Chinese Mythology

CHINESE MYTHOLOGY

By Emily Galow

Chinese History

• China is considered to be the first modern state: it had a centralized government with bureaucrats to carry out the wishes of that government

• This system of government lasted from 150 BC all the way to 1911 CE

• China was advanced

Chinese History, Cont.

• Time periods were broken up by Dynasties• Dynasties are ruling families who remained

in power as long as they produced Emperors (no, not all of them were male; the Wu Dynasty was founded by a female, and there were a lot of super-powerful Empresses)

• All of the Dynasties were overthrown due to rebellion and war

Chinese History, Cont.

• The concept of the Mandate of Heaven was founded by the Zhou Dynasty

• It was a nifty way to explain why Dynasties came to an end, also featured the concept of Heaven and God

• If you’re a bad Emperor/Empress, then you’ve lost the Mandate and should no longer be in power

Chinese History, Cont.

• The Zhou Dynasty even made up a Dynasty so as to show how the Mandate of Heaven worked

• So some Chinese mythology was created for political reasons and to explain historical events

Chinese Mythology: Overview

• Often deals with themes such as:• Perseverance and Self-Sacrifice• Rising Up Against Oppression• True Love• Incorporates religious beliefs (Taoism and

Buddhism) into myths

Chinese Mythology: Overview, Cont.

• Features:• Ghosts• MANY Gods/Goddesses• Heroes• Foxes• Mythological Creatures

Who’s Who in Chinese Mythology

• Nu-Ka• Goddess • Creator of Humans • Made humans out of yellow clay

Who’s Who in Chinese Mythology, Cont.

• Lao-Tien-Yeh• “Father Heaven”• The Jade Emperor• Represented the Emperor’s power

Who’s Who in Chinese Mythology, Cont.

• Ao • Four Dragon Kings who ruled parts of the

Earth and the Sea• People prayed to them in times of drought

Who’s Who in Chinese Mythology, Cont.

• Erh-Lang• Shape-shifter, had 72 different forms• Protected humans from evil

Who’s Who in Chinese Mythology, Cont.

• Yinglong• Dragon god of water• Helped Huangdi gain power

Who’s Who in Chinese Mythology, Cont.

• Huangdi• Real-life Emperor and considered to be part

deity• “Yellow Emperor”• Cosmic Ruler

Chinese Myths v. Others

• Chinese myths do not have a unified creation story, unlike Greco-Roman and Egyptian Myths

• Na-Ku is considered the Creator of Humans in only some areas of China, not all; that myth was believed to have been invented by a different country

Chinese Myths v. Others

• Very few mythological heroes/gods/goddesses are universal

• Lots of fragmented stories that were believed by only small parts of China

• Opposite of Norse, Greco-Roman, Russian, and Egyptian myths

Chinese Mythology in Pop Culture

• Fox spirits and the Yin-and-Yang concept are featured in the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender

Pop Culture

• Mulan• Features the mythical warrior from a poem

called The Ballad of Mulan• Features a dragon and ancestral spirits

Bibliography

• "Chinese Myths and Fantasies." Chinavista.com. China Virtual Tours, n.d. Web. 21 Nov 2013. <http://www.chinavista.com/experience/myth/myth.html>.

• Green, John, dir. 2,000 Years of Chinese History. Crash Course, 2012. Video. 21 Nov 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylWORyToTo4&list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9>.

• Elick, E., and L. Merchant. "The Gods and Goddesses of China." . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov 2013. <http://www.scns.com/earthen/other/seanachaidh/godchina.html>.

• Scribe, The. "The Real Story of Mulan." The Ancient Standard. N.p., 17 Jun 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http://ancientstandard.com/2011/06/17/the-real-story-of-mulan/>.