女娲

The 《淮南子》 tells how the pillars of the sky broke and 女娲 melted stones of five colours to patch the sky, then cut the legs off a giant turtle to prop it up again. Later tellings join this to the story of the water god 共工, who broke a pillar of heaven by butting 不周山 in a rage. She is often paired with 伏羲 as the first ancestors of humankind.

Don't confuse 女娲 with 女娃, the daughter of 炎帝 who drowned in the East Sea and became the bird 精卫. 娲 is used only in the goddess's name.