Darkness....pure, unstatured blackness....nothing to see, hear, or feel....
[Am I dead?] An almost silky voice said, breaking out across the impenetrable darkness.
[No...you are not dead.] Another voice spilled across the darkness, this one being rough as stones clashing together.
[Where am I...?] the nearly-silky voice asked the rough one.
[You are safe now...]
The silky voice groaned in pain.[Ohh...why do I hurt so?]
[A ruthless group of assassins attacked you...but I drove them away. Try to open your eyes, O Winged Serpent of the sky...]
[Winged....Serpent....?] The "Serpent" did as the voice said...and saw glimmering obelisks reaching from the ground to the ceiling overhead. They shimmered with silver, and gold. Around them stood faces -- looking amazed, and frightened. They wore plain, slightly torn clothes, all of which were bland in color.
Yet one stood away from the others. The closest being wore a vibrant attire which shone like the pillars of gold and silver, crimson red in color; hanging from him was a shiny silver stick, and atop his grayed hair was a small pointy object, shining also like the pillars.
"You may be bruised and cut...but you are safe, My Lord."
"Why do you call me such things?"
The shining being made a face similar to being puzzled.
"Do you not know who you are?" After pondering the sily voice simply stated that it had no memory.
One of the plain ones then brought over a large reflecting object and placed it next to the two. And in the mirror...was a being covered in dark grey scales. Slitted eyes widened in the reflection; in front of the greenish cat-like eyes was a snout, also govered in the gray scales. Two spiraling horns stretched toward the heavens, and many other, smaller horns followed pursuit down its back, shrinking in size as they went. Eyes still widened, the thing in the reflection moved its mouth in unison with the silky voice: "What is in the reflecting object?"
"It is you," the glimmering figure stated, in a flat tone.
"What am I...?"
"You are what many call a dragon. Some view you as the harbinger of chaos, while others see you as our creator and protector. Your name is Nü-Kua, the Dragon goddess. Descending from Heaven many thousands of years ago you created us human beings...." (this was a short story based upon scripture I will post in a comment)
Author notes
I decided to write this because, like the creature being described, my life was a nightmare, at best.
Since many mythos talk about the "winged serpent" and being hunted down, humiliated....I decided to write about the creature, since my life was similar...
A contest entry
- Mythology, (With a Twist!) Contest and Creative Writing Workshop by kareneisenlord.
900 points, ended March 16, 2008, 39 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Meh.
Comments
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I asked all of you for mythology with a twist, and you really socked it to me! I was very impressed by all of your entries, and many of you came up with some really unique and creative material with a different way of applying and perceiving mythology. It was enjoyable reading and I learned a lot from reading all of your fabulous writes. Because there was such an abundance of excellent entries in this contest, it was difficult to decide which ones would be the final winners. I apologize for taking so long to judge. Ultimately, I went with the material that impressed me and stuck with me the most. What had the greatest influence, insight, oversight, ambience and applied the myth/story in a thought-provoking and interesting way. The entries that were still playing through my mind and echoing with fond recollection, long after first reading them, are the ones that I finally decided upon as the winners. Objectivity in judging this contest was not my goal, but how each one of you subjectively influenced and moved me through your write. I re-read all of your writes again before my final judgment and relished it thoroughly. You are all gifted with incredible minds and talent. I wished that I could give more than one trophy in each category because certainly there was more than one that deserved it. All of you deserved an honorable mention, at the very least, and I wished I could do this and more. After the winners, the list is not in order of my favorites but most are in the chronological order as they were entered into the contest. I was glad to comment personally on each one of you. “Heading Towards Hope” - won the gold for me, because it took an uncommon theme in western mythology, deriving the story from eastern mythology, namely Hinduism. The interpretation of this, my favorite Hindu Deity, Ganesh, blew me away, and provided a step forward in my consciousness. I was awed by the profoundness, beauty and humility of this write. While many of your stories moved me deeply, this one actually shifted my consciousness. It contained both meaningful, inspirational and unique applications, written in a purity and sweetness of the heart and soul that is reflected in the words of the poet who wrote it. Gifts of the Faery, Part II I awarded Gifts of the Faery, Part II because it reached deep into my sense of profound honor and respect for Nature and all of Creation. Not only did it express stunning wisdom, but it also reflected an eloquent poetic style of it’s own. It is filled with ancient knowledge and powers that are for the Light and bringing humanity to a higher level of hope for the ultimate transformation of humankind and our Earth Mother! Lemuria's Sacred Contract - Video Slam Not only is this a beautifully written poem but it struck a chord that resonates far within the innermost essence of my being for I have always felt a special connection to Lemuria and long to be reunited with her. This is my hope for all of humanity, for “Lemuria” or the lost continent of Mu, (the motherland), is analogous with Paradise of earth. She was the original motherland of Atlantis and Egypt. They were her colonies. Lemuria sank beneath the ocean in the world‘s last great worldwide cataclysm. Mu existed in the Pacific ocean, and the Pacific islands, Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands, are all remnants of her. This was over 20,000 years ago. Many believe that she will rise again, at least in the collective heart and soul of all humanity. This poem described my feelings in a way that I could not do much better myself - a twin reflection of my sentiments and my hope for us all of us! The Honorable mentions - I will talk about a few of them. Since I commented on all of your entries, you already know how I reacted to your work, but here are a few of the HM’s that I want to give further “honorable mention to“. I wish that I could do so for all of them, but these stood out the most in my mind. “Kalpa ” won an honorable mention because it reflected an overview of the Cosmos on a grand and astronomical scale. Not only was it eloquently written, but it impressed me with the deeper wisdom and perspective that was reflected therein, by giving one of the most developed and accurate views of the creation of the universe(s) and the dissolution that occurs over and over. It is the Hindu creation myth, that