Big Tradition and Chinese Mythological Studies

Big Tradition and Chinese Mythological Studies PDF Author: Jiansheng Hu
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811546347
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
This book focuses on reinterpreting mythical China from the perspective of the cultural theory of big tradition. It is divided into two parts: the first explains the theoretical development and features of the Chinese version of big tradition, identifying the differences between the Eastern and Western cultural traditions (big tradition and great tradition). The second part then reinterprets the core values and mythical ideas of Chinese civilization and traditional culture from the perspective of big tradition. Moving beyond the small tradition of text centrism and using new methods and materials, the book reveals the original meaning and the cultural coding function of big tradition during the preliterate period. Drawing on integrated evidence from literature handed down from ancient times, oral and intangible cultural heritage, tangible culture, cross-cultures, image culture and unearthed documents, the book interprets Chinese cultural traditions and spiritual values from local, archaeological, experiential and survival perspectives, to help readers better understand the mythical codes and genes of early Chinese culture.

Big Tradition and Chinese Mythological Studies

Big Tradition and Chinese Mythological Studies PDF Author: Jiansheng Hu
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811546347
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 254

Get Book

Book Description
This book focuses on reinterpreting mythical China from the perspective of the cultural theory of big tradition. It is divided into two parts: the first explains the theoretical development and features of the Chinese version of big tradition, identifying the differences between the Eastern and Western cultural traditions (big tradition and great tradition). The second part then reinterprets the core values and mythical ideas of Chinese civilization and traditional culture from the perspective of big tradition. Moving beyond the small tradition of text centrism and using new methods and materials, the book reveals the original meaning and the cultural coding function of big tradition during the preliterate period. Drawing on integrated evidence from literature handed down from ancient times, oral and intangible cultural heritage, tangible culture, cross-cultures, image culture and unearthed documents, the book interprets Chinese cultural traditions and spiritual values from local, archaeological, experiential and survival perspectives, to help readers better understand the mythical codes and genes of early Chinese culture.

Chinese Myths and Legends

Chinese Myths and Legends PDF Author: Lianshan Chen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 052118679X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
An illustrated introduction to the stories of deities, heroes and the origins of the universe that underpin traditional Chinese culture.

Chinese Mythology

Chinese Mythology PDF Author: Anne Birrell
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801861833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
In Chinese Mythology, Anne Birrell provides English translations of some 300 representative myth narratives selected from over 100 classical texts, many of which have never before been translated into any Western language. Organizing the narratives according to themes and motifs common to world mythology, Birrell addresses issues of source, dating, attribution, textural variants, multiforms, and context. Drawing on exhaustive work in comparative mythology, she surveys the development of Chinese myth studies, summarizes the contribution of Chinese and Japanese scholars to the study of Chinese myth since the 1920s, and examines special aspects of traditional approaches to Chinese myth. The result is an unprecedented guide to the study of Chinese myth for specialists and nonspecialists alike.

A Mythological Approach to Exploring the Origins of Chinese Civilization

A Mythological Approach to Exploring the Origins of Chinese Civilization PDF Author: Shuxian Ye
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811930961
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 518

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Book Description
Is the lion the symbol of China? Or should it be the dragon or the phoenix? This book makes a provocative interpretation of the Chinese ancient totems such as the bear and the owl. Taking a mythological approach, it explores the origin of Chinese civilization using the quadruple evidence method, which integrates ancient and unearthed literature, oral transmission, and archeological objects and graphs. It testifies to the authenticity of unresolved ancient myths and legends from the origins of Chinese Jade Ware (6200BC-5400 BC) to the names of the Yellow Emperor (2698–2598 BC) and the legends from the Xia (2010BC-1600BC), Shang (1600BC-046BC), Zhou (1046BC-771BC), and Qin (221BC-206BC) Dynasties. The book lays the foundation for a reconstruction of Chinese Mythistory. With well over 200 photographs of historic artifacts, the book appeals to both researchers and general readers.

Handbook of Chinese Mythology

Handbook of Chinese Mythology PDF Author: Lihui Yang
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195332636
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 309

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Book Description
Compiled from ancient and scattered texts and based on groundbreaking new research, Handbook of Chinese Mythology is the most comprehensive English-language work on the subject ever written from an exclusively Chinese perspective. This work focuses on the Han Chinese people but ranges across the full spectrum of ancient and modern China, showing how key myths endured and evolved over time. A quick reference section covers all major deities, spirits, and demigods, as well as important places, mythical animals and plants, and related items.

