Emperors Yao, shun and Yu ruled during the legendary flood, which completely destroyed the civilization. At the end of the reign of Emperor Yao because of the severe storms and flood waters flooded the whole world. About the Great flood is told in the myths of many cultures around the world, including Chinese.
“The classic of mountains and seas”, a collection of legends compiled in the Warring States period about 2,500 years ago, describes the Great flood as a rapid onset of waves and torrential rains.
The great Western sea flooded the mountains of Western China and Inner Mongolia. Water made its way in the yellow river and the heart of China. Flooded and destroyed fields and homes. People and cattle died in the water depths.
Legends about the Great flood in cultures all over the world
In the descriptions of the Great flood in various legends and myths around the world have much in common. In each it is noted that this catastrophe on mankind sent down by the gods as punishment for loose morals and that survived only a minority — only decent and honest people.
Civilizations around the world have suffered great damage. Western legend tells of the total destruction of the existing culture, and the Chinese book “Shutszin”, which is attributed to Confucius, States that the Flood is the dividing line between history and the prehistoric era.
In the book of Genesis of the Christian Bible is written: “the Lord saw that the people on earth are corrupt, and all their thoughts continually inclined to evil… And the Lord said I will wipe from the earth the human race I created. I will destroy both people and animals, and creeping things, and fowls of the air”.
Even in pre-Christian times the ancient Greeks believed that Zeus decided to destroy humanity with a huge flood when I noticed that people were cruel and neglected the demands of justice and decency.
In the book about the creation of the world Mayan “Popol Vuh” was written that at the dawn of time the gods created men, but later people have forgotten their creators and dared to show disrespect to the gods. This caused the legendary Flood, recorded in the culture.
Evidence of the Great flood, the epic poem, which was passed in nation And in southern China, tells a similar story about the creation of the world, the moral decay and the deliberate destruction of people. Left only a few decent people to rebuild civilization.
In folk tales of ethnic Koreans from northeastern China refers to the brother and sister who survived the flood by fleeing to the top of mount baekdu, on the border of China and North Korea.
Nation of lhoba, a small ethnic minority in China, living in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 3000 meters. In their culture there is the legend about the Flood.
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In the reign of Yao, China was divided into nine kingdoms, surrounded by the “four seas”, behind which were eight deserts.” In the annals of the XII century said that the capital of Yao was in the Kingdom of JI.
Faced with catastrophe, destroying his Empire, Yao began to look for people who would be able to hold back the flood. Huan Dou, one of the unscrupulous Ministers who have held the position before Yao came to the throne, recommended to the Minister of labour, kun Ren.
The Emperor was not happy. He declared: “kun Ren — cunning man, apparently he agreed, and for the eyes is willful. At first glance it can be respectful and careful, but does not in accordance with Tao and neglects the Gods. It is impossible to entrust the fight against the flood.
But agriculture Minister HOU JI lamented that, unfortunately, no one else who would have the skills appropriate to such a task. Therefore, Yao had still to appoint kun Jen.
Later Yao sent HOU JI to the Kunlun mountain where the gods lived. There he met the goddess Sivana, who told him that the Great flood is an event caused by the will of the gods.
The goddess said that the key to salvation of mankind is also in the hands of the gods, and in twenty years she’ll be back to personally help the ruler who is destined to put an end to the scourge.
Mount swimmers
In Chinese folk legends about the Great flood it is said that the water broke outside of the pass Manmani (now JI County in Shanxi province), and the flow of mighty rivers Huai and Yangtze reversed and merged.
“Information about the Empire during the Taiping”, edited to the song dynasty, says that “in the Kingdom of JI there is a mountain of Fushan (i.e. “floating mountain”, “mountain swim”)…. in ancient times, men have come, approaching,) have chained their boats to the boulders, which still can be seen broken locks”.
Dry was only the mountain itself, towering over the waves. As the Emperor Yao, it was refuge from the flood, also called the mountain of Yao. Today in the mountainous Shanxi province in Northern China, there is still a County Fushan.
Nation, sanmao living between the major lakes in Central China, were descendants of CHy Yu, the terrible ancient of the tribe leader. They are akin to modern ethnic Hmong from southern China and South-East Asia.
This region was ruled by Huan and his son, the cruel and aggressive, which undermined tradition. They have long conspired to raise a rebellion, and the flood gave them the chance. When China was in chaos due to the floods, Huan Dou raised his mighty sanmao to revolt. They attacked weaker neighbors and took their land.
HOU JI was sent to oppose Huan Dou and sanmao. He met with the rebels in the decisive battle of Danshui and utterly broke them. After the rebels surrendered, Huan Dou was sent to the mountain Jung. Terror and torture in the region, sanmao end, the victims of the uprising have returned to their land.
