The first writer to record the myth of Pangu was thought to be Xu Zheng, in the Three Kingdoms period.
This find suggests that the tale of Pangu had been passed on by word of mouth, or in other writings now lost, long before Xu Zheng wrote it down.
In this state Pangu, a huge and powerful being, came forth (or woke up).
Pangu inside the cosmic egg is a symbol of Taiji, the Great Ultimate, which holds yin and yang together.
Pangu is usually shown as a primitive, hairy giant with horns on his head.
With a mighty swing of his giant axe, Pangu began to create the world by separating yin from yang.
To keep them apart, Pangu stood between the earth and the sky and pushed the sky upward.
With each passing day, the sky grew ten feet (3 meters) higher, the earth ten feet (3.05 meters) thicker, and Pangu ten feet (3.05 meters) taller.
In some versions of the story, Pangu did not work alone.
They gave Pangu support and guidance.
In other versions, Pangu alone separated heaven and earth, which already had the qualities of yin and yang, using his great strength and his axe.
When the 18,000 years were over, Pangu had finished his task.
Pangu’s left eye became the Sun, giving light and warmth, while his right eye became the Moon, lighting the night.
Pangu’s facial hair became the stars and the Milky Way, which light up the night sky.
In other versions of the story, Pangu’s body became the mountains, forming the backbone of the earth.
Every version, however, stresses the close bond between Pangu and the natural world.
The myth of Pangu is a strong image of the creation of the world and of the fine balance of forces in the universe.
Body-from-chaos joins the same motif family as Norse Ymir and Chinese Pangu.
Pangu separates yin and yang into earth and sky.