Pangu

(a.k.a. The first man)

Pangu is an ancient Middlelandian deity considered to be the first living being and creator of the world. Emerging from an egg containing the entire cosmos, his birth released the universe. He is a horned and hairy beast considered to be the first living being in the universe. His story starts before the beginning of time and serves as an explanation for the creation of the universe.
Pangu is said to have been born from an egg that held the entire cosmos. When he eventually broke free, he released the universe and created the earth and sky. As one of the oldest stories in Middlelandian mythology, Pangu’s myth has countless variations; many of these retellings follow one of three basic storylines.

Divine Domains

People are often divided on Pangus origin story, but can be summed up in three versions.
1. The Egg Before the universe was born, there was absolutely nothing but chaotic darkness. Over the course of 18,000 years, the chaos swirled and gathered into the shape of an egg. With the entire substance of the universe was now confined into a single, tiny space, the inside of the egg became stormy and tumultuous. The opposing forces of yin and yang constantly battled and fought one another until they finally achieved balance. Pangu was formed from this first union of yin and yang. Suddenly aware that he was stuck in a tiny space with no room to move, Pangu began to wriggle and writhe. The movement caused the egg to split into two halves, with the whites and yolk leaking from each. The light and fluffy whites floated up and became the clouds, stars, and sky while the heavy and dense yolks sunk down and became Shijie. The two halves of the eggshell flew upwards and became the sun and the moon.

2. Pangu Raises the Heavens After the forces of yin and yang settled within the egg, Pangu found himself trapped in the shell. He took up his great axe and cracked open the egg. In the process, he cleaved yin and yang down the middle. All the stars and planets of the universe burst forth from the broken egg. The now separated yin and yang parted ways, with yin forming Shijie and yang forming the heavens above it. To avoid being trapped between the sky and Shijie, Pangu needed to keep yin and yang separate from each other. Using only his arms, Pangu raised the sky above his head. Each day, Pangu grew three feet taller and Shijie grew ten feet thicker. Over the course of 18,000 years, Shijie and the sky ended up where they are today. Pangu died after he finished growing, and his four limbs became the pillars that hold up the sky.
3. Pangu’s Body Becomes Shijie In this version of the myth, Pangu was so exhausted from struggling to break free of the egg that he laid down to take a nap and died in his sleep. As his body decayed, it started to change dramatically. As his last breath left his body, it coalesced and became the clouds. His spine became a great mountain range. His left eye drifted up and became the sun while his right eye became the moon. Pangu’s flesh melted off his body and became rich, arable soil. His arteries became canyons and ravines while his blood poured out of his body and became the rivers that would fill them. His hair fell off of his head and floated upwards to become the stars. Pangu’s teeth and bones turned into metals and precious stones while his limbs became the four pillars that separated the sky from the earth.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Because of the origin story of Shijie, Pangus divine symbols are a hammer and chisel or the sun and the moon.

Physical Description

Body Features

In art, Pangu is usually depicted as a short, stout creature completely covered in hair. He is normally portrayed with a human face and rounded horns, and is often shown holding a hammer and chisel or the sun and moon in his hands.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

covered in hair

Height

short