从中西方创世神话相似处及分析其背后不同的价值观

从中西方创世神话相似处分析其背后不同的价值观从中西方创世神话相似处分析其背后不同的价值观PAGE5从中西方创世神话相似处分析其背后不同的价值观AContrastStudyonDifferentValuesBehindtheSimilaritiesBetweenGenesisinBibleandAncientChineseGenesisMythologies【Abstract】ThispaperconductsacontraststudyongenesisstoriesinBibleandinancientChinesemythologies,analysestheprimaryculturalcauseswhichaccountfortheirsimilarities,andanalysesthevalueatthebackofthosesimilaritiesstoriesinBibleandinancientChinesemythologiessharemanythingsincommon,includingtheirdescriptionsaboutworldcreationprocesses,themagicpowerofthecreators,man’sbeingmadeofdust,andthementioningoffloods.Thesesimilarities,accordingtotheauthor,areduetosimilaritiesinearlypeople’slife,livingconditionsandtheir,becauseofthedifferentvaluesbetweenChineseandWesternnations,thoughtheirgenesismythologieshavestrikingsimilarity,theyrevealdifferently.AstheholyScriptofChristianity,Biblestorieshavebeenkeptforthepurposeofmoralteachingandisimbuedwithmagicandmysteriouselements,onthecontrary,Chinesemythologies,originallywrittendownbyancientChinesepoets,philosophersandhistoriansfortheirownsake,arefresh,interestingandfullofvitality.【KeyWords】AncientChinesemythologies;Bible;genesis;valueIntroductionHumancivilizationhasalonghistory,soithasproducedcountlessexcellentliterature,includingthosememorablemythologystorieswhichisaimportantpartofnationalheritage.Mythologystoryisthebeginningofliteratureforeachnation,italsohasgreatandlong-termeffectontheliterarycreationoflaterperiod.Asforthebeginningofworldandtheoriginofhumanbeing,differentnationshavedifferentmythologystories.MaarinationsinNewZealandhasastoryabout“Darkness——chaos,sensation,thought,movement,heavenandearth”;Hinduismhasastorythattellstheearthlaysonthewater,waterlaysonwind,andwindlayinthespacepeacefully;Finnishtellsalegendof“ChastevirginJiriMadarcreatedwater,theearthandtheheaven,thesun,themoonandthestars.InWestern,GenesisinBibleofOldTestamentisthemostinfluencingandthemostintegratedgenesismythology.Fromtheviewoftheworld'sculturalhistory,thereisnosuchabooklikeBiblehasthiskindofstrongimpactoverathousandyears.Untiltoday,thestoriesingenesisarestillwidelyknownbywesternfamilies,suchasGodcreatedtheworldandhumans,EveeattheforbiddenfruitoftheGardenofEden.,thefloodandNoah'sark.Chinaisoneofthefourancientalsohasalotofbeautifulancientmyths,andthegenesismythologiesincludingPanGuepoch,hehandthatmends,andetc.“Itistoberegrettedthatafteraloss,thereisjustsomebitsandpiecesleftintheancientbookswithoutanyorderliness.”(YuanKe1960：16）。Evenso,wecanstillgodeepintoitsbeautyaccordingtothesefragments.Mythologiesderivedfromthechildhoodofhumanbeing,whichreflecttheprimitiveconsciousnessofhumansocietyandakindofunscientificandimaginaryprocessofnaturalphenomena.Thus,therearesimilaritiesamonggenesismythsofdifferentnations.ThispapercomparativestudiesthesimilaritiesbetweenGenesisinBibleandChinesegenesismythologiesfromtheirdescriptionofthebeginningofworldandtheoriginofhumanbeing.ThesimilaritiesandtheirdifferentvaluesInGenesis,itsystemicallyandcompletelydescribeshowGodcreatedtheworld,allthingsandhumanfromitsfristperiodtothirtyfirstperiodinchapterone.