中国寓言ChineseMythology

GeneralIntroduction Exercises UnitGoals Lead inActivity Review ToknowandbeabletotellaboutthehistoricalfiguresinChinesemythologyTobefamiliarwiththehistoricaldevelopmentofChinesemythologyTounderstandthecommonthemesandfeaturesofChinesemythologyTolearnaboutsomedifferencesandsimilaritiesoftheChinesecreationstoryandthebiblicalstoryTolearnusefulwordsandexpressionsthatrelatetoChinesemythologyandimproveEnglishlanguageskills Thuswehopetoteachmythologynotasastudy butasarelaxationfromstudy togiveourworkthecharmofastory book yetbymeansofittoimpartknowledgeofanimportantbranchofeducation ThomasBulfinch Ismythologythesameasreligion Asfarasyouknow howwastheworldcreated HaveyouheardofothercreationstoriesbesidesPanGu WhatdoyouknowaboutGenesisintheBible WhatthemesdoyouthinkareparticularlystressedinChinesemythology More PanGu Chang e Matchthemythicalfiguresinthepictureswiththeirstoriesbyputtingeachofthenamesinthecorrespondingcell Houyi Kuafu N wa TheEightImmortals Sui Phoenix phoenix PanGu Sui N wa Chang e Kuafu TheEightImmortals Houyi OriginofChineseMythology FeaturesofChineseMythology ThemesinChineseMythology RootsofChineseMythology MythsAboutMan MythsAboutHeroes MythsAboutGods MythsAboutAnimals Mythologyisabodyofmythsconcerningaparticularpersonorrace AncientChinesemythologywascreatedwiththewildestimaginationbypeopleinprimitiveageswhenfacedwiththeunknown Sincealmosteveryethnicgrouphasitsownmythicalgodsandstoriesabouttheircreativeactions thereisnotasystematic integrated andhomogeneous Chinesemythology heldandtransmittedbyalltheChinesepeople MythsinancientChinawereusuallyspreadinscatteredandfragmentedformsinvariouswrittenmaterial Thesesourcescontaininformationaboutarchaeology literature philosophy geography history witchcraft ethnography religion folklore andsoon ThepeopleofChinahavearichandcomplicatedmythologythatdatesbacknearly4000years ThroughoutChinesehistory mythandrealityhavebeenintertwined Historicalfigureshavebeenworshipedasgods andancientmythsaresometimestreatedashistoricaltruths Threegreatreligioustraditions Confucianism Taoism andBuddhism haveplayedaroleinshapingthemythology Shanhaijing TheClassicofMountainsandSeas Chuci TheSongsofChu andHuainanziarethoughttobethemajorrepositoriesofChineseancientmyths Shanhaijing AnencyclopediaofancientChina Itprovidesalotofdetailedinformationaboutmountainsandseas myths witchcraft andreligionofancientChina IthadagreatimpactonChineseliterature BothShijing TheBookofSongs andlotsofoutstandingpoems legendsandnovelsoflaterageswereallbasedonmythsinShanhaijingwithsomeadaptationandcreation MostChinacantraceitshistoricalrootsinanunbrokenlineformorethan4 000years anditsmythologicalrootsextendevenfartherbackintime Fromabout2000to1500B C apeopleknownastheXiadominatedthenorthernregionsofChina Fromabout1500to1066B C ChinaenteredtheShangdynasty Peopleatthattimeworshipedmanydeities includingnaturalforcesandelementssuchasrain clouds rivers mountains thesun themoon andtheearth Theirgreatestdeity ShangDi remainsanimportantgodintheChinesepantheon Whenanewdynasty theZhou cametopowerinChinain1066B C significantchangestookplaceinreligion Peoplestillworshipedtheoldgods butancestorworshipbecameincreasinglyimportant ConfucianismandTaoismappearedneartheendoftheZhoudynasty ThesetworeligioustraditionshavehadanenormousinfluenceonthedevelopmentofthemostbasicandlastingprinciplesofChineseculture