Note 17 — Chapter XIV · Creation Myths and the God and Goddess Cults

Professor Giles adds: “The Commentary tells us that Nu Chi was a ‘divine maiden’, but nothing more seems to be known about her”. It is evident that she was a virgin goddess, who, like the Egyptian Nut, was the spirit of the cosmic waters.17 It is of interest to find the memory of the poet associated with the Dragon-boat Festival, which, according to Chinese belief, had origin because he drowned himself in the Ni-ro River. There is evidence, however, that the festival had quite another origin. Dragon-boats were used in China on the fifth day of the fifth month at water festivals. They were “big ships adorned with carved dragon ornaments”, the yih bird being painted on the prow.18 De Visser says that these boats were used by emperors for pleasure trips, and music was played on board them. “The bird was painted, not to denote their swift sailing, but to suppress the water-gods.”19 According to De Groot, dragon-boat races were “intended to represent fighting dragons in order to cause a real dragon fight, which is always accompanied by heavy rains. The dragon-boats carried through the streets may also serve to cause rain, although they are at the same time considered to be substitutes.”20