Kua Fu

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Jingwei, from 17th century version of Shanhaijing. After original drawing by Hu Wenhuan.[1]

Kua Fu or Kuafu (Chinese: 夸父) is a giant in Chinese mythology who wished to capture the sun.[2]

Kuafu was a grandson of Houtu.[3]

One day, Kuafu decided to chase and catch the Sun. With each stride he gets closer to the Sun, however, he could never catch up to it.

He followed the Sun from the East to the West, draining all rivers and lakes crossing his path as sources of water to quench his burning thirst as he closed in on the star. However, he wasn't able to finish his quest because he died of the extreme heat and exhaustion.

The wooden club he was carrying grew into a vast forest. In modern day Chinese usage, the story of Kua Fu chasing the sun (夸父追日) is used to describe a person who fails to obtain his goal because he greatly overestimates himself.

See also

  • Icarus: comparative character in Greek mythology
  • Kuafu: Chinese space program name usage

References

  • Yang, Lihui, et al. (2005). Handbook of Chinese Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533263-6

Notes

  1. ↑ Yang, 154
  2. ↑ "Chinese Myth". Archived from the original on 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
  3. ↑ Yang, 155 and 263
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