Nüba

Nüba (Chinese: 女魃; pinyin: nǚbá), also known as Ba (魃) and as Hanba (旱魃), is a Chinese drought deity. "Ba" is her proper name, with the nü being an added indication of being feminine and han meaning "drought".

Legend

Ba is the daughter of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) whom she aided during his Battle at Zhuolu against Chiyou. After Chiyou had fielded a wind god (Feng Bo) and a rain god (Yu Shi), Ba descended from heaven to use her drought power to defeat their wind and rain powers. She is one of the first goddesses attested to in Chinese literature, appearing in the early collection of poetry, the Shijing, as well as in the later Shanhaijing.^[1] Nüba can be considered to be an ancient Chinese mythical drought demon.^[2] After having descended from Heaven to aid Huangdi at Zhuolu, instead of returning to heaven, Ba wandered to the northern parts of the earth. Wherever Ba appeared, there would be a drought. In the Book of the Later Han, Yinglong was connected as a companion to Nüba in the myth. They fought simultaneously against Chiyou's forces. This relationship led to the mythological romance of Nüba and Yinglong in later centuries. She is one of the four ancestors of the jiangshi. She became a jiangshi by one part of Denglong's soul entering her body.

Appearance

Ba is described in the Shanhaijing as dressed in green clothes.^[3] In the Shenyijing of the Han dynasty or Six Dynasties times, she is described as being about two to three chis in height, but otherwise looking like a person, who walked naked as fast as the wind.^[4]^[5]

Rain ceremonies

Up through the middle of the twentieth century, ceremonies to produce rain were held in many regions of China. The basic idea of these ceremonies, which could last several hours, was to drive Ba out of the region. Once Ba was chased away, then the drought was thought to depart along with her and rain would then be sure to soon commence.

Notes

^ Yang et al 2005, 79-80
^ DeFelice, Jim (2010). Chinese Mythology A to Z, Second Edition. Chelsea House, New York. ISBN 978-1-60413-436-0.
^ Strassberg, Richard E. (2002). A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 221–222. ISBN 0-520-21844-2.
^ Shenyijing "Classic of the Eastern Wilderness: Ten Examples" quote: "南方有人，長二三尺，袒身而目在頂上。走行如風，名曰𪕰。所之國大旱。[29]一名格子。善行，市朝眾中，遇之者，投著廁中乃死，旱災消。《詩》曰：旱魃為虐。或曰生捕得殺之，禍去福來。" note [29]: "俗曰旱魃。"
^ Yang, 78

References

Yang, Lihui, et al. (2005). Handbook of Chinese Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533263-6

[1] Yang et al 2005, 79-80

[2] DeFelice, Jim (2010). Chinese Mythology A to Z, Second Edition. Chelsea House, New York. ISBN 978-1-60413-436-0.

[3] Strassberg, Richard E. (2002). A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 221–222. ISBN 0-520-21844-2.

[4] Shenyijing "Classic of the Eastern Wilderness: Ten Examples" quote: "南方有人，長二三尺，袒身而目在頂上。走行如風，名曰𪕰。所之國大旱。[29]一名格子。善行，市朝眾中，遇之者，投著廁中乃死，旱災消。《詩》曰：旱魃為虐。或曰生捕得殺之，禍去福來。" note [29]: "俗曰旱魃。"

[5] Yang, 78

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