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Chang'e

Goddess of the Moon

General Information

Species

Goddess

Biological sex

Female

Aliases

Heng'wo(恒我)Heng'e(恒娥)

Su'e(素娥)Chang'e(常娥)

Titles

The Moon Goddess Faerie of The Gunghan Palace(广寒宫)

Symbols

the MoonRabbit ToadMooncakes

Relationships

Consorts

Hou Yi

Affinity

Jade Rabbit(玉兔)Gold Toad(金蟾)Wu Gang(吴刚)

Others

Zhu bajie(Her admirer)

Affiliation

Jade EmperorTaiyin Xingjun(in Journey to the West)

Languages

Zhōngwén(Chinese)

嫦娥

Chang'e, originally named Heng'e (renamed Chang'e to avoid taboos related to Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty), is a moon goddess in ancient Chinese mythology. The myth of "Chang'e flying to the moon" originated from the ancient people's worship of stars, and the story of Chang'e first appeared in Gui Cang. The complete story of Chang'e flying to the moon was first recorded in Huainanzi·Lanmingxun of the Western Han Dynasty. In Huainanzi·Wai Ba Pian, Hou Yi obtained the elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West, which was known to Pang Meng. Pang Meng went to steal it from Hou Yi, but was discovered by Chang'e. Pang Meng then tried to harm Chang'e. In desperation, Chang'e swallowed the elixir and flew to the Guanghan Palace.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the marital relationship between Chang'e and Yi was established, and after entering the moon palace, Chang'e turned into a toad pounding medicine. After the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Chang'e's image returned to that of a woman.

It is said that Chang'e and Yi pioneered the system of monogamy. Later generations, in memory of them, created the story of Chang'e flying to the moon, and many folk legends, poems and songs about it have been passed down. In mythological legends, Chang'e flew to the moon and became an immortal by stealing the elixir of immortality that Yi had obtained from the Queen Mother of the West, and lived in the Guanghan Palace on the moon.

In Journey to the West, "Chang'e" is also the title of the fairies living in the Guanghan Palace, who are responsible for serving Taiyin Xingjun, the moon goddess. In folk legends, the most common Chang'e is Heng'e, the protagonist of the story of Chang'e flying to the moon.

1 Story
2 In popular culture
3 Trivia
4 Gallery

Story[]

Long time ago, 9 suns scorched the Earth and burnt famers' crops. Hou Yi, an archer, was sent by the villagers to shoot them out of the sky. After he did his honor to protect the village, Hou Yi was rewarded the Elixir of Life by the gods. Hou Yi met Chang'e and quickly fell in love with her. He went to the gods and asked them for an Elixir of Immortality so that he could be forever together with Chang'e. The couple planned on drinking the elixir on the 15th of August while the moon was full (when the Mid - Autumn Festival is held today). A jealous man, Feng Meng, overheard their plan and tried to steal the elixir for himself. When Chang'e found out that Feng Meng had tried to steal the elixir, she had drunk the bottle by herself and was sent to the moon as an immortal deity, thus becoming the goddess of the moon. After realizing that Chang' e was gone, Hou Yi would offer food every year on the August 15, to honor his wife.

In popular culture[]

A series of Chinese lunar spacecraft are nicknamed Chang'e in reference to the goddess.
The Mid -Autumn Festival is celebrated yearly on the 15th of August to honor her.
Chang'e also had a major appearance in the Netflix Movie, Over the Moon.
She inspired the character Princess Yue in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
She appears in many Chinese games, such as Honor of Kings(王者荣耀), Fantasy Westward Journey(梦幻西游), and Extraordinary Ones(非人学院).
She also features in numerous film and television works as well as comics, including Journey to the West(西游记), A Pig Fell from the Sky(天上掉下个猪八戒), and One Hundred Thousand Bad Jokes(十万个冷笑话).

Trivia[]

She is one of the most well - known goddesses in Chinese mythology.
Chang'e's pet rabbit, is the Jade Rabbit.
Chang'e has a close connection with toads. In some mythological records, after flying to the moon, Chang'e transformed into a toad. In ancient Chinese murals and cultural relics, the toad was the animal symbolizing the moon, just as the golden crow represented the sun. This is related to the ancient Chinese worship of animals: the toad was regarded as a symbol of fertility and longevity. Another saying holds that because the craters on the moon's surface resemble toads and rabbits in shape, the legends of the golden toad and jade rabbit on the moon came into being.
Some of the Chinese spacecrafts are named after her.
Chang'e is often confused with other moon goddesses in Chinese mythology, such as Changxi. Known as the "Mother of the Moon", Changxi, along with Xihe, the sun goddess, was both a wife of Di Jun. She gave birth to twelve moons, among which was Taiyin Xingjun, the second-generation moon goddess. Many people believe that Chang'e (specifically referring to Heng'e who flew to the moon) and Taiyin Xingjun are actually the same person. However, although both belong to Chinese myths, they are not figures from the same system: Taiyin Xingjun is a figure in Taoist mythology, while Chang'e is a figure in Chinese folk mythology. In Journey to the West, the "Chang'e" are maidens serving Taiyin Xingjun.
In some versions, Chang'e is also depicted as having half human body half snakes body. In the mural of an Eastern Han Dynasty mausoleum, a moon disc is carved in the upper left of the painting, with a toad squatting inside it. To its right is carved a woman representing Chang'e, with a high bun on her head, a human head and a snake body, wearing a long robe with wide sleeves, stretching out her hands forward, having double claws on her hips, and a curved tail trailing behind. She faces the moon disc, appearing to rise gracefully. Snakes are also regarded as animals symbolizing longevity in Chinese mythology. In ancient China, their behavior of shedding skin was considered a magic that allowed transformation, enabling them to turn into dragons. Snakes are also a symbol of Nuwa.