她疲倦極了,坐下來歇息,不知不覺睡著了,做了一個很奇怪的夢,夢中有一位神仙告訴她,昆侖山頂堆滿許多五色寶石,用大火將寶石煉過,就可以拿來補(bǔ)天。
女媧醒來后,就直奔昆侖山。昆侖山高聳陡峭,更有獅虎等惡獸無數(shù),等閑人上不了山。但她一心一意想早日找到補(bǔ)天的寶石替天下百姓消災(zāi),道路崎嶇險惡,全不加理會,日夜兼程,來到昆侖山下。
舉頭一望,到處是處鋸似的荊棘、犬齒般的亂石,不但上山無路,山頂更高不可攀。然而她不怕險阻,撥開荊棘,攀過亂石,手腳傷痕累累,臉也被剌花,仍不分日夜往上爬,正當(dāng)爬得疲憊不堪時,荊棘叢中突然撲出一只老虎,對她張牙舞爪。女媧正要躲避,老虎搶先一步一把抓住了她,張開血盆大口,要咬她的頭。她鎮(zhèn)定地說:“老虎,你先別性急,我這個頭可以給你吃,可要等我去山頂找到寶石,補(bǔ)好天上缺口,你再來吃好不好?”
老虎似知人意,就放她走了。女媧再往上走,山越來越陡,霧也越來越濃,累得走不動了。她跌跌撞撞,爬爬滾滾,始終不停步。突然一陣狂風(fēng)吹來,一只金毛雄獅從林中躍出,一口咬住女媧的頭發(fā)。老虎從后面趕上來,對著獅子咆吼說:“這妞兒是我先抓到的,說好她補(bǔ)完天后讓我吃,你竟敢搶先?”
獅子聽了放下女媧,和老虎廝斗起來。結(jié)果獅子不敵,被老虎趕跑了。但老虎生怕女媧再讓獅子搶去,就尾隨女媧,一直跟到山頂。
女媧在山頂上終于找到五色寶石。她撿了許多,堆在山頂上,燒起一把大火,煉了九九八十一天,把寶石煉成熔漿。眼看熔漿煉成,女媧高興極了,一次又一次用雙手捧起熔漿拿去補(bǔ)天,直至天上缺口滴水不漏,她才舒了口氣。這時,地上的百姓見天河水不再漏下來,紛紛重整家園,再過快活的日子。
女媧知道大功告成,完成了心愿,于是履行諾言,滿心歡喜地對老虎說:“你現(xiàn)在可以吃我了!”
說完,她伸長頸項,等老虎來吃。說也奇怪,老虎并不來吃,反而和氣地說:“像你這樣一個為民造福、舍已為人的姑娘,我怎么能吃?況且,你將天補(bǔ)得完整無缺,我看了也開心。只是你還有剩余熔漿,多補(bǔ)一些,不是更牢靠嗎?”www.gs5000.cn
女媧聽了,覺得老虎的話有道理,于是把剩下的熔漿全捧起來,高舉雙手,預(yù)備將缺口再加填補(bǔ)。眼看就要到天頂了,哪知突然從南海刮來一股狂風(fēng),吹得樹倒山搖,女媧手中捧著的熔漿也吹掉了。
女媧一急,竟哭了起來。老虎見她這樣,就對她說:“姑娘先不要哭,快騎到我背上,我們?nèi)グ讶蹪{追回來。”
女媧果然止住淚,立即騎到老虎背上。老虎飛身跳下山崖,腳踏彩云,向光彩奪目的熔漿追去。
老虎背著女媧飛過三山五岳,飛過黃河長江,因為風(fēng)太急了,始終沒有追上。其后風(fēng)漸漸平息了,他們加快腳步,哪知色彩斑斕的熔漿又慢慢向茫茫的大地落下去,他們唯有加一把勁向下追。追到洞庭湖上空,眼看就要追上了,老虎一時高興,吼叫數(shù)聲,慢了腳步。就在這電光火石的一剎那,女媧來不及接回熔漿,眼看著熔漿直瀉洞庭湖。
熔漿一落到湖里,霎時間五彩繽紛,霞光萬道,照得湖水通明透亮,不久熔漿就變成了七十二座形態(tài)不同的山峰,在水中半沉半浮,那白玉盤似的洞庭湖,添上了迷人的景致。
女媧雖然惋惜,但又覺得熔漿落入人間,也是好事。她落下來,站在還沒有凝固的山峰上,腳下踩的是綠寶石熔漿,留下了一雙深深的腳印。她再行幾步。原來帶軟的山峰就凝結(jié)了,成為一個小島。
也不知過了多久,娥皇、女英追尋夫君舜帝來到這兒,知道舜的噩耗,哭死在山上,后人就稱這座山為“君山”。