Chinese Mythology (4 Volumes)

Name: Chinese Mythology (4 Volumes)
ISBN: 9787100220927

陶阳The Commercial Press · ChinaOct 2024

Rating 4.1

Word count: 707K words
Chapters: 433
ISBN: 9787100220927

Summary

This is a mythology book aimed mainly at adult readers and also suitable as extracurricular reading for middle school students. The four volumes total about 1.28 million Chinese characters: Volume One consists mainly of myths about the origins of heaven, earth, and humanity, about 380,000 characters; Volume Two consists mainly of myths and legends about human ancestors and the origins of China's various ethnic groups, about 450,000 characters; Volume Three contains myths, legends, and folktales about life and death, love and hate, and other aspects of folk culture, about 270,000 characters; Volume Four consists mainly of myths and legends about ghosts and monsters, about 230,000 characters. The book contains more than 300 myths and stories, covering the living oral myths and legends of China's 56 ethnic groups. The author has selected the best of them, providing both reliable works that facilitate cultural exchange and a collection of fine Chinese myths that is fully comparable to Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Hebrew, and Indian mythology in quality and variety. The narration is graceful, the book is rich in cultural-historical value, and it is also fine literary reading, appealing to both refined and popular tastes and suitable for young and old alike.

Editor's review

Mr. Tao Yang's Chinese Mythology (4 volumes) is a landmark scholarly compilation and popular reader. It is not a simple collection of stories but a systematic organization built on solid fieldwork and textual research. The author, Mr. Tao Yang, was a founding member of the Chinese Society for the Study of Mythology and devoted his life to mythological research, which makes this book far superior to comparable works in authority and scholarly depth. The four volumes are rich in content: they include not only well-known classic myths of the Han people but also, more remarkably, a systematic survey of the rich and varied myths and legends of China's ethnic minorities, such as the creation myths of Pangu, Nüwa, and Fuxi, along with a wealth of heroic epics and nature-worship stories circulating among the people, constructing a three-dimensional and complete picture of the Chinese mythological genealogy.

In terms of reading value, the book's distinctive strength lies in its "duality." For ordinary readers, it is an engrossing exploration of the sources of Chinese civilization; the narration strives to be vivid while maintaining scholarly rigor, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the splendid and fantastical imaginative world of early ancestors and to understand the primal codes within our cultural genes. For researchers or deeply interested readers, the detailed annotations, source verification, and comparison of variant versions provide valuable leads and entry points for further study. The publication quality of The Commercial Press guarantees reliable content and meticulous editing. Overall, this is a classic work that can accompany readers from initial interest to in-depth exploration, and its value becomes more evident with the passage of time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers with a strong interest in traditional Chinese culture, folk literature, and the origins of civilization
Students and scholars engaged in the study or research of literature, history, anthropology, or folklore
Parents and educators looking for authoritative, systematic mythology reading for children
Creators in cultural products, animation, and game development who need to draw on Chinese mythological elements and worldview inspiration

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking only quick, highly plot-driven entertainment stories
Readers who want fully vernacular retellings or novel-style re-creations of myths

Reading tips

It is advisable to first read the introductory overview in Volume One to build a framework for understanding the overall outline and characteristics of Chinese mythology.
While reading, you can compare myths from different ethnic groups on the same theme (such as creation or the flood) to appreciate the unity in diversity of Chinese culture.
Reading alongside historical maps or materials on ethnic cultures will help you understand the geographical and cultural background in which the myths arose and deepen your appreciation.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.