Shortlybefore100A D BuddhismarrivedinChinafromIndiaandaddedanotherimportantinfluencetoChinesecultureandmythology BuddhistideasgraduallymergedwithTaoismandConfucianisminthemindsofmanyChinese SeveralcommonthemesappearthroughoutmuchofChinesemythology Amongthemostsignificantarethecreationoftheworldoutofchaos theimportanceofnature andreverenceforancestors Mythicalstoriesareentwinedwithhistory Featurel Theysingthepraisesoflaborandcreation Feature2 Theyextolperseveranceandself sacrifice Feature3 Theypraiserebellionagainstoppression Feature4 Theyeulogizetheyearningfortruelove Feature5 Theyencouragegooddeedsandwarnagainstsin Thefirstlivingcreatureandthecreatoroftheworld Amonghisactsofcreationweretheseparationoftheearthandsky theplacementofthestarsandplanetsintheheavens andtheshapingoftheearth ssurface PanGu N wa alsoreferredtoasN Kwa appearedinliteraturenoearlierthan350BC Hercompanion Fuxi alsocalledFuHsi washerbrotherandhusband Theyaresometimesworshipedastheultimateancestorofallhumankind andareoftenrepresentedashalf snake half humans ItissometimesbelievedthatN wamoldedhumansfromclayforcompanionship SherepairedtheskyafterGongGongdamagedthepillarsupportingtheheavens N wa Mentioningmythsaboutgods weshouldkeepinmindthatpopularlyknowngodsarecloselyintermingledwithreligions mainlyReligiousTaoismandBuddhism Onthebasisoflegendsandfolktales thesupremelordistheJadeEmperor 玉皇大帝 whohadhisCourt palace ministers etc ThemajorgodsweretheQueenMotheroftheWest 西王母娘娘 theEightImmortals 八仙 theBodhisattvas 菩萨 thefourHeavenlyKings 四大天王 Buddhas 佛 Arhats 罗汉 Houyishotdownthesuns Thesunissometimessymbolizedasathree leggedcrowcalledasunbird Thereweretenofthesesunbirds eachofwhomaretheoffspringofDiJun GodoftheEasternHeaven ThetensunbirdsresidedinamulberrytreeintheEasternSea eachdayonewouldtravelaroundtheworldonacarriage drivenbyXihe MotheroftheSuns Eventually thesunbirdsgrewtiredoftheroutineanddecidedthatallofthemweretoriseatthesametime Theheatonearthbecameintense Asaresult cropsshriveledinthefields Lakesandpondsdriedup Humanandnon humananimalscoweredinsheltersorcollapsedfromexhaustion Timepassedandthesufferingcontinued EmperorYaodecidedtopleadfordivineinterventionandtoaskDiJunforaid DiJunwaswellawareofhissons misdeedsandsentforHouyi theGodofArchery toteachhissonsalesson DiJunwantedHouyitosimplyfrightenthemsothattheywouldnotdaretocausemischiefagain Houyi too wantedtosettlethiscrisispeacefully butasingleglanceatthescorchedlandwasenoughtoconvincehimthatdesperatemeasureswereneeded AngeredbythesufferingofthepeoplecausedbytheSun birds misconduct Houyilifteduphisbowandshotthemdownonebyone Uponkillingtheninth EmperorYaohurriedtohalthimaskillingthelastonewouldleavetheworldintotaldarkness Houyiagreedandwashailedasaheroformankind butlater Houyi sactionscausedhimtomakeenemiesinHeavenandasaresulthewaspunishedwithdivinewrath Oneday KuafudecidedtochaseandcatchtheSun WitheachstridehegetsclosertotheSun however hecouldnevercatchuptoit HefollowedtheSunfromtheEasttotheWest drainingallriversandlakescrossinghispathassourcesofwatertoquenchhisburningthirstasheclosedinonthestar However hewasn tabletofinishhisquestbecausehediedoftheextremeheatandexhaustion Thewoodenclubhewascarryinggrewintoavastforest Inoneversion KuaFuturnsintoamountainrange InmodernChineseusage thestoryofKuaFuchasingtheSunisusedtodescribeapersonwhofailstoobtainhisgoalbecausehegreatlyoverestimateshimself