Basic Themes Of Chinese Mythology

Chinese Mythology

At the start of every civilization many stories are told to explain life and how things began. Each culture portrays the beginning of life in a different way but are similar in many ways. The themes and gods may differ by name and physical features, but the part they play in creation are all too familiar in every myth. In Chinese mythology, the basic themes of revolve around the order from chaos theme of myths. Order from chaos can be defined as giving a basic explanation to how and why things are the way they are. To deal with the more complex aspect of things, mythological creatures and characters are used to provide meaning. In Chinese myths, there is no exception. The many stories and gods within them all

Although religious beliefs taught by Confucius banned any religions that had to do with worshiping nature, scholars sought ways in which they could change them around to fit the religion at the time (Rosenberg 259). In the majority of the myths there is a divine pair that exists, meaning a balance between good and evil. The Chinese believed that for every object that existed, there was a complete and total opposite. In this particular, “The Creation of the Universe”, the earth starts off as an egg that contained the whole universe (Rosenberg 360). The first being named Pangu, dwelled within this “Cosmic

Other stories told of other beginnings. In a story called “The Ten Chinese Suns” a different approach is taken to give the order from chaos. In this particular tale, which was told during the Chou dynasty (1027 BC-221 BC), it was said that earth already existed but ten suns existed which would take turns riding across the sky on a chariot with their mother (Internet Sight www.windows.umich.edu). After doing this for many, many years, the suns all agreed to ride across together. By doing this, they caused many plants and animals and other living things to die out because the heat was too much for life to exist. An archer named Yi was then sent down from the heavens with a magic bow to kill off the suns so that life can continue to prosper. Yi then shot down nine suns, leaving one sun, the sun that still exist