In The Grand Design: New Answers to the Ultimate Questions of Life (2010), co-written by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow:
The Chinese tell of a time during the Hsia dynasty (c. 2205-c.1782 BC) when our cosmic environment suddenly changed. Ten suns appeared in the sky. The people on earth suffered greatly from the heat, so the emperor ordered a famous archer to shoot down the extra suns. The archer was rewarded with a pill that had the power to make him immortal, but his wife stole it. For that offence she was banished to the moon. (p. 149, Ch. 7 "The Apparent Miracle")
This does not entirely match my memory of the story (I am sure there are many different versions). Still, I am glad a Chinese legend makes an appearance in this interesting and influential book.
It's always the lady who does something disobedient and gets punished... like Eve, or Lot's wife getting turned into a pillar of salt. So unrealistic! (Although a pill to make you immortal is worth stealing) ;)
ReplyDeleteIndeed, G, the woman is always the culprit!
ReplyDelete