Comparison of Identity of Divinity in the Biblical and Chinese Flood Myth

【Abstract】From the Greek myth of Deucalion to the Mayan Myth of Popol Vuh， it is curious that numerous myths concerning deluge have been found throughout varieties of cultures. Whether it is a punishment or a natural disaster， we see differences in ideology in different groups. As an important element in mythology， which is widely accepted as the origin of a culture， flood stories may help us grasp a deeper understanding of the connotative meaning of the two brilliant cultures.

【Key words】flood stories； identity of divinity； God-oriented； human-oriented

【作者簡介】陈倩兮，华中师范大学，研究方向：英语翻译。

1. Introduction

To take a close look into the cause， process and effect of the flood both in Bible and in the Chinese versions of flood myth， one may find that the Judeo-Christian identity of divinity is more God-oriented while the Chinese identity of the supernatural is more human-oriented.

2. Cause of Flood

When it comes to the cause of the flood in Bible， according to Genesis chapter 6， is that “the Lord saw that the evil of man was great in the earth， and every imagination if his heart was only evil all the time.” “And I， behold I am bringing the flood， water upon the earth， to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life.” “And God said to Noah， ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me， for the earth has become full of robbery because of them， and behold I am destroying them from the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.” It is simply out of the moral judgement of God that man throughout the earth is evil that condemns the fate of living things to complete destruction. In Bible， God is alienated from man and he is the absolute authority and almighty judge of morality， and human being can do nothing but submit to God， which may account for Noahs no spoken response： “And Noah did； according to all that God had commanded him， so he did.” （Gene. 6：22， 7：5）

However， a Chinese may found it absurd that God is the yardstick of everything. Found in ancient Chinese books of both The Classic of Mountains and Rivers and Huainanzi， after a failed war， Gong Gong， God of water， flew into a shameful rage and bumped the Buzhou Mountain which functioned as the pillars to uphold the sky. Consequently， the sky was broken and a flood came about. Apparently， the cause of the flood in Chinese version is more humanistic. Interestingly， a humanly aggressive God brought about a natural disaster， from which we see Chinese people tend to project mortals emotion into the identity of the supernatural， namely， more human-oriented. Also， we can see quite a few humane images in the Chinese mythology such as Nüwa with feminine body above the waist and Pangu whose body transformed into different earthly things， which are respectively illustrated in The Classic of Mountains and Rivers and Five year record.

3. Process of Flood

In addition， the process of dealing with flood is even more evident to prove the human-oriented mindset of Chinese. As is recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Rivers， after the destruction of the sky， the goddess Nüwa felt so sympathetic towards the suffering of mankind from the flood that she spared no efforts to refine tens of thousands of stones to repair the sky. Compared with the God in Bible， Nüwa seems more warm-hearted. According to Historical Records， another flood myth happened in the era of Emperor Yao. Yao appointed Dayu， who was a demigod， to cope with the flood. Dedicated to rescuing the nation from the threat of flood， he spent thirteen years outside and passed three times by his house gate without entering. This is lauded by Chinese people now and then， for his courage and determination to conquer the nature is more than extraordinary and set a vivid example for the struggling people.

It is obvious that Chinese people attach much importance to the human power when faced with the challenge. While in Bible， Gods power is penetrated throughout the process. God identified one man Noahs righteousness thus only saved his family in an ark and everyone outside drowned. Then he created 150 days spectacular deluge but Noah could do nothing but stay in the ark waiting for flood to recede.

4. Effect of Flood

Obviously， the effect of the flood in Bible was that all living things on the earth was dead except Noahs family along with a hand of creatures in the ark， this was what God desired and human beings always remained powerless and passive when confronted with God. On the contrary， Nüwa and Dayu endeavored and succeeded in saving the people from suffering from the flood and today they have become synonym with human heroism. We see the shadow of human virtue within the nature of these Chinese Gods， which reflected that Chinese people take powerful and active measures to save their own life rather than give in and escape. This spirit can be found everywhere in Chinese old fairies. The story How Yukong Moved the Mountains tells us how the determined old man Yukong managed to move away two mountains through his persistent work. Kua Fus race with the sun also serves as a valid demonstration that however impossible the labor may seem， human being is brave enough to make it. So there is little fear of God or nature in the deep mind of Chinese concept， and until today these romances are still a dynamic source of writers opus.

Despite such a marked difference in the identity of divinity， notably， there is a similar identification of good people. In Genesis 6：8， 9， “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man he was perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Huainanzi records that after the sky was repaired， “the evil beasts were dead and the good people survived”. It is interesting that good people have been brought to light in both stories which may be interpreted as the shared value by all human species that rightness is worth fighting for and deserves immortality.

5. Conclusion

The plot of these flood myth provides people with numerous perspectives to see through the different attitudes towards hardships， human interaction with God or natural force. The central idea that these stories advocate plays an influential role in constituting the value system and code of conduct of the later generations. It is because of what the scholars called theocentrism indicated in Bible and rooted in the mind of Judeo-Christen people that they showed great refrain in their personal life， otherwise God may be annoyed. And it is stimulated by the ever-present humanism implied in the ancient books that Chinese people are apt to follow their own path to pursue their success. It is not reasonable to tell which is good and which is bad. But we can never lavish too much respect and tolerance on the coexistence of both ideologies. Perhaps in modern society， one may absorb both self-assurance and self-discipline from the ideological source and lead a balanced and harmonious life in the kaleidoscopic world.

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