Kuafu EmperorHuangDi EmperorYao Shun Yu Gods Creators andHeroes Insomemythologicaltraditions godstookonanimalform Althoughsupernaturalanimalswerenotgodsthemselves theywereoftencreated givenpower orprotectedbythegods JingweiisabirdinChinesemythology transformedfromthedaughterofYandinamedN wa differentfromthegoddessN wawhocreatedmankindandrepairedtheheavens AftershedrownedwhenplayingintheEasternSea shemetamorphosedintoabirdcalledJingwei Jingweiisdeterminedtofillupthesea soshecontinuouslycarriesapebbleortwiginhermouthanddropsitintotheEasternSea Jingwei Butterfly InChineseculturetheButterflyrepresentslove specificallyyounglove Happilyflittingfromflowertoflower itsignifiesahappysociallifefortheyoungandyoungheart Chineselegendhasitthatthebutterflysymbolizesanundyingbondbetweenlovers Crane TheCraneislegendaryinChinaforbeingtheprinceofallfeatheredcreaturesonearth NexttothePhoenix theCraneisthemostfavoredofallChinesebirdsymbols TheCraneistheancientsymbolforlongevitybecauseofitsexceptionallylonglifespan Inmanylegends thespiritsrideoncranes whicharealsosaidtobearthesoulsofthedepartedtotheheavens Horse TheseventhoftheChineseZodiacSigns thehorserepresentsendurance loyalty andpuritytotheBuddhistwayofthinking Itisalsoasymbolforquickadvancementinrank and recognitionofstrength Magpie ThisChineseanimalsymboltranslatesintothebirdofjoy ItisbelievedthatwhentheMagpienestsinyourhouse itbringsmuchcauseforcelebrationandmanyhappyoccasions Tricksters Manymythsfeatureanimaltricksters mischievousandunpredictablebeingswhousedeceit magic orclevernesstofoolothers Althoughsometrickstersarejustplayingpranks othersactinharmfulways Occasionally thetrickstersthemselveswindupbeingtrickedortrapped Theirlimitedmagicalpowersmayechothegreaterpowersofthegods Monsters FromthegreatseabeastcalledLeviathanintheBibletothemutantlizardGodzillaofmodernsciencefictionmovies monstrousanimalsappearinmanykindsofmyths Monstersrepresentourdarkestfears chaosanduncontrollabledestruction Amonsterismorethanjustalargeorfierceanimal Itissomethingabnormal somethingthatbreaksthelawsofsociety Review UsefulExpression CriticalThinking Review thecreationoftheworld genesis advancewithgiantstrides descendantsofEmperorsYanandHuang amythicalbirdJingweitriestofilltheoceanwithtwigsandpebbes N wamendingthesky Kuafuchasingthesun apersistentspirittriumphsovermountainoustasks thecowherdandtheweavingmaid Chang eflying ascendingtothemoon someonewhoisveryvirtuousandhighlyrespectedbypeople withwhole hearteddedication oldandrockwillcrackopen 开天辟地 炎黄子孙 精卫填海 女娲补天 夸父逐日 愚公移山 牛郎织女 嫦娥奔月 百鸟朝凤 精诚所至金石为开 Discussthefollowingtopics 1 InwhichwayisChinesemythologyrelatedtoChinesereligion especiallyreligiousTaoismandBuddhism 2 WhatarethecharacteristicsofChinesemythology 3 Howispeople srealsociallifereflectedinChinesemythology Fillintheblanksaccordingtotheknowledgeyou velearnedaboutChinesemythology More 1 Mythologyisabodyofconcerningaparticularpersonorrace 2 Chinesemythologyissimilartomodern 3 Aisastoryconsideredsacredandtrue whileaisastoryhandeddownfromgenerationtogenerationthathasnorealevidencetobackitup 4 TosomepeopleShanhaijingisconsideredasanofancientChina asitprovidesalotofdetailedinformationinancienttimes 5 Threegreatreligioustraditions andhaveplayedimportantrolesinshapingthemythology 6 forfamilyandancestorsisanimportantelementofConfucianism 7 InChinesemythology wasthefirstlivingcreatureandth