Chaos - a Creation Constant

The ordering of chaos is not always a singular event. Many cultures have in their cosmology the idea of an oscillating universe that is in a continuous process of creating and destroying itself. The Aztecs believed that the degree of chaos in the universe was in flux, rising to a state of complete chaos and then settling back into order. Though chaos is a common theme in creation, the stories of creation in various cultures are far from consistent.

Chinese mythology has its own contribution to the world collection of chaos mythology. We read of a set of primordial emperors - Shu, emperor of the Northern Sea; Hu, emperor of the Southern Sea; and Hun Dun, emperor of the centre. While Hu and Shu are human in appearance, Hun Dun resembles an egg - though an anthropomorphic one, with a personality and will. He is also meant to represent primordial chaos. The cosmic egg, with its potential for creation but latent unrealized state is a popular image of primordial material in many cultures. Hun Dun invited Hu and Shu to his kingdom in order to teach them the ways of civilization. He succeeded, and the two emperors were grateful for the lesson. In hoping to repay Hun Dun for his kindness, they took it upon themselves to make him more human. As an egg he did not possess the seven orifices that humans possess, thus Hu and Shu carved seven holes into Hun Dun, inadvertently killing their host. In this way order was brought to the world, though in this case it was a mistake rather than a grand creation - an idea that is consistent with the Daoist worldview.

What does chaos mean to us who study myth? One is tempted to label it an archetype in the style of Carl Jung. It appears in the vast majority of mythology, and often indicates the same thing to so many different people. Though it represents a generative source, it must be remade in order for it to be fruitful. Perhaps chaos represents the organization of early humanity. Before congregating in groups as communities humans were unordered and chaotic. The beginning of social order could be thought of as a kind of "creation". Chaos indicates the dangerous state from which humanity escaped by banding together as social groups and organizing themselves. Though this is entirely speculation, it is

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