Flood myths and legends

Yu the Great combats a catastrophic flood by redirecting the Yellow River. With the help of a divine dragon, he cleaves through the rocky Sanmenxia Gorge to allow the waters to flow freely to the sea.

Fuxi and Nüwa, the divine creators of humanity, survive a cataclysmic global flood by seeking refuge inside a magical giant gourd. After the waters recede, they repopulate the earth and teach humans the essential skills of civilization, from fishing to writing.

When the Great Flood threatened to consume the world, the hero Gun stole the magical expanding soil known as Xirang from the heavens to build dams and save humanity. This act of divine theft enraged the Jade Emperor, who dispatched the Fire God Zhurong to execute Gun on the slopes of Mount Yushan. Though Gun perished, his body remained incorruptible and eventually gave birth to his son, Yu...

The legend of Yu the Great depicts a heroic leader who spent thirteen years taming the catastrophic Great Flood of China. This specific story highlights his extreme dedication, as he passed his own home three times during his labors, hearing his family inside but refusing to enter until the waters were controlled.

Following the corruption of the Bronze Age, Zeus decided to cleanse the earth with a massive deluge. Deucalion and Pyrrha, the only two humans who remained pious and humble, were warned by Prometheus to build an ark. After surviving the flood on Mount Parnassus, they repopulated the world by throwing stones—the 'bones' of Mother Earth—over their shoulders, which transformed into a new race of...

During the Great Flood of China, the hero Gun stole the magical self-expanding soil known as Xirang from the Heavens to dam the rising waters. Although he successfully halted the floods for a time, the Emperor of Heaven was enraged by the theft and ordered Gun's execution at Feather Mountain. From the remains of the fallen hero, his son Yu the Great was born to complete the task of taming the...

The legendary Yu the Great battles the monstrous nine-headed serpent Xiangliu, whose venom transforms fertile lands into desolate miasmas. Through strategic cunning and endurance, Yu manages to slay the beast to end the Great Flood's devastation and restore life to the earth.

This legend chronicles the transition of power from the sage-king Emperor Shun to his successor Yu the Great. Recognizing that his own son lacked the character to lead, Shun chose Yu because of his tireless work in taming the Great Flood and his unmatched dedication to the people's welfare. This act established the 'shanrang' system of meritocratic succession, prioritizing virtue and skill...

In the primordial age of Norse mythology, the gods Odin, Vili, and Ve slew the first giant, Ymir, whose body formed the world. The resulting deluge of his blood was so vast that it drowned nearly the entire race of Frost Giants, with only Bergelmir and his wife surviving to repopulate their kind. This cosmic event marks the transition from primordial chaos to the ordered world of the Aesir.

A myth detailing the efforts of Yu the Great to control the devastating floods of ancient China. In a creative retelling, he transforms into a giant bear to carve paths through the stubborn mountains of Mount Tu to allow waters to drain into the sea.