Ancient Mythology

Lü BoyouNov 2020

3.6

Word count: 20K words
Chapters: 28

Summary

Chinese mythology, especially that of the ancient period, has always lacked dedicated written records, making the collection of such material extremely difficult. Most of the sources for this book are drawn from scattered accounts in ancient texts and developed from them. The methods of development fall into roughly three kinds: (1) direct translation of a passage from an ancient text; (2) comparison of several ancient texts to supplement one another; and (3) taking the general sense of ancient texts and adding part of the folk tradition. In terms of classification, the myths fall into roughly the following categories: (1) myths of the creation of heaven and earth; (2) myths of natural phenomena; (3) myths of the origin of species; (4) myths of the martial deeds of tribal heroes; (5) myths of the underworld; and (6) myths of marriages between humans and beasts.

Editor's review

This is a book on ancient Chinese mythology that reconnects scattered materials into a coherent whole. The author states at the outset that Chinese ancient mythology has always lacked dedicated, concentrated records, making collection extremely difficult; therefore, most of the book draws on fragmented accounts from old texts and then elaborates upon them. Admirably, the author does not hide the process of elaboration but explicitly identifies three methods: direct translation of a passage from an ancient text, drawing on several ancient texts to supplement one another, and adding some folk legends to the gist of ancient texts. This candor lets readers recognize how the stories before them have been assembled, adding a layer of critical awareness to the reading. The book is organized by categories—cosmic creation, natural phenomena, origins of species, tribal heroes' martial exploits, the underworld, and human-beast marriage—with a clear structure that facilitates reading by interest. It serves well as an introductory work for understanding the basic contours of ancient Chinese mythology, and is also suitable for parents and children to read together and discuss the relationship between legend and imagination.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers who want a systematic understanding of ancient Chinese mythology by category
Young readers curious about legends of cosmic creation and natural phenomena
Parents who need mythological material for storytelling or parent-child reading
Readers who enjoy comparing accounts across ancient texts and are willing to think critically

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers who require source citations and textual variants for every entry
Readers who want a single, complete mythological system and do not accept multi-source synthesis
Casual readers who prefer modern retellings or novelized narratives

Reading tips

Start with the three methods of elaboration the author explains, and note which category each story belongs to as you read.
Choose categories of interest from the classification at the end and read those first; there is no need to proceed sequentially from beginning to end.
When you encounter places where different ancient texts offer competing accounts, pause to compare the differences and appreciate the process of assembling materials.
When reading with children, let them guess which parts of a story come from folk legend, then check against the explanations.

版权信息
序说
创造世界的经过
女娲怎样造人
羲和所驾的车子
七夕的故事
炎帝用赭鞭鞭百草
黄帝怎样征伐蚩尤
能够辨别奸佞的屈轶草
解廌兽判断曲直
黄帝的梦
宁封子
黄帝乘龙上天
不周山的坍倒
两头四手四足的怪人
神荼和郁垒
高辛氏的狗女婿
蚕是怎样变成的
后羿射下了九个太阳
嫦娥逃到月亮里去了
萐莆和蓂荚
会飞行的偓佺
斑竹的来历
奇怪的玛瑙瓮
洪水时代的奇迹
防风国的两个凶神
飞沙填没了长夜宫
葛由骑木羊上绥山

FAQ

Are these mythological stories made up by the author?

Not entirely. The author explains that most materials are drawn from fragmented accounts in ancient texts, and the methods of elaboration include direct translation of a passage from an ancient text, drawing on several ancient texts to supplement one another, and adding some folk legends to the gist of ancient texts. Thus the book contains both original textual foundations and elements of organization and supplementation.

What categories are the myths in the book divided into?

According to the author, they are roughly divided into six categories: cosmic creation, natural phenomena, origins of species, tribal heroes' martial exploits, the underworld, and human-beast marriage. The classification is clear, and readers can choose which part to read first according to interest.

Why is ancient mythology so difficult to collect?

The author points out that Chinese mythology, especially the ancient portion, has never had dedicated books recording it; materials are scattered across various ancient texts, mostly in fragmented accounts. Collection is therefore difficult, and compilation often requires consulting multiple ancient texts and elaborating upon them—which is why the book adopts three methods of elaboration.

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About the author

Lü Boyou Author · Chinese

Lü Boyou was a modern Chinese editor, educator and children's literature writer from Zhejiang, and a student of Li Shutong. He worked as an editor at Zhonghua Book Company, edited children's periodicals such as Children's World and Little Friend, and wrote An Introduction to Children's Literature, giving him a representative place in the history of children's literature theory and criticism in twentieth-century China. Public information on his life, including birth and death dates, is limited. Judging from the works held here, his writing was aimed at children and general readers and drew largely on myth, ancient history and classical fables: he produced readable surveys such as Ancient Myths and Talks on Ancient History, and also retold traditional stories in fairy-tale form in Chinese Fairy Tales and Fairy Tales from Han Feizi. Overall, he was skilled at turning classical texts and legends into plain, accessible narratives that combined information with interest, and his editorial and creative work helped promote children's publishing and the popularization of folk literature in his time.