E and Yi
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In Zohist theology, È (惡帝 Èdì) and Yì (異帝 Yìdì) are opposing but interconnected supreme beings. They are often considered to be synonymous with, or emanations of, the concept of Yin and Yang. Accordingly, È is perceived to represent the negative, dark, and feminine energy of the universe, while Yì represents the positive, bright, and masculine energies. In Zohist cosmology, the universe is sustained by the energy of the Primordial Kon, known as qi, and was brought into being by the dreams of Yì. È was brought into being as a negative reaction to the positive creation of Yì, and so fundamentally changed qi from a state of wuji (indivisibility) into its present state of shuāng (duality). È and Yì may thus be considered creator deities, although while this is what defines Yì, È is more often associated with their other qualities.
È embodies what is known as the Regular Irregularity as the ta (他, lit. the other), the antithesis of the tong (同, lit. 'singularity). They are not created by or bound to the Primordial Kon, and are considered an anathema to the universe. In this way they can represent disorder and chaos, but È is often seen in a positive light as the reason for humanity's existence, and as the one who revealed the tao (道, lit. 'path') to enable humans to escape the cycle.
Yì is an embodiment of the Primordial Kon, sometimes perceived as having emanated from the qi from its desire for a consciousness. Yì was born asleep, and it is from his thoughts that the godhead emanates all reality. All reality is therefore ultimately believed to be the dream of the Primordial Kon, given form by qi, shaped by the intrusion of tong, and given meaning by the tao as revealed by È.
Linguistics
Characters
| Historical forms of the characters 惡 and 異 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 惡 (È) | 異 (Yì) | |
| Xiang | Shen | Xiang |
| Small seal script | Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script |
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惡 and 異 are the Traditional Xiaodongese characters for È and Yì respectively.
惡 is a Phono-semantic compound of the pictograms 亞 (house) and 心 (heart).
異 is an ideogram of a man with a mask (田) over his face. Two possible interpretations of this are that it is strange, bizarre or uncommon, or that a Different face highlights its different nature. This is notably an antonym of the Zohist term 同 (tóng, “same”).