Chinese mythology : an introduction

戈兰

Chinese mythology : an introduction / Anne Birrell ; with a foreword by Yuan K‘o.  
Publisher Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, c1993.



LOCATION  CALL NO.  STATUS  
  CC   BL1825 .B57 1993        DUE 06-05-05

  Foreword   
  Acknowledgments   
  Abbreviations   
  Chronological Table   
  Introduction 1
    Definitions of Myth 2
    Approaches to Chinese Myth 5
    The Comparative Method in the Study of Chinese Myth 10
    Modern Chinese and Japanese Studies of Chinese Myth 13
    The Nature of Chinese Mythic Narratives 17
    The Polyfunctionality of Myth as an Organizing Principle 20
    Future Research on Chinese Myth: A New Dimension 21
1 Origins 23
    The Origin of the World 26
    The Goddess Nu Kua Creates Human Beings 33
    Sunrise, Sunset 35
2 Culture Bearers 40
    The River God Chu Ling 41
    The Fire Driller 42
    Fu Hsi's Inventions and Discoveries 44
    The Farmer God Thrashes Herbs 47
    Ch'ih Yu Invents Metallurgy and Weapons 50
    Ti K'u Makes Musical Instruments 53
    Hou Chi Teaches How to Sow Grain 54
    Po Yi Tames Birds and Beasts 58
    K'ung Chia Rears Dragons 60
    Ts'an Ts'ung Encourages Sericulture 61
    Master Yen Presents His Invention 63
    Minor Culture Bearer Traditions 65
3 Saviors 67
    Chu Lung, Torch Dragon 68
    Nu Kua Mends the Sky 69
    Hou Chi Saves Humans from Starvation 72
    Shun, the Filial Son 74
    The Burial Place of Shun 76
    Yi Shoots the Ten Suns to Avert Disaster 77
    Kun and the Flood 79
    Yu Controls the Flood 81
    K'ai Receives the Music of Heaven 83
    At Mulberry Forest They Pray for Rain 85
    The Virgin Brides and the River God 87
4 Destroyers 89
    Crimes of the Gods 90
    The Links between Earth and Heaven Are Severed 91
    The Sons of Chuan Hsu 95
    Kung Kung Butts into the Mountain 97
    The Myths of Hun Tun 98
    The Shen Star and the Ch'en Star 100
    Yi Shoots the Lord of the River 101
    The Three Trials of Shun 104
    King Kai Loses His Oxen 105
    King Chieh of the Hsia and the Two Suns 108
    King Chou of the Shang Imprisons King Wen of the Chou Dynasty 110
5 Miraculous Birth 113
    Ti K'u 114
    Chiang Yuan Gives Birth to Hou Chi 116
    P'an Hu 118
    Po Yi 120
    Kun and Yu 121
    Yu, the T'u-shan Girl, and Ch'i 122
    Ti Chun and His Wives 123
    King Yen of Hsu 125
    Yi Yin Is Born of a Hollow Mulberry Tree 128
6 Myths of the Yellow Emperor 130
    The Battle between the Yellow Emperor and the Flame Emperor 131
    Ch'ih Yu Attacks the Yellow Emperor 132
    The Yellow Emperor Captures the K'uei Monster 134
    The Yellow Emperor Conquers the Four Emperors 135
    The Yellow Emperor Loses the Black Pearl 136
    The Yellow Emperor Questions the Dark Lady on the Art of War 137
7 Myths of Yi the Archer 138
    Yi Shoots the Ten Suns to Avert Disaster 139
    The Rock of the Nine Suns 140
    Yi Shoots the Lord of the River 140
    Feng Meng Kills Yi 143
    Ch'ang O Escapes to the Moon 144
8 Myths of Yu the Great 146
    Yu Controls the Flood 146
    The Signs of Yu's Divine Favor 148
    Yu's Function as Warrior 148
    Yu Measures the Whole World 152
    Yu Casts the Nine Cauldrons 153
    Yu and the T'u-shan Girl 155
    The Deities Help Yu to Control the Flood 157
9 Goddesses 160
    Nu Kua 163
    Draught Ox and Weaver Maid 165
    The Hsiang Queens 167
    Woman Ch'ou 169
    The Queen Mother of the West 171
    Ch'ang O 176
    Jasper Lady 176
    The Goddess of Salt River 178
10 Immortality 181
    The Mountain Paradise of K'un-lun 183
    The Island Paradises in the East 185
    The Myth of P'eng-tsu's Longevity 187
11 Metamorphoses 189
    P'an Ku Is Transformed into the Universe 190
    The Monster Fish Changes into the Monster Bird 191
    The Death of Ch'ih Yu 192
    The Myth of Yao's Son Tan Chu 193
    Ch'ang O Becomes a Toad in the Moon 195
    Yi Yin's Mother Changes into a Hollow Mulberry Tree 195
    Fu Yueh Turns into a Star 196
    Tu Yu and the Call of the Nightjar 197
    The Silkworm Horse 199
12 Love 201
    Nu Kua Marries Her Brother in the First Marriage 203
    The Lord of the Granary and the Goddess of Salt River 204
    Draught Ox and Weaver Maid 206
    The Son of the White Emperor Courts the Goddess Huang O 207
    The Bereavement of Shun's Wives 209
    Yu and the T'u-shan Girl 210
    Han P'ing, a Husband and His Wife 210
13 Heroes 213
    Ching Wei Dams the Sea 214
    K'ua-fu Races the Sun 215
    Hsing T'ien Dances with Shield and Battle-Ax 216
    The Foolish Old Man Moves a Mountain 218
    K'ai Receives the Music of Heaven 219
    The Death of Po Yi and Shu Ch'i 220
    Kan Chiang and Mo Yeh Forge Swords 221
    Eyebrows Twelve Inches Apart 224
    The Five Brothers 227
    Li Ping Fights the Water Beast 228
14 Fabled Flora and Fauna 230
    The Divine Light of Torch Dragon 232
    The Chien-mu Sky-Ladder 232
    The Giant Peach Tree 233
    Leaning Mulberry 234
    The Vastness of K'un-lun Mountains 234
    The Beast of White Marsh 235
    King Mu of Chou's Fabled Horses 236
    The Many-Splendored Bird 237
    Vegetal Myths: Ming-chia, Sha-fu, and Chin-ning 238
    Kao Yao Honors His Ram 240
    The Dragon and the Tortoise 241
    Carp Leap over Dragon Gate 242
15 Strange Lands and Peoples 243
    Pierced-Chest Country 245
    Odd-Arm Country 247
    The Country of Men 247
    The Country of Women 248
    The Country of Meng Shu 250
    Owl-Sunshine Country 251
16 Founding Myths 253
    The Founding Myth of the Shang 255
    T'ang the Conqueror Attacks the Hsia 256
    Hou Chi, Founder of the Chou 258
    King Wen of the Chou 259
    King Wu of the Chou 261
    The Beginning of the Yao People 264
    The Ancestor of the Shu 264
    The Founding Myth of the Pa People 265
    The God Shao Hao Founds the Niao Kingdom 267
  Concordance of English and Chinese Book Titles 269
  Bibliography 273
  Index of Chinese Names and Terms 295
  Index of Concepts