In other versions, this creature is a rabbit and is known as the Jade Rabbit.Ĭhang’e’s name was originally Heng’e, but it was changed when the heng character was the same one used in a Han emperor’s name or to a different heng character since it was taboo to share an imperial name. There are versions that tell of Chang’e changing into an ugly toad after she escapes to the moon, as there are Han iconography that shows a toad on the moon, standing on its hind legs, holding a pestle to pound the elixir into a mortar.
#THE MOON RABBIT ELIXIR OF IMMORTALITY FULL#
The next time that you look at a big full moon, try to see if you can spy out the rabbit denoted through the shadows on the moon’s surface! A rabbit can often be seen running on the moon or pounding an elixir of immortality in front of Xiwangmu in Han dynasty iconography.Īt the beginning of the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), Hou Yi is said to receive the elixir from Xiwangmu and Chang’e stole it from him and consumed it. Scholars believe that the toad and rabbit originated independent of the Chang’e myth and were later combined through the centuries. The idea of the moon rabbit can be found in other Eastern as well as Indigenous cultures as well.
Although the idea of the rabbit and the toad can be found in texts from the Warring States. There is no mention of the Jade Rabbit, a toad, or Chang’e’s husband, the hero archer, Hou Yi. After she consumed the drink, she flew to the moon and became the spirit of the moon. In Guizang, a divination book of that time, known only through later quotation, Chang’e is said to have stolen the elixir of immortality from 西王母 Queen Mother of the West. The earliest traces of her myth can be dated to the 5th century BC during the period of the Warring States. In reflecting upon the cosmic stories that my ancestors knew of, believed in, depicted beautiful works of art on, I have felt connected to, and inspired by the stories, and I want to share what I’ve learned on how Chang’e’s story has changed over time. It has also deepened my reverence for mythology, by expanding beyond the Western Greco-Roman tradition, which has informed a lot of who I am, but is not the only wisdom tradition, or even the most important one for me right now. Having these conversations with my mom can be difficult because in assimilating to the dominant culture, in asking questions about my ancestral culture, there’s always a question I get back, why are you asking? I get the impression, what is the point of talking about it? Is there a use for it, and is it even safe? Assimilation is a bitch.īut by doing my own research, and continuing to have these conversations, my relationship with my mom has become more authentic and close. I’ve always been spellbound by myths and fairy tales, and I’ve found myself naturally exploring Chinese mythology, as this is one way that I am reclaiming my ancestral practices through mythology.
In other versions, it is the hardworking Jade Rabbit that is pounding the elixir, of service to Chang’e. In some versions of the myth, she transforms into a toad when she is on the moon, interpreted as a punishment for drinking the elixir, and she is pounding the elixir with a mortar and pestle. In iconography, she is often carrying the Jade Rabbit in her arms. Chang’e is the spirit of the moon, an immortal woman, a moon goddess that is often depicted as a beautiful woman symbolizing elegance, grace, and charm that lives on the moon, after drinking an elixir of immortality.
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