more and more, fits into the most advanced theories of physics and astronomy, (and the Vedic people came to this conclusion thousands of years ago, through spiritual practices!) Orphee's Heartstrings - expressed the pain and suffering of Orpheus so well. wow how in the world did i come up with this??? Very clever imagery and it was refreshingly spontaneous. Sacrifice with Creation - The ancient myth of a god sacrificing himself for the benefit of humanity carried forward to humanity helping humanity! Gasping - Had beautiful imagery and it reflected the tragic fate of both Narcissus and Echo in such a haunting way Lost Messiah - struck a chord with me, because it bravely stated how the most important messages of Jesus have been lost, to love ourselves and one another. I think Jesus is quoted to have said, “…love your neighbor as yourself,” among many other references to love. Another one is, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Lucifer’s Sword - was another really courageous write in that it gave the perspective of the necessity of evil and the role of opposites. Untitled - was fresh and different. I was hoping that someone would write something based on Chinese legend and mythology. It is beautiful, rich, varied and ancient. This was a good job at tackling this creation myth. Poisoned Prophesies - impressed me because it expressed the dilemma of a seer. ..With a flying centaur... An exciting and enchanting poem about a mythological creature with wings taking one everywhere and anywhere in the Universe. The Reflection Looks Back - Was a wonderful interpretation of the Narcissus Myth. Star Garden - Thought-provoking with a lovely play on words. Nyquil Dreams - Because who is to say what is the true reality? "Plus DOCS changent..." - Another great play and twist on the age-old Cinderella story, told from the view point of the Fairy God Mother. Very clever and fun! Rick Rubens, Prometheus - I liked this one because it was clever and portrays modern day fire-givers. I could go on and on - and I wish that I could recap all of the entries which I have read over and relished. You were all great and like I said, you all deserved a trophy; every one of you! Thank you for putting all of your creative minds here in the contest for me to savor. All of you is exquisitely and uniquely talented. Keep writing and thinking because not only are you people good poets, many of you are amazing philosophers as well. That means, that you are seekers of the truth. That is what a philosopher does. Blessings!
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Wow, that would really be something - to wake up and find out that one is a dragon. I believe that these mythical creatures actually existed at one time, and why not? So many animals have become extinct in our very life-time. Dragons were not unlike the winged dinosaurs that once flew in the skies above our earth. I also believe that Unicorns roamed the earth once too. These creatures are kept alive in our hearts, souls and in myths for a reason - because they actually did once live, and their memory is kept alive through myths and legends, that undoubtdedly are somewhat true, and have also been embellished upon.
In reading the story behind this write, I was moved to tears. It is deeply stirring to the inner soul. I am very happy that you recognize the beauty and profound wisdom of Ancient Chinese legend and mythology and have chosen to write about it. It is a culture rich with wisdom and timeless stories of truth and power.
It's cute though, yet profoundly wise. In reading the part about the Cosmic egg, I recall how many religions explain the birth of the Universe (s) this way. The Egyptians say that this Cosmic egg was laid by a Great Cackling Goose! It's as good of an explanation as any - and a Goose has a lot of symbolic represention. The Egyptians and the Chinese and many other cultures, use animals to symbolize aspects of their beliefs and religions. It is very fascinating!
Thank you for writing this marvelous piece and for going to the trouble to provide the background information about it. I learned something today, and this is what I want to do. I am very sorry to hear that your life has been a nightmare - but like this mythical and wise story; out of the chaos and the darkest night, we are reborn into transformation and the light. I think that this is partly what your story is saying about your own, personal transformation and rebirth. Very nice! I too see dragons as creators and protectors. This is a fabulous myth that you have chosen to write about. -
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thank you very much, neisen-chan!
It meant alot to read what you have to say...
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In the beginning, according to Chinese mythology, there was a cosmic egg filled with the darkness of chaos. A giant named P’an Ku was formed in the chaos and he slept, while developing, for eighteen thousand years. When he awakened he broke the egg and the darkness poured out, as well as the light which had been hidden by the chaos. The dark pieces fell and created the Earth, while the bright fragments joined together and floated up creating the heavens. Fearing chaos would return if the brightness above fell into the darkness below, P’an Ku made it his mission to keep the sky and Earth apart until he was certain the world was safe.
Tens of thousands of years passed until P’an Ku was sure his task was complete, with everything in place as it should be. He sunk down to the Earth in exhaustion and died. His expired breath became wind and clouds. His body and limbs formed the mountains and hills, while the blood flowed as streams and rivers. The hair took root as vegetation and his teeth fell to the Earth as precious jewels. By bringing order to chaos and sacrificing himself in the process, the giant P’an Ku created the foundation for all life.
The dragon goddess Nü-Kua emerged from the heavens to see the remains of P’an Ku. Described as a beautiful creature, she roamed the Earth and marvelled at its beauty. Lamenting the world had no one but herself to enjoy it and its offerings, she decided to create humans so P’an Ku’s sacrifice was not in vain. Scooping up clay she lovingly made scores of men and women and lined them up in front of her. As perfect as her creations were, they were inanimate. Her heart reached out and she picked them up. One by one she breathed her Divine breath into their bodies, whispering the secrets of love and creation into their ears inspiring them to populate the Earth and create on their own.
Nü-Kua is also credited with teaching people art and passion, in addition to the importance of irrigation and agriculture. Her male consort Fu Xi, a half-dragon, later taught the skills of hunting, fishing and tending of flocks. He was a teacher of music and is credited with introducing the eight diagrams from which the I Ching was developed.
Upon realizing we have been animated by the Divine breath and given the gift of creation, we are empowered to evolve spiritually while still maintaining respect for the body of P’an Ku, our earthly home.
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