A Guide to Chinese Mythology

1. A Guide to Chinese Mythology Huang, Paoshan

2. Definition of Mythology According to “Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory”: 1.Myth is a term used widely in literary criticism 2.Northrop Frye sees myth as the structural foundation of literature 3. A Myth is a story about a god or some other supernatural being; sometimes it concerns a deified human being or ruler of divine descent.

3. Definition of Mythology 4. Illustrates or explains the origin of the world. 5. Frye: ‘ It always means, first and primarily, mythos, story, plot, narrative.’ 6. According to ‘New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy’: ‘The body of myths belonging to a culture. Myths are traditional stories about gods and heroes. (They often account for the basic aspects of existence — explaining, for instance, how the Earth was created, why people have to die, or why the year is divided into seasons. )’

4. The Difference between Greek M. and Chinese M. 1. Greek m. were organized systematically; on the contrast, Chinese myths were told fragmentary. 2. The figures of Greek m. usually reflect human nature of common people. 3. The figures of Chinese m. usually represent a divinity of eternal beings.

5. Stories “Shān hăi jīng” 《山海經》 • Kua Fu (夸父) who wished to capture the sun. • Jīng wèi(精衛)filling the sea • Cocooned horse(蠶馬) • Né zhā nào hăi (哪吒鬧海)