Mythological Essence Critique

Author: Li Donghai Huang Fei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Myth is "the natural and social forms processed through an unconscious artistic way in the fantasy of the people," it is "to conquer the natural forces in imagination and with imagination, and to personify the natural forces." Primitive people could not explain terrifying natural phenomena such as fierce winds, thunderstorms, and forest fires, and their psychological shock and fear were then imbued with religious colors. Thus, people anthropomorphized nature, believing that everything had a "soul," giving rise to nature worship. For example, the Fire God Zhu Rong, the Water God He Bo, the Sea God Yu Guo and Yu Jing in Shan Hai Jing, and the Sun God Dongjun and Cloud God Yun Zhongjun in Chu Ci are all like this. In short, myth is the unity of humans and nature, a reflection of people's "prehistoric" real life. Precisely for this reason, myth profoundly influences later literature and art, while later literature and art draw nutrients from myth, becoming richer and more diverse. For instance, the great poet Qu Yuan's Li Sao and Tian Wen, etc., shine with magnificent and supernatural brilliance because they take myth as their theme.