版权信息
第四部洪水神话
共工与洪水
祝融胜共工
共工和祝融
补天
女娲补天
海伦格格补天
补天的兄妹俩
女娲补西北天
女娲补天治水
女娲娘娘
骊山老母补天王母娘娘补地
鲧禹治水
鲧偷取息壤平治洪水
鲧王治水
河伯授图
禹的诞生
禹王锁蛟
禹擒水怪无支祁
大禹王
三过家门
蛮龙归正
神女瑶姬的传说
启母石
王鲧和防风
防风三难大禹
防风之死
天神与雷公的惩罚
洪水潮天的故事
捉雷公引起的故事
伏羲兄妹
洪水的传说
阿仰兄妹制人烟
葫芦、兄妹婚与人类再传
盘古兄妹
葫芦里出来的人
葫芦出人种
布伯的故事
伏羲兄妹造人
玛黑、玛妞和葫芦里的人
阿霹刹、洪水和人的祖先
洪水的故事
青蛙大王与母牛
腊普和亚妞
避水塔
汉苗彝的来历
第五部祖源神话
图腾神话
盘古老祖是龙之子
盘瓠王
母虎日历碑
苍狼和母鹿
蛇是我们的老祖宗
神母狗父
牧羊人和天鹅女
氏族来源
氏族来源
虎氏族
狗氏族
喇氏族的来源
四个部族的由来
天鹅仙女
民族起源
哈萨克族源的传说
豪尼人的祖先
人类始祖
汉日天种
泰雅族的起源
各族群的由来
布朗族的来历
柯尔克孜的来历
其他
人狗配婚
昂姑咪
虎哥与人弟
鲁俄俄
斯金金巴巴娜达明和金尼麦包
麦冬海依
始祖的传说
第六部英雄神话
神勇巨人
夸父追日
巨人夫妻——□洛甲与布洛陀
丁巴什罗
二郎担山撵太阳
英雄支格阿龙
英雄坎德巴依
翁戛捉旱精
太阳神本主
雄狮大王格萨尔
汝南三王墓的传说
扎努扎别
太阳神
神的纷争
共工怒触不周山
人间天宫
东术争战记
天宫大战
吕洞宾给王母娘娘拜寿
羿和逢蒙
碧霞元君占泰山
白氏郎的故事——泰山众神的由来
望月台
姜子牙封神
诸神献身
大黑天神
白云格格
神农尝百草
阿里山
力戛撑天
黎母山
莫拉
涿鹿大战
大战涿鹿
黄帝战蚩尤
黄帝擒杀蚩尤
刑天
黄帝和炎帝
圣帝贤王
炎黄和睦草
宇宙的最高统治者——黄帝
轩辕访贤
尧王举贤
尧封防风国
尧王访贤
尧除丹珠
尧王嫁女
舜帝审案
种麻籽
大舜耕田
害不死的大舜
夏禹王疏通九河
成汤祷雨
第七部爱情神话
天婚
天牛郎配夫妻
人类迁徙记
斗安珠和木姐珠
东明王的传说
种子的起源
葫芦里出来的人
牧童和仙女
爱情悲剧
茶和盐的故事
阿晅送火种
娜妥与扎娃
白拉姆女神和赤尊赞
女神贡堂拉姆
爱情故事
朱拉贝子和阿苏里姑娘
黑面王子
高楞趣和斯汝命
孤儿和秀墨姑娘
大石磙庄的来历——董永与织女的遗迹
盎哇鸟
召采与卯蚩彩娥翠
第八部文化英雄神话
燧人氏与火的发现
燧人氏击石取火
创火人
火的起源
火的神话
火种
阿当寻火种
神鸟传火
阏伯台与火神庙
打石取火和锄头的来历
“明火”的发明
火神的传说
托阿恩都哩
神农造五谷尝百草
五谷的来历
巧定仙人脚
谷种的来源
稻谷的来历
沙地古咪找粮种
塔坡取种
那泼节的传说
神农婆与百谷仙姑
稷子的来历
茫耶寻谷种
蚂蟥与谷种
神农尝百草
尝百草
伏羲画八卦
龙马负图
伏羲伏羲，教人打鱼
伏羲教民
女娲造六畜
女娲造六畜
女娲捏泥造人畜
女娲造水牛
牲畜的来历
鸡、鸭、鹅的由来
牛神被罚
马的来历
风后与黄帝造指南车
风后和他的指南车
黄帝造车轮
嫘祖发现蚕丝
嫘祖养蚕
西荫氏找桑蚕
甯封子制陶
甯封子为陶正
制陶器与种棉花的起源
龙窑的来历
仓颉造字
仓颉造字
黄帝令仓颉造字
仓颉造字的由来
仓颉造字的故事
字是怎样造出来的
仓颉造“秃”字
伏羲造字
诸族文字的故事
东巴文字的来源
向帕召讨文字
贝玛阿波吃文字
汉、藏和纳西文字
彝文字的来历
傈僳族没有文字
贝叶信
洛龙歌布曲鸟
杜康造酒
酿酒始祖杜康
大禹和水酉
歌与乐器
找歌的传说
铜鼓的来历
箫
芦笙
口弦琴的传说
第九部死亡与永生
生命树与不死草
神与灵魂
不死草
崇人抛鼎寻不死药
神医侍司懿
死的来历
死的来历
人死蛇蜕皮的来历
人为何会生会死
人会死的由来
嘎美嘎莎造人
人类和石头的战争
画神多兰嘎
人脱壳到蛇蜕皮
人、牛、蛇
人和龙
会脱皮的人
永生的愿望
永生不死的姑娘
人类始祖返老还童的故事
第十部冥府神话
东岳大帝判案
东岳大帝评理阎王殿
斩鬼台
三太子复仇奈河岸
刘海洋德走阴阳界
转山子
没喝迷魂汤的人
丰都城
阴天子登基
报恩殿
神目如电
阎王殿
阎王也喜欢拍马
头殿阎君“开后门”
阎王判案
中元节的传说
牛头和马面
无常鬼
第十一部巫术神话
萨满巫术
萨满过阴
德莫日根和简色楞萨满
巫术师巫术（尸语故事七则）
顿珠和巫术师七弟兄
鸟衣王子
报恩
木匠宫噶
诸种巫术
玛因铁和狐大哥
山神女
鄢挨世剪纸
父女斗法
酸鱼罐
则福老
风穴寺的传说（二则）
石头山
苦九龙鬼
宁崩鬼
第十二部风俗神话
祭祀
日月甲马
祭祖的由来
祭猎神
赛夏族矮灵祭的由来
天穿日
播种祭和祖灵祭的由来
玛麦的传说
清明节
驱妖镇邪
泰山石敢当
盖房为何门框底下压两块砖
石傢什
狗头帽
凤凰帽的传说
节气
“年”的来历
重阳登高
文面文身
文面断齿成亲
文身的故事
阿注婚
阿注婚的来由
序
前言
第一部宇宙起源
开天地
盘古开天辟地
盘古王开天
盘古出世
开天辟地
九重天的来历
盘古的传说
天地起源
迦萨甘创世
天、地、人的起源
顾米亚
布桑戛西与雅桑戛赛
天神三兄弟
麦德尔神女开天辟地
创世
遮帕麻与遮米麻
布洛陀
密洛陀
司岗里
牡帕密帕的故事
阿布凯赫赫创造天地人
天宫神魔大战
天梯
伏羲攀登天梯
天上、人间、地下
天梯与野草
天是怎样升高起来的
天地分开
大地的由来
天和地合
颛顼隔断天地的通路
地震
顶地球的公牛站在哪里？
蜜蜂与地震
鳌鱼驮地球
鳌鱼和地震
第二部天体
天体
天为什么是蓝的
彩虹
天上为什么有彩虹
天体的传说
日月星
日、月、星
星星的由来
北斗七星
石头星和灯草星
牵牛星和织女星
太阳的生日
阳雀造日月
日月平升
第十个太阳
月亮树
欧伦神的传说
射月亮
风姑娘
日食和月食的由来
太阳和月亮的故事
太阳爸爸
太阳、月亮和星星
天地日月的来历
救太阳
公鸡请太阳
公鸡请太阳
日月食
天狗吞月
天狗吃月亮
老虎吃太阳，天狗吃月亮
射日
射日奔月
射太阳
特康射太阳
十二个太阳
射太阳的故事
风雨雷电
天为什么是青的
刮风打雷的由来
孩童为什么怕雷电
第三部人类起源
天神造人
天神造人
始祖塔婆然
依罗娘娘造人
人类的起源
各色人种的由来
女娲等造人
女娲创造人类
恰喀拉人是怎么来的
神膝相擦生出了人类
女娲造人
人是泥巴捏的
人的来历
蛋生人
龟婆孵蛋
人类的起源
水生人
地下人
人类是从哪里来的
石生人
石头阿祖和石头子孙
人类的诞生
人类起源
植物生人
百片树叶百个人
莲生伏羲女娲
猴子变人
泽当——西藏猴子变人的地方
猴子变人
蜜蜂变人
密洛陀
葫芦、南瓜生人
蜂桶、葫芦传人种
南瓜的故事

