The Origin and Evolution of China Myth

Due to the low level of productivity in ancient times, people could not scientifically explain the origin of the world, natural phenomena and contradictory changes in social life, so they personified the power of nature with the help of fantasy. Myths often show the ancient people's resistance to natural forces and their pursuit of ideals.

Words express the ancient people's understanding and desire for natural and social phenomena in the form of stories, which are "natural and social forms themselves processed by people's fantasies in an unconscious artistic way".

Myths take gods as the leading role, including all kinds of natural gods and deified heroes. The plot of myth is generally manifested as change, divine power and magic. The meaning of myth is usually manifested as the explanation of some natural and social phenomenon; Some expressed our ancestors' desire to conquer nature and change society.

Extended data

Classification of China Myths:

1, Ancient Myths: Famous myths such as Pangu's creation, Goddess's mending heaven and creating man, Jingwei's reclamation, Kuafu's day by day, Dayu's harnessing water, Zhu Rong's contribution, Three Emperors and Five Emperors, Shennong's tasting a hundred herbs, the legend of prospering farmland and so on.

2. Religious Fairy Tales: Laozi enlightened, Eight Immortals crossed the sea, Zhong Kui caught ghosts, Mazu legend, dogs bit Lv Dongbin, three clean-ups and four emperors, five old and six divisions, seven yuan and eight poles, nine Yao and ten capitals, four great beasts and so on.

3. Folk fairy tales: fairy couple, white snake legend, Cowherd and Weaver Girl, the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon, Houyi shooting the sun, Wugang cutting Guangxi, Meng Jiangnv legend, Liang Zhu, Gong Yu Yishan, Jigong, New Year's Eve legend, Chinese Zodiac legend, Sun Moon Lake legend and other famous myths and legends.

4. Myths and stories in the novel: There are no famous myths and legends such as the sea trouble, the heavenly palace trouble, the Buddhist scriptures, Monkey King Thrice Defeats the Skeleton Demon, the split mountain to save the mother, the lotus lantern and so on.

Baidu Encyclopedia-China Myth