中國神話

The tradition & historical record

Chinese mythology (traditional Chinese: 中國神話; simplified Chinese: 中国神话; pinyin: Zhōngguó shénhuà), is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural traditions. Populated with engaging narratives featuring extraordinary individuals and beings endowed with magical powers, these stories often unfold in fantastical mythological realms or historical epochs. Similar to numerous other mythologies, Chinese mythology has historically been regarded, at least partially, as a factual record of the past. Along with Chinese folklore, Chinese mythology forms an important part of Chinese folk religion and of religious Taoism. Many narratives recounting characters and events from ancient times exhibit a dual tradition: one that presents a more historicized or euhemerized interpretation, and another that offers a more mythological perspective. Numerous myths delve into the creation and cosmology of the universe, exploring the origins of deities and heavenly inhabitants. Some narratives specifically address the topic of creation, unraveling the beginnings of things, people, and culture. Additionally, certain myths are dedicated to the genesis of the Chinese state. ¹

Ancient myths: Pangu creating the world with his body, Nuwa mending the sky and creating human beings, Jingwei filling the sea, Kuafu chasing the sun, Dayu controlling the flood, Gonggong hitting Mount Buzhou in anger, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs, Cangjie creating characters, Xingtian dancing with Ganqi, Suiren drilling wood to make fire, Yugong moving the mountains, and many other famous myths. Folk myths and legends: The Legend of the White Snake, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, Chang'e Flying to the Moon, Houyi Shooting the Sun, Wu Gang Cutting the Cassia Tree, Meng Jiangnu, Weeping Down the Great Wall, Drilling Two Woods to Make Fire, Black Dog Eating the Moon, The Butterfly Lovers, Foolish Old Man Moving Mountains, Goddess of Luo River and Mi Fei, King Mu's Journey to the West, Magu Offering Longevity, Danzhu Turning into a Bird, The Slaying of the Unicorn, Lark Exterminating the Dragon, King Wang's Crying Cuckoo, The Acacia Tree, Jigong, The Legend of New Year's Eve, The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Signs, The Carp Leaping over the Dragon Gate, The Money Tree and the Treasure Bowl, The Seven Brothers of the Yang Family, The Five Brothers, The Book from Heaven, The Legend of the Dragon Boat Festival, The Legend of Sun Moon Lake and other famous myths and legends. Literary myths and legends: Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, Havoc in Heaven, Journey to the West, Investiture of the Gods, Splitting the Mountain to Save the Mother, The Precious Lotus Lantern and other famous myths and legends. ¹

Significant interplay exists between Chinese mythology and the philosophical traditions of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Elements of pre-Han dynasty mythology such as those in Classic of Mountains and Seas were adapted into these belief systems as they developed (in the case of Taoism), or were assimilated into Chinese culture (in the case of Buddhism). Conversely, teachings and beliefs from Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have, in turn, become integral components of Chinese mythology. For example, the Taoist belief of a spiritual paradise became incorporated into mythology as the place where immortals and deities dwell. Sometimes mythological and religious ideas have become widespread across China's many regions and diverse ethnic societies. In other cases, beliefs are more limited to certain social groups, for example, the veneration of white stones by the Qiang. One mythological theme that has a long history and many variations involves a shamanic world view, for example in the cases of Mongolian shamanism among the Mongols, Hmong shamanism among the Miao people, and the shamanic beliefs of the Qing dynasty from 1643 to 1912, derived from the Manchus. Politically, mythology was often used to legitimize the dynasties of China, with the founding house of a dynasty claiming a divine descent. ¹

Elaborations on the wuxing are not really part of mythology, although belief in five elements could appear. The Hundred Schools of Thought is a phrase suggesting the diversity of philosophical thought that developed during the Warring States of China. Then, and subsequently, philosophical movements had a complicated relationship with mythology. However, as far as they influence or are influenced by mythology, divides the philosophical camps into two rough halves, a Liberal group and a Conservative group. The liberal group being associated with the idea of individuality and change, for example as seen in the mythology of divination in China, such as the mythology of the dragon horse that delivered the eight bagua diagrams to Fu Xi, and methods of individual empowerment as seen in the Yi Jing (Book of Changes). The Liberal tendency is towards individual freedom, Daoism, and Nature. The relationship of the Conservative philosophies to mythology is seen in the legendary Nine Tripod Cauldrons, mythology about the emperors and central bureaucratic governance, Confucianism, written histories, ceremonial observances, subordination of the individual to the social groups of family and state, and a fixation on stability and enduring institutions. The distinction between the Liberal and Conservative is very general, but important in Chinese thought. Contradictions can be found in the details, however these are often traditional, such as the embrace by Confucius of the philosophical aspects of the Yi Jing, and the back-and-forth about the Mandate of Heaven wherein one dynasty ends and another begins based according to accounts (some of heavily mythological) where the Way of Heaven results in change, but then a new ethical stable dynasty becomes established. ¹

Mythology exists in relationship with other aspects of society and culture, such as ritual. Various rituals are explained by mythology. For example, the ritual burning of mortuary banknotes (Hell Money), lighting fireworks, and so on. ¹

A good example of the relationship between Chinese mythology and ritual is the Yubu, also known as the Steps or Paces of Yu. During the course of his activities in controlling the Great Flood, Yu was supposed to have so fatigued himself that he lost all the hair from his legs and developed a serious limp. Daoist practitioners sometimes incorporate a curiously choreographed pedal locomotion into various rituals. Mythology and practice, one explains the other: in these rituals, the sacred time of Yu merges with the sacral practice of the present. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Chinese mythology”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Chinese mythology is mythology of the greater Chinese area, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 20 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²