Hsi, the mythical sovereign whose reign is ascribed to the years
2953-2838 B.C., as having been the creator of human beings when
the earth first emerged from Chaos. She (or he, for the sex seems
uncertain), who had the "body of a serpent and head of an ox" (or a
human head and horns of an ox, according to some writers), "moulded
yellow earth and made man." Ssu-ma Chêng, of the eighth century A.D.,
author of the _Historical Records_ and of another work on the three
great legendary emperors, Fu Hsi, Shên Nung, and Huang Ti, gives
the following account of her: "Fu Hsi was succeeded by Nü Kua, who
like him had the surname Fêng. Nü Kua had the body of a serpent and
a human head, with the virtuous endowments of a divine sage. Toward
the end of her reign there was among the feudatory princes Kung Kung,
whose functions were the administration of punishment. Violent and
ambitious, he became a rebel, and sought by the influence of water
to overcome that of wood [under which Nü Kua reigned]. He did battle
with Chu Jung [said to have been one of the ministers of Huang Ti,
and later the God of Fire], but was not victorious; whereupon he
struck his head against the Imperfect Mountain, Pu Chou Shan, and
brought it down. The pillars of Heaven were broken and the corners of
the earth gave way. Hereupon Nü Kua melted stones of the five colours
to repair the heavens, and cut off the feet of the tortoise to set
upright the four extremities of the earth. [7] Gathering the ashes
of reeds she stopped the flooding waters, and thus rescued the land
of Chi, Chi Chou [the early seat of the Chinese sovereignty]."

Another account separates the name and makes Nü and Kua brother
and sister, describing them as the only two human beings in
existence. At the creation they were placed at the foot of the K'un-lun
Mountains. Then they prayed, saying, "If thou, O God, hast sent us to
be man and wife, the smoke of our sacrifice will stay in one place;