Episode 15: Gun: The man who steals the soil

The common imagination about nature and the origin of the universe also reflects the profound exchanges and influences between different cultures.

In Chinese mythology, “xi soil” is a magical soil that can grow to infinity.It is recorded in the Book of Mountains and Seas that when the flood was raging, Gun secretly stole the emperor's soil to block the flood in order to save the people.However, he was eventually killed because he acted without the permission of the Emperor of Heaven.In this story, the flood symbolizes chaos and disaster, while the Emperor of Heaven represents the supreme divine power.Gun's behavior of stealing soil not only demonstrated his bravery and wisdom, but also reflected his love for life and challenge to order.

At the same time, there are similar plots in Indian mythology.In Indian culture, the chaotic water is a stage before creation, and the creator god is responsible for creating a new world.In this process, there is a theory that the Creator God fished out mud from the deep sea and used it to create land.This is similar to the plot in "The Book of Mountains and Seas" in which Gun obtained breath soil from the Emperor of Heaven to create land.However, in Indian mythology, the animals that scoop up the earth are usually appointed by the creator god, which is in contrast to Gun's unauthorized actions.

Although the two cultures differ in detail, their commonalities are also evident.Whether it is the Emperor of Heaven in Chinese mythology or the Creator God in Indian mythology, they all represent the power to create and control the world.The soil and the soil fished out from the deep sea symbolize the origin of life and the birth of the world.Gun and the animals that pull the earth are the executors of these forces. Through their actions, they achieve the transformation from chaos to order.

It is worth noting that although the two stories are different in form, they both express human beings' awe of nature and the universe, as well as their exploration of the origin of life and the order of the world.This commonality not only reveals the diversity of human culture, but also emphasizes our common pursuits and experiences when facing nature and the universe.