“InthebeginningGodcreatedtheheavensandtheearth.Nowtheearthwasformlessandempty,darknesswasoverthesurfaceofthedeep.AndtheSpiritofGodmoveduponthefaceofwaters”(TheHolybibleGenesis1:1).Then,Godfinishedhis“genesis”workonebyone.Firstday,hecreatedlight.“AndGodsaid,Lettherebelight:andtherewaslight.Godsawthatthelightwasgood,andheseparatedthelightfromthedarkness.GodcalledthelightDay,andthedarknesshecalledNight.Andtheeveningandthemorningwerethefirstday.”AndheletafirmamentHeavendividedthewaterfromwatersecondday,createddrylandEarthandtheSeasthirdday,gavelightupontheearthandsetsunandmoonintheheavenforthday,createdlivingcreaturesfifthdayandonsixthday,hecreateddifferentcattle,creepingthingandbeast,andthenmademandominionthesecreatures.Thus,Godfinishedhiscreationworksinsixday.（ZhangJiuxuan1981：6）InChina,AnnalsoftheFive-phaseCyclesrecordedthegenesismythology:首生盘古,垂死化身;气成风云,声为雷霆,左眼为日,右眼为月,四肢五体为四极五岳,血液为江河,筋脉为地里,肌肉为田土,发髭为星辰,皮毛为草木,齿骨为金石,精髓为珠玉，他汗流为雨泽。AndthereisahumancreationmythologyinTaiPingYuLan:欲说开天辟地，未有人民，女娲博黄土做人，剧务，力不暇供，乃引垣与泥土中，举以为人。Accordingtothosequotations,wecaneasilyfindsomesimilaritiesbetweenGenesisandChinesegenesisstories.SupercreatorsInbothBibleandChinesemyths,theyallhavesupercreators.GodinBibleistheonlycreatorwhocanmakeeverythinghewant,andhecreatedallthethingsinsixdays.ButChinesesupercreatorsaremorethanone.PanGuwastoostrongtoseparateheavenandearth,andNvWacouldmakemanbyloess.Creatorsarethecoreimageandthey’reallpowerful,buttheirartisticimagesaredifferent.Godcreatedtheworldbysaying,butPanGuandNvWahadtheirmissionstofinish.Besides,thereisnoancientheroinGenesiswhileChinesegenesisstorieshaveYan,Huang,Yao,imageshowsthedifferentnationalspiritsbetweenChinaandWestern.PanGuandNvWa’sspiritofself-sacrifice,andNvWawasdescribedasmotherofhuman,thesetwoaspectsnotshowouruniquenationalspiritbutalsoreflectourethicalspirit.However,whenBibleputGodtotheonlytransnaturalposition,theirabsoluteworshiptoGodhasrevealed.ThecreationofhumankindbyearthInbothChineseandwesternmyths,theyallrefersthatmanwasmadebyearth.“theLORDGodformedthemanofthedustoftheground,andbreathedintohisnostrilsthebreathoflife;andmanbecamealivingsoul.”(Genesis2:7)ThisisAdam,andGodtookoneofhisribstomadeawoman,calledEve.Theycamefromtheearth,andreturnedtotheearthafterdeath.“fordustyouareandtodustyouwillreturn”(Genesis3:19).Inthisaspect,Chinesemythologyissimilar.“传说天地开辟，未有人民，女娲博黄土做人，剧务，力不暇供，乃引垣与泥土中，举以为人。”（TaiPingYuLan)BothGodandNvWamademanoutfromtheearth.Thoughpeopletheymadeareindifferentcolor,rawmaterialisthesame.Thisisnotacoincidence.Wecanconsiderthiskindofcoincidenceasasimilarityoftheirancientlifeexperience.Inthisway,wecansaythatsupercreatorsappearbecausepeopleallbelievenatureisdominatedbysomedeitiesandwanttoconquernature;humanmadebyearthbecauseearthhadbecamepartoftheirlifewhentheyenteredtheAgeofCivilization.Butattitudetowardstheearthistotallydifferent.Genesisisantagonistictotheearthandshowsthelowlinessoftheearth.Godexistsasanabsolutespirit,hemadebynothing.Thankstohissoulgiven,humancanexistanddustisjustamaterial,andthismaterialcanmakehumanmakemistakes.Bodyandsoulapartbringsupwesternpeoplemorerational,makethempaymoreattentiontotheheavenandsoul,butbelittletheearthandbody.ButinChinesemyth,mancamefromtheearthandmadebytheearth,theirsoulandlifealsoexistintheearth.Inaddition,NvWamademanusedthematerialshemadeby,thisisancientChineseshawtheiragreementandadmirationtotheearth.Manmadebywhattheircreatorsmade,itdecidedChineseculture’sfullfilledwiththespiritofwesterns,weancientChinesemixedourbodyandspiritasawhole.Besides,weovercamethefloodwiththehelpofNvWa,andsheusedakindofsoil,XiRang,tostopThusitcanbeseenwhattheChinesecultureemphasizemostisthatcelestialandterrestrialforcesinharmony,andcomplementaryandinterpenetration,ratherthanadmiretheearthandtheheaveninanextremeway.（ZhaoXiaolingandZhangLu）ThementioningoffloodAccordingtoGenesis,Godfoundthewonderfulworldhecreatedbecamecorruptandvicious,onlyNoahgothisheformedfloodtowipingouthumanbeings.Whenfloodcame,heaskedNoahtoestablishaark.Inthisway,onlyNoahandhisrelatives,andevensavesomelivingcreaturessurvived.InChinesemyths,there’srecordationoffloodinHuaiNanTzu：“往古之时，四极废，九州裂；天不兼覆，地不周载。火爁焱而不灭，水浩洋而不息；猛兽食颛民，鸷鸟攫老弱。于是女娲炼五色石以补苍天，断鳌足以立四极，杀黑龙以济冀州，积芦灰以止淫水。苍天补，四极正；淫水涸，冀州平；狡虫死，颛民生；背方州，抱圆天。”Thesimilardescriptionoffloodreflectsancientpeoplehadsimilarlivingconditionsthoughtheywereindifferentterritories.Inancienttimes,naturalconditionwasbad,naturaldisasterswasfrequentlyoccurred.Primitivepeoplecouldn’texplainthesenaturalphenomena,sotheyimagedthatthefloodwasthewillofHeaven,andthepunishmentofGod.Thus,theyfellbackonsomeheroicimagelikeNvWaandNoah.Itindicatedtheircommonaspirationtoreformandconquernature.TheroleNvWaissimilartoGodinChristculture.ButwhileGodtriedtodestroyedtheworld,NvWawassavingtheworld.“destroy”and“save”embodydifferentmeaningsofdeitiesindifferentculturalconceptions.Godmademan,andtriedtodestroythen,andsavedmankindfinally.ThisideaisinkeepingwithdoxiesofChristianitythatGodisoneandonly,inviolableandfollowsthatdeity(God)issacrosanctinwesternpeople’smindsandtheyareafraidofdeity.Bycontrast,NvWasalvationisobviouslydifferent.NvWaisafemaleimagewhosavedtheworldwhenhumanscan'tsavehasalwayseulogizedfemalewithspiritofself-sacrifice.NvWasacrificedherselfratherthanaskedhumanbeingsmustfollowherinthewayGoddid.Thus,maybewecansaythatourChinesedeitieshavemorehumanisticcareandspiritofself-sacrifice.ConclusionEarlyhumansocietyofdifferentnationshadsimilarnaturalconditions,lifeexperience,producingandthinkingpatternwhichresultinthesimilaritiesbetweenGenesisinBibleandChineseancientgenesismythology.However,theirverydifferenthistoricalandculturalbackgroundmakethetwodifferent.Thispapertriedtofindouttheirdifferentvaluesfromthesimilaritiesofgenesismyths.Consideringfromthosethreeaspectsthispaperlisted,inGenesis,itembodieswesternpeople’sabsoluteadmirationandtheirfeartodeity.Thevalueandnationalspiritslikeself-sacrif