Last Update: 16 December 2003
Going Home Where Dragons Came From Myths, Tales, and More Legends The Many Dragon Types Chart of All Dragons Herein Contained Sources and Sites for more Amusement


Kung Kung / Kun / Yu
Return to the China Page

Region: China
Time Period: Unknown
References in Literature: None
Sources: Ancient Deities, pg 280, Python

Caused major earthquakes and the Deluge when he hit the pillars of Heaven and they collapsed. What a headache.
  • Snake's body, man's face, horns, red hair

"In the Shu Ching he has been transformed into an incompetant Minister of Works, who could not or did not prevent the floods. The Lord sent Kun to do the work; but he failed after nine years of effort. Then the Lord sent Yu, who is sometimes considered to be Kun's on. Yu was successful, and then he punished not only the unfortunate Minister of Works, but also Huan Tau, who had recommended him, and the unsuccessful Kun. The latter two were both confined upon a mountain, while Kung Kung was banished to an island." Source: Python: A Study of Delphic Myth and Its Origins, pg 493.

"Yu succeeds Kun and kills him. Huan Tan is Kung Kung's backer. The displaced god is confused with the dragon, as elsewhere: Kun becomes a fish-bodied spirit of the Yellow River, while the monstrous Ch'ih Yu, river god of the Siang, is sometimes a rebel against the emperor god Huang Ti." Pg 495.

Related tales:
  • Kun is to Yu as Ea/Enlil is to Ninurta and Marduk

back to the top