Zhepama and Zhemima: the myth Achang

In the beginning the world was an air mass in chaos. The first thing that appeared the light was, and after her the darkness. From the interaction between the light and the darkness there arose Zhepama or the Celestial Father and Zhemima or the Earthly Mother.

In the existing gap after his creation Zhepama, with the help of a magic whip, he devotes himself to create the sky, later it creates the sun and the moon, there being started his breasts (that's why the men do not have) believe two high mountains, on which it places to the sun and to the moon. Between both mountains it creates a tree in such a way that the sun and the moon are chased, when the sun is seen it is day, if the moon is seen, at night. Then it creates the clouds, stars and everything what exists in the sky.

Next Zhepima weaves the ground. With the hair of his face and very much fond Zhemima it creates the ground of this one, of the south, of the west and of the north. Zhemima bleeds, and of his blood there are created the seas that surround the ground. Then of his meat it creates a big ship, on which he rests the ground. But the ground is bigger than the sky, and this one cannot cover it completely. Of that time Zhemima causes an earthquake and the mountains arise, and the sky fits already perfectly to the ground.

Of that time Zhepama and Zhemima know each other, and from the admiration that each one feels for the work of other the love arises, and the desire to create someone who dominates this world. After consulting to the nature they decide to marry. After nine married years Zhemima he gives birth to a seed of pumpkin, which for nine years grew up to doing to him an enormous tree, of which only one went out flower, which was still late nine more years in germinating in a pumpkin that was growing and growing, threatening to make explode the world. Of that time Zhepama gave a lash with his magic whip doing a hole in the pumpkin for which nine children went out. Zhepama and Zhemima taught to the children the proper tasks of every sex. These nine children are the ancestors of all the nations.

One day fell down a deluge. Zhepama asked Zhemima to sew the world. She could sew him for the East, the north and the west. To cover the south Zhepama it was with his personal details and he constructed a big wall and a door, the called South Door of the Sky. The humanity of the south asked Zhepama not to leave them, and especially it was done by the Goddess of the Salt, which he ended up by marrying.

While Zhepama was living in the south, the Demon of the Drought did his appearance in the world, where it takes the desolation. It places the sun in the sky that does not move and burns everything. There is already neither day nor night and the whole world is in disorder. Zhemima cannot finish with the Demon of the Drought, and he can only wait for the Zhepama return. This one, who does not know anything from what it is going on, keeps on living so happy in the south. Before the desperation of Zhemima a cat offers to go out in search of Zhepama. After a long trip it tells him the situation.

Before the insistence of the humanity of the south so that it should not leave them, Zhepama promises them that north and south will remain connected. Zhepama challenges the Demon of the Drought to measure his magic powers, in such a way that the one who wins will be the owner of the world. The Demon of the Drought dries a peach tree with a fire beam asking: ": Who is not afraid to the death?"

"The one that loves the life is not afraid of the death" Zhepama answers Him while with a water jet the tree makes grow green again again.

They do then a sleep duel. That one that has a nightmare turns into the loser. During two nights Zhepama had magnificent sleep, while the Demon of the Drought was suffering nightmares with his defeat.

It was recognized then defeated.

Zhepama invited to eat the Demon of the Drought, and Zhemima put poison in the meal. The demon died. Zhepama carved him up and threw him to an abyss. Since then the world lives in order.

Copyright © 2004 www.wuhancom.net