Selected Annotations of Ancient Myths

Name: Selected Annotations of Ancient Myths
ISBN: 9787550298927

Yuan KeBeijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaApr 2026

4.5

Word count: 256K words
Chapters: 133
ISBN: 9787550298927

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Summary

Mr. Yuan Ke's research on Chinese mythology opened up a new field in the history of scholarship, and his related findings have become a series of important works in "Chinese mythology studies." This volume, Annotated Selections from Ancient Myths, collects, organizes, selects, and interprets ancient Chinese myths scattered across classical texts; drawing further on inscriptions, stone carvings, ethnic myths, folk legends, and other historical materials, it develops arguments and interpretations, presenting readers with a magnificent and expansive picture of remote and high antiquity in China, while also offering a first glimpse of his theoretical system of "myth in the broad sense."

Editor's review

Mr. Yuan Ke broke extensive new ground in the field of Chinese mythology studies, and this book is a concentrated presentation of his mythological scholarship as applied to classical texts. It collects, organizes, selects, and interprets ancient Chinese myths scattered across classical documents, while drawing on inscriptions, stone carvings, ethnic myths, folk legends, and other materials to develop arguments and interpretations, allowing scattered fragments of myth to be joined into a relatively complete picture. Readers can see both the magnificent imagination of remote and high antiquity in China and the initial shape of his theoretical system of "myth in the broad sense." The book's value lies in combining textual criticism with mythological interpretation; it can serve as a reference for specialists and as an introduction and further reading for general readers interested in myth. It is best read slowly in the interpretive sections, with attention to the balance between sources and inference, in order to appreciate his scholarly approach.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in ancient Chinese mythology and traditional culture
Students of literature and history who need reference materials and interpretations of mythological texts
Readers following Yuan Ke's mythological system and his theory of "myth in the broad sense"
Enthusiasts who wish to understand the origins and development of myth through classical texts, inscriptions, and folk legends

Not a good fit for

Readers who want only complete collections of mythological stories and are unwilling to read textual interpretation
Readers expecting light popular reading and lacking patience for classical Chinese materials
Readers in fields unrelated to mythology who seek only casual reading

Reading tips

Begin with the preface or introduction to understand Yuan Ke's view of myth and the scope of this book's selections, then move on to the individual pieces.
When reading the interpretive sections, note the sources of the materials; compare them with the original classical texts to deepen understanding.
Read by theme or by mythological figure to avoid losing the thread through scattered browsing.
After reading, make your own index cards of mythological materials, recording sources and the main points of Mr. Yuan's analysis.

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

版权信息
编辑说明
图版目次
前言
盘古
一
二
三
女娲
一
二
三
四
五
六
女娲伏羲
一
二
伏羲
一
二
三
四
廪君
创造发明者
炎帝
一
二
炎帝诸女
一
二
三
黄帝
一
二
三
四
五
六
黄帝与蚩尤之战
一
二
刑天
夸父
愚公
蚕马
牛郎织女
一
二
少昊
一
二
三
颛顼
一
二
彭祖·老子
一
二
帝俊
帝喾
后稷
一
二
契
盘瓠
尧
一
二
三
丹朱
舜
一
二
三
四
五
六
羿与嫦娥
一
二
三
四
五
六
鲧禹治水
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
伯益
殊方景物
一
二
三
四
五
六
启
孔甲
一
二
王亥
夏桀
伊尹
成汤
一
二
傅说
纣
周文王
姜太公
武王伐纣
一
二
伯夷叔齐
周穆王
徐偃王
褒姒
干将·莫邪·眉间尺
一
二
韩凭
杜宇·开明·李冰
一
二
三
引用书目

FAQ

How is this book different from ordinary collections of mythological stories?

Ordinary collections of mythological stories mainly narrate stories, whereas this book focuses on collecting, organizing, and interpreting mythological materials scattered across classical texts, and draws on inscriptions, stone carvings, ethnic myths, and folk legends to develop arguments and interpretations. It has a research character and helps readers understand the sources of mythological texts and the ways they are interpreted.

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

The book involves selections from and interpretations of classical documents, so some ability to read classical Chinese will make it smoother. But the interpretive sections themselves serve an explanatory function, and general readers can grasp the main ideas by reading slowly; if your classical Chinese is weak, you can read the interpretive text first and then return to the quotations, adapting gradually.

What does "myth in the broad sense" mean in this book?

According to the materials, this book offers a first glimpse of Yuan Ke's theoretical system of "myth in the broad sense." This theory advocates extending the scope of mythological research to a broader range of materials, not limited to myth in the narrow sense of remote antiquity but also including inscriptions, stone carvings, ethnic myths, folk legends, and so on, thereby presenting a more complete picture of ancient Chinese mythology.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to mythology studies?

It can serve as an extended introduction. It presents Yuan Ke's path of organizing and interpreting mythological materials and helps build a basic understanding of mythological texts; but the book has a research orientation, so if you have no foundation at all, you may first read general works on mythology and then come to this book for a fuller understanding.

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About the author

Yuan Ke Author · Chinese · 1916–2001

Yuan Ke (1916–2001), whose original name was Yuan Shengshi, was a native of Xinfan, Sichuan, and a contemporary Chinese mythologist and writer. He served as a researcher at the Institute of Literature of the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences and as chairman of the Chinese Mythological Society, devoting himself over the years to the organization and study of Chinese mythology. He wrote more than twenty works, including Ancient Chinese Myths, Annotated Classic of Mountains and Seas, A History of Chinese Mythology, and A Grand Dictionary of Chinese Mythology, and proposed the theory of "myth in a broad sense." He was a leading figure in the study of Chinese mythology. His writing rests on solid textual scholarship, weaving scattered records from ancient texts into a systematic framework in a plain, fluent style that is both scholarly and readable. Works by him available here include Annotated Selections of Ancient Myths, Chinese Myths and Legends (Concise Edition), and Chinese Folk Legends, which introduce mythology and legend to general readers and have had a lasting influence on the popularization of traditional culture.