Mythology

Enter a weird and wonderful world of spirits, mysterious creatures, bickering siblings and unconventional love. Japanese mythology has its roots in the Shinto and Buddhist religions.

These tales have provided inspiration for Japanese pop culture, including Studio Ghibli films.

The Jorogumo

Here's a fun little love story about a woodcutter and a murderous spider demon.

The locals knew to avoid the lake, for it was inhabited by a jorogumo - a terrifying spider yokai who could drag men to their watery deaths. But an unsuspecting visiting woodcutter stumbled upon the lake, where he met a beautiful woman. And guess what? They fell in love.

The woodcutter returned to the lake every day to visit his beloved. But the local Buddhist priest knew about this woman's true spidery nature and accompanied the woodcutter one day. He started chanting, and a spiderweb sprang from the water.

The woodcutter now knew his girlfriend was a spider demon. But he wasn't deterred. He sought out permission to marry the jorogumo, but was rejected. He ran back to the lake, was ensnared in spiderwebs and dragged under the water. He was never seen again.

Perhaps the jorogumo and the woodcutter lived out their days in blissful love. Or perhaps she ate him.

Chinese myths are concerned with the creation of the world and the origins of Chinese traditions and customs.

This tales have been passed down orally and written down in poems or narratives, such as Journey to the West, a novel from the sixteenth century which features the story of Sun Wukong.

Pangu

In the beginning, there was nothing but swirling chaos. This chaos amassed together and formed a giant cosmic egg, inside which the opposing forces of yin and yang battled. Eventually, they found balance and union, and from this union Pangu was formed.

Pangu had two horns and two tusks, and was completely covered in hair. Taking his great axe, Pangu split the egg and emerged. Yin and yang were released, and formed the earth and the sky. Standing between them, Pangu lifted the sky away from the earth, each day growing taller until the sky reached its current position. Exhausted by this task, Pangu lay down and died.

His final breath became the clouds, his spine the mountains, his eyes the sun and moon, his flesh the soil, his bones the rocks and minerals, and his blood the rivers. His limbs became the four pillars that hold up the sky.

The human race evolved from the fleas that roamed Pangu's body. Explains a lot when you think about it.

The legend of the white snake

Bai Suzhen was a white snake who lived in a lake. One day, she transformed herself into a beautiful young woman. She met a young man called Xu Xian on the lake's bridge, just as it started to rain. Xu Xian offered Bai Suzhen his umbrella, sparking a beautiful romance. In time they married.

But the monk Fahai knew that Bai Suzhen was really a snake. He urged Xu Xian to give Bai Suzhen realgar wine, which contained arsenic and would force her to reveal her true identity. Xu Xian loved his wife, but Fahai's words troubled him. He gave the wine to Bai Suzhen. She instantly transformed into a white snake, and Xu Xian dropped dead with shock.

But Bai Suzhen wasn't giving up on her love. She knew of a powerful herb that could revive the dead. She found the herb, returned home and gave it to Xu Xian. He instantly came back to life and embraced Bai Suzhen. Snake or not, she was his wife and he loved her. Couple goals!

These stories are from The little book of world mythology (Hannah Bowstead)