Systematic Discussion on the Legend of the Eight Immortals: The Construction and Evolution of Religious Myth in Neidan Daoism

Author: Wu Guangzheng / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The author of this book has conducted a "fish out of water" style of comprehensive research on the Eight Immortals, systematicallying the origins and evolution of thirteen stories such as "The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea," "The Eight Immortals Celebrating Longevity," "Lü Dongbin Playing with White Peony," and "Snow Blocking the Blue Pass." This research expands the connotation and extension of mythology, approaching it from the integrated perspectives of religious history, literary history, and cultural history. It points out that the Eight Immortals originated in the Southern Song and Jin dynasties, and that the legend of the Eight Immortals is a mythological-literary reinterpretation of internal alchemy religious concepts, religious rituals, and religious ceremonies. As the religious context faded, the legend permeated various aspects of Chinese art, culture, and popular life. On this basis, the author also attempts to reflect on previous cultural research and literary history narrative paradigms, proposing some unique insights.