Fuxi, Fu Xi or Fu Hsi (伏羲) is the first legendary Chinese emperor. A primordial deity, he and the feminine deity Nüwa create humans, music, tea, hunting, fishing, cooking, animal and crop domestication. The pair often appear with human heads and serpent bodies.
During the era of Nüwa, the predecessor of Fuxi, society forms under a matriarchal and primitive structure. The miracle of childbirth is exclusively attributed to women, with no need for male involvement. Children are solely connected to their mothers.
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With growing awareness of the reproductive process, ancient Chinese civilization transitions towards a patriarchal system. Fu Xi becomes a figure of paramount importance.
"In the beginning there was as yet no moral or social order. Men knew their mothers only, not their fathers. When hungry, they searched for food; when satisfied, they threw away the remnants. They devoured their food hide and hair, drank the blood, and clad themselves in skins and rushes.
Then came Fu Xi and looked upward and contemplated the images in the heavens, and looked downward and contemplated the occurrences on earth. He united man and wife, regulated the five stages of change, and laid down the laws of humanity. He devised the eight trigrams, in order to gain mastery over the world."
(Ban Gu, Baihu tongyi).
Fuxi is also credited with inventing the Cangjie writing system c. 2900 BCE; however, more than one person is attributed as creator, including Cangjie himself. A mythical entity, Cangjie is an official historian of the Yellow Emperor Huangdi.
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According to legend Cangjie has four eyes. When he invents the characters, the deities and ghosts cry and the sky rains millet. Monuments and temples are erected in Cangjie's honor on the bank of the river where he sat and created the characters.
Fuxi is a Taoist deity, and with Nüwa and Shennong, a member of the Three Sovereigns at the start of the Chinese dynastic period. He may be shown as human with snake attributes, "a leaf-wreathed head growing out of a mountain", "or as a man clothed with animal skins."
He's also known as Bao Xi (包牺) and Mi Xi (宓羲). The Three Sovereigns (三皇) or Three August Ones, god-rulers or demigods, use their magic to improve the lives of their people. The reign of each deity lasts many years. These are times of peace and prosperity.
According to the I Ching:
"In the old times of King Fuxi’s regime, he observes sky and the stars when he looks upwards, and researches the earth when he looks downwards, and watches the birds and beasts to see how they live in their environment.
He takes examples from nearby and far away, then makes 8 Yin Yang signs to simulate the rules of universe. After Fuxi dies, Shennong rises. He makes the Plow and teaches people how to raise crops and fish. He invents money and market for the exchange of goods."
In Chinese mythology, Pangu is the major creation god. A giant, he sleeps within an egg of chaos. When he wakes he stands and divides sky and earth. Then he dies, and his body turns into rivers, mountains, plants, animals, and all else in the world.
Among these creations is the powerful being Huaxu. Huaxu gives birth to a twins Fuxi and Nüwa. Upon their emergence into the world, Fuxi and Nüwa have human heads and bodies of snakes.
Origin myths can vary. Known as the "original god" Fuxi may be born in the lower-middle reaches of the Yellow River in a place called Chengji. His mother is a leader during the matriarchal society as the Chinese people develop language skills.
In this case Fuxi and Nüwa are leaders in the early patriarchal society (c. 2600 BCE). This society develops with the creation of the marriage rituals. They're also the gods of silk.
According to legend, the goddess of the Luo River, Mifei, is the daughter of Fuxi. In some versions she is Fuxi's consort. She drowns in the Luo River while crossing it and becomes the spirit of the river.
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Fuxi is unequivocally recognized as the pioneer of the divination methods that have been passed down through generations preceding the I Ching. In other accounts, he's attributed with the invention of certain sections of the I Ching.
His gift of divination arises from a profound understanding of the He Map (also called Yellow River Map). According to legend, Fuxi deciphers the trigrams of the I Ching from markings on the back of a dragon horse or turtle emerging from the the Luo River.
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This precedes the compilation of the I Ching during the Zhou dynasty and is said to be the origin of calligraphy. Fuxi is also credited with the invention of the Guqin or Chinese zither musical instrument, though credit for this is also given to Shennong and Yellow Emperor.
Use of the Guqin or Chinese zither goes back about 3,000 years. A plucked seven-string musical instrument, it's favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.