Chinese Folklore Studies Today

Chinese Folklore Studies Today PDF Author: Lijun Zhang
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253044111
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Chinese folklorists are well acquainted with the work of their English-language colleagues, but until recently the same could not be said about American scholars’ knowledge of Chinese folkloristics. Chinese Folklore Studies Today aims to address this knowledge gap by illustrating the dynamics of contemporary folklore studies in China as seen through the eyes of the up-and-coming generation of scholars. Contributors to this volume focuses on topics that have long been the dominant areas of folklore studies in China, including myth, folk song, and cultural heritage, as well as topics that are new to the field, such as urban folklore and women’s folklore. The ethnographic case studies presented here represent a broad range of geographic areas within mainland China and also introduce English-language readers to relevant Chinese literature on each topic, creating the foundation for further cross-cultural collaborations between English-language and Chinese folkloristics.

Ritual and Mythology of the Chinese Triads

Ritual and Mythology of the Chinese Triads PDF Author: Barend ter Haar
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004483047
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 533

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Book Description
The extensive ritual and mythological lore of the Chinese Triads form the scope of this new paperback title in Brill’s Scholars’ List. The author critically evaluates the extant sources and offers a wealth of contextual information. The core of the book is formed by a close reading of the initiation ritual, including the burning of incense, the altar, the enactment of a journey of life and death, and the blood covenant. Different narrative structures are also presented. These include the messianic demonological paradigm, political legitimation, and the foundation of myth. Triad lore is placed in its own religious and cultural context, allowing radically new conclusions about its origins, meanings and functions. This book is of special interest to social historians, anthropologists, and students of Chinese religious culture.

Chinese Myths

Chinese Myths PDF Author: Anne Birrell
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 9780292708792
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
Chinese myths were primarily a diffuse and fragmentary oral tradition, eventually preserved in writing only in a piecemeal fashion. Many classical texts are unavailable in translation, and the stories have been unknown to Western readers. Anne Birrell here introduces the general reader to a selection of narratives organized by themes and motifs that help set Chinese myths in the context of world mythology. The contents include: Origin and creation myths Myths of the flood The divine cosmos Gender in myth Metamorphoses Mythic heroes and heroines Fabled plants and animals Major sources of myth

Illustrated Myths & Legends of China

Illustrated Myths & Legends of China PDF Author: Huang Dehai
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1602201706
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
Illustrated Myths & Legends of China is a profusely illustrated collection of 32 carefully chosen tales of Chinese myth and legend. With more than 100 illustrations drawn over two thousand years of all aspects of Chinese art—including painting, pottery and porcelain, jade, bronzes and tomb decoration—Illustrated Myths & Legends of China is a vividly written collection of tales of the universe's emergence from chaos, the creation of the world in which the first Chinese people appeared and a depiction of how the many strands of myth and legend have influenced Chinese culture. An impressive array of heroic figures and rich storytelling are at the center of these tales including: Pangu opening heaven to save the earth from chaos. Nuwa creating man and repairing the vault of heaven. Fuxi fixing the calendar by observing the heavens. Shennong creating agriculture. Cangjie inventing writing thus creating the basis for Chinese culture. Fragments of these myths and legends are found in Chinese paintings, wood artifacts, relief carvings, and lacquer art which are illustrated in this book along with informative text. Anyone interested in Chinese culture, mythology, history or art will find this collection a must-have volume for their bookshelf.

Myths of the Creation of Chinese

Myths of the Creation of Chinese PDF Author: Zhaoyuan Tian
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811559287
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description
Drawing on the sun, moon, dragon, phoenix, Nuwa, Yandi, Huangdi and other widely circulated cultural elements as examples, this book addresses the development and evolution of the most representative Chinese creation myths regarding nature, totems, ancestors and saints. The book not only interprets key creation myths, but also elaborates on the connection between the myths and some of the core values and concepts in Chinese civilization. For example, the long and jade culture is rooted in the Yellow Emperor’s revered jade weapon. Further, the book reveals the kernels of truth in the myths by presenting new research findings and research methods.