Nu Kua, Goddess of Life and Order

The Chinese goddess Nu Kua, also known as Nu Gua or Nüwa, is one of the oldest and most important figures in Chinese mythology. She is considered the creator of humanity, the restorer of cosmic order, and the protector of marriages and women. Here, we explore her story and mythology, as well as her meaning and symbolism.

Goddess Nu Kua

Nu Kua is depicted as a goddess with the body of a serpent and the head of a woman, or as a woman with the tail of a dragon. She is associated with water, rain, lakes, ponds, and puddles, where amphibious creatures and fish live. She is also linked to earth, clay, pottery, and alchemy. She is represented with a tool called the rope shovel, which she used to shape humans and repair the sky.

According to legend, Nu Kua lived at the beginning of time, when the world was a shapeless chaos. She felt lonely and decided to create living beings from clay. First, she made the animals, each according to its kind. Then, she made humans, but as it was very laborious, she used her rope shovel to spread drops of clay through the air, which turned into ordinary people. The first people she made by hand became the nobles and the wise.

Nu Kua also played a key role in preserving the world when a disaster nearly destroyed it. It is said that one of the pillars that supported the sky broke, causing an imbalance between yin and yang. The sky tilted to the northwest, the earth sank to the southeast, fire burned uncontrollably, water overflowed, and fierce monsters attacked the people. Nu Kua then used her magic and wisdom to restore harmony. She melted colored stones to mend the sky, cut the legs of a giant turtle to support the four corners of the earth, killed the black dragon that caused the floods, and tamed the other wild animals. She also reestablished the seasons, days, and nights, and taught people to marry and reproduce.

Nu Kua is revered as a benevolent goddess who cares for life and order. She is invoked to bless marriages, women, children, childbirth, harvests, and rains. She is also considered a goddess of culture, art, writing, music, and alchemy. She is a source of inspiration and creativity, encouraging people to express themselves and transform. She is a goddess who represents the union of opposites, of heaven and earth, of masculine and feminine, of spirit and matter. She teaches us to create and recreate our world.

Symbols associated with Goddess Nu Kua:

• Rope shovel: the tool she used to shape humans and repair the sky. It is a symbol of her creativity, skill, and divine intervention.

• Serpent or dragon: the form she takes in the lower part of her body. It is a symbol of her connection with water, earth, yin, and primordial energy.

• Colored stones: the materials she melted to mend the sky. They symbolize her restoration, diversity, and beauty.

• Turtle: the animal whose legs she cut to support the four corners of the earth. It symbolizes her support, wisdom, and longevity.

• Marriage: the institution she established and protected among humans. It symbolizes her benevolence, fertility, and harmony.

Goddess Nu Kua

Although Nu Kua is a very ancient and respected figure in Chinese culture, there is no specific festival dedicated to her today. However, some people still honor and thank her for her creation and protection of humanity, especially women, couples, and artisans. Some ways to celebrate Goddess Nu Kua include:

• Offering incense, flowers, fruits, cakes, and other gifts in temples or altars dedicated to her. Some famous temples that have statues or images of Nu Kua are the Nuwa Temple in Shandong, the Nuwa Temple in Shaanxi, and the Nuwa Temple in Taiwan.

• Praying or meditating on her story and mythology, and asking for her blessing, guidance, and inspiration. Some people also recite poems, songs, or mantras in her honor, such as the Hymn to Nu Kua or the Nu Kua Mantra.

• Engaging in creative activities, such as modeling clay figures, painting, writing, playing music, or practicing alchemy, following the example of the goddess who created living beings and repaired the sky with her art and magic.

• Celebrating love, marriage, and fertility, following the example of the goddess who established and protected the institution of marriage and taught people to reproduce. Some people also wear amulets or jewelry with the image or symbol of Nu Kua to attract or strengthen romantic and marital harmony.