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Legend of Nian Monster

The Legend of Nian Monster

Chinese people held the first New Year Festival more than 3,000 years ago. Farmers gave thanks for the harvest and prayed. They asked the gods for good crops in the coming year.

But there is a story behind all the celebration, below is the legend of how the Chinese New Year celebration began.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster called "Nian" ("year") that would come out to eat people and animals on the eve of every New Year. To avoid the monster's attack, people would flee to the depth of the mountains and call this day "Nian Guan" (meaning "the Pass of Nian"). On one New Year's Eve, there came an old beggar in Peach Blossom Village, where an old lady gave him some food and asked him to hide himself in the mountain to avoid the monster Nian. The old man promised that he could drive the monster away as long as he was put up for the night at the old lady's home. Being unable to persuade the old man into hiding in the mountain, the old lady went alone. In the middle of the night, the monster Nian dashed into the village. He trembled and cried when he saw the red paper on the door of the old lady's house, which was brightly lit. Just as the monster reached the entrance, there came blasting sounds that prevented him from moving any further. At that time, the old man, wearing a red robe, opened the door and the monster was scared away.

The following year, the villagers were ready for it. They set off firecrackers, lit all their lamps and decorated their houses in red, they paste red paper on the doors, wear red clothing, hang up red lanterns. They made loud music, play the gong and drums and they dance and burn the fireworks whenever Nian was about to arrive, to scared away the beast.This is how these customs came into being.




List of Gods : "Nian" - 306 records

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Name ▲▼Origin ▲▼Description ▲▼
God name
"Enki aka Ea"
Mesopotamia / Sumeria A deity later known as Ea in Babylonian mythology, originally chief God of the city of Eridu. Mesopotamia / Sumeria
God name
"Ennugi"
Mesopotamian / Sumerian / BabylonianAkkadian God. The attendant and throne-bearer of ENLIL (ELLIL)....
God name
"Enzu"
Mesopotamian / Babylonian - Akkadian God. The name is a corruption, apparently a misreading of Suen, the archaic form of SIN....
God name
"Erra"
Mesopotamian / Babylonian Akkadian God of war. Known chiefly from the Erra Epic, circa 1000 BC, he is also the god of raids, riots and scorched earth. Closely identified with the god NERGAL, his cult center is Emeslam in the city of Kutha (lost). In Babylonian times he is identified as a plague god....

"Eucleia"
Greek A personification of the glory which the Athenians had reaped in the battle of Marathon. Greek
Demon name
"Eurytion"
Greek A son of Irus and demon&;aring;śśa, and a grandson of Actor, is mentioned among the Argonauts. (Argonautica) According to others he was a son of Actor, and he is also called Eurytus. (Apollodorus i) When Peleus was expelled from his dominions, he fled to Eurytion and married his daughter Antigone but in shooting at the Calydonian boar, Peleus inadvertently killed his father-in-law, (Apollodorus iii)
Goddess name
"Gabija"
Pre - Christian Lithuanian Fire goddess. She was invoked by tossing salt on to a sacred flame....
Goddess name
"Gabjauja"
Pre - Christian Lithuanian corn goddess. She was degraded to an evil demonic presence after Christianization....
Deity name
"Gad"
Babylonian The pan-Semitic deity of fortune worshipped during the babylonian captivity.
Goddess name
"Gad"
Western Semitic / Punic / Carthaginian God of uncertain status. Probably concerned with chance or fortune and known from Palmyrene inscriptions, and from the Vetus Testamentum in place names such as Baal-Gad and Midal-Gad. Popular across a wide area of Syrio-Palestine and Anatolia in preBiblical times. Thought to have been syncretized ultimately with the Greek goddess TYCHE....
Spirit name
"Gaila"
Lithuanian A spirit of night, which obsessed people and animals in dreams. Lithuanian
Goddess name
"Galla"
Mesopotamian / Sumerian / Babylonian - Akkadian Minor underworld gods. Attendants of the goddess ERES KIGAL. Also Gallu....
Goddess name
"Gatumdug"
Mesopotamian / Sumerian / Babylonian - Akkadian Fertility goddess. The daughter of the sky god AN, she is the tutelary mother goddess of Lagas'....
God name
"Gerra"
Mesopotamian / BabylonianAkkadian God of fire. Derived from the Sumerian GIBIL, he is the son of ANU and ANUNITU and becomes largely syncretized with both ERRA and NERGAL....
God name
"Ges”tu"
Mesopotamian / Sumerian / Babylonian - Akkadian Minor god of intellect. According to legend he was sacrificed by the great gods and his blood was used in the creation of mankind....

"Geush Urvan"
Iranian Soul of The Bull, the power of Mother earth. Iranian
Goddess name
"Giliiie"
Pre - Christian Lithuanian Goddess of death. She is said to enter the house of a dying person, dressed in a white gown, and suffocate them....
God name
"Giszida"
Mesopotamian / Sumerian / BabylonianAkkadian God. See Nin-giszida. See also NINGISZIDA....
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