Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
CHINESE AND JAPANESE BELIEFS
Some Chinese philosophers argued that Earth history was cyclical,
and that each cycle took 24million years to complete. It is not clear,
however, how many cycles were involved. According to Chinese
legend the first man on Earth was called P'an-ku. Later various parts
of his body became mountains at the cardinal points of the compass;
his arms became the north and south mountains, head was at the east,
while the mountains of the west were formed from his feet. His eyes
became the Sun and the Moon, and mankind developed from vermin
that covered his body.
Early Chinese thinkers considered the Earth was square, some
233,575 steps in length and width. Later, in about
AD
723, the math-
ematician I-Hsing measured its diameter and clearly understood that
the Earth was a sphere.
Japanesemythology tells that at the creation of the Earth and the
sky, three gods were self-formed, but immediately hid themselves
from view. The young Earth, which had a jelly-like consistency,
floated on water and from it grew a plant similar to a bullrush which
produced two further gods. These, like their earlier counterparts, hid
themselves. Following this a series of gods emerged in several gener-
ations, and the last two, Izanagi and Izanami, were given the job of
consolidating the mobile Earth, and ensuring that its soil was suitable
to grow crops. They took a stick and stirred the waters. When the stick
was withdrawn, a drop of congealedmatter fell back into the water and
formed the island of Onokoro, where the two gods made their home.
They became attracted to each other but before they could form new
islands they had a disagreement because Izanami had spoken first, and
being female she should not have done so. Nevertheless they had a
child and this became the island of Awa. The couple asked the gods to
mediate in their dispute, and following reconciliation they had more
children who became either further islands that now make up Japan,
or more gods, such as those of wind, the mountains and trees. Their
last child became the god of fire. His birth was difficult and resulted