FAQ

How does this set differ from Mr. Yuan Ke's Chinese Myths and Legends?

Both are authoritative works, but with different emphases. Mr. Yuan Ke's work focuses more on the systematic organization and literary interpretation of mythological material in classical Chinese texts, constructing a complete Han mythological system. Mr. Tao Yang's set combines textual sources with a large amount of orally collected folk legend and gives particular prominence to the richness of ethnic minority mythology, with distinctive strengths in the breadth and field-based nature of its sources. The two can be read as complements to each other.

Is the content suitable for young readers?

This is a scholarly compilation; the language is plain but preserves the flavor of the original texts and touches on some raw, primal conceptions. For adolescents of middle school age and above with a certain reading ability, it is an excellent in-depth reader. For younger children, parents or teachers are advised to select or explain some chapters first.

Is this set simply a collection of stories?

No. It goes beyond the level of a story collection; it is a compilation and discussion with a research character. The book includes the original sources of the myth records, the regions where they circulated, comparisons of variant texts, and necessary scholarly annotations, aiming to present the myths' original forms and research value relatively completely rather than merely providing recreational narrative.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

陶阳 Author

Tao Yang is an author about whom limited public information is currently available; his representative work is Chinese Mythology (4 volumes). Judging from this work, Tao Yang's writing centers on the field of Chinese mythology, involving the organization and presentation of mythological material. Mythology is an important source of traditional Chinese culture, and writing on it generally requires both careful textual research and narrative skill, so as to help readers understand stories that have been passed down over a long period. Because the database holds only one work by Tao Yang, information such as his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background cannot be confirmed, and the existing classification places the work only among classic works. For this reason, little can be said with certainty about Tao Yang's life and creative career; readers who wish to learn more would do better to read Chinese Mythology directly and see for themselves how the author handles mythological material.