Is “Making humans from clay” true?

novel invention

The widely circulated myth of Nüwa making humans from clay is not explicitly recorded in early pre-Qin texts. The Songs of Chu, 'Tianwen', only raises the question, 'Nüwa has a body, who crafted it?' The Classic of Mountains and Seas, 'Dahuang Xijing', only mentions ten gods named Nüwa's intestines. The claim of making humans from yellow clay finds no basis in the aforementioned early texts; it is the result of gradual formation in later folk legends.

Nüwa

The cause of mending the sky and the making of humans from clay are described differently.

Other claims about Nüwa

Sources cited above. Compiled with AI assistance and checked against those sources; for cultural reference.Data & method →

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