Chinese and Foreign Mythology and Legends

Author: Cao Shuang (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Myths can generally be divided into three categories: creation myths, natural myths, and hero myths. Creation myths revolve around the theme of the origin of heaven and earth, reflecting people's fantastical contemplation of the world's beginnings, such as Pangu Creates the World, The Seven Days of Creation, and Nuwa Creates Humans. Natural myths explain various phenomena in nature, such as Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Love Song, and The Spider and the Spiderweb. Among the three categories, hero myths are the most numerous. Folk tales differ from myths; they refer to imaginative stories related to specific figures, places, or things, passed down orally and eventually recorded as folk creations. Folk tales can also be divided into three types: hero tales, local tales, and origin tales of things, such as Tao-Taro, and Xiang Zhao the Godly Child. Local tales are those associated with a specific place, such as Yugong Moves the Mountains and Meng Jiangnu Weeping Over the Great Wall. Origin tales of things are those related to a particular object, such as How the Bread Tree Was Born in India and The Origin of the Door God. During the compilation of this book, we selected renowned and representative myths and folk tales from China and abroad based on the knowledge level and reading preferences of primary and secondary school students. We aimed to present a broad perspective, extract the essence, ensure accurate translations, and make the book suitable for extracurricular reading and as a reference for teaching.