Jessica Nguyen
ID #10773642
ChineseMythology
(PublicDomain,takenfromWikipedia)
Course:Cantonese10A
Instructor:Mr.AllenTam
DueDate:11/20/14
ChineseMythology
Chinesemythologyfocusesaroundcreationmythsandlegends,especiallythose
thatcenteronthefoundingofChinesecultureandChinesenation.Inthepast,Chinese
mythology has been thought to be a factual recording of history, so when studying
historicalChineseculture,oneshouldviewstoriesabouthistoricalfiguresandeventsina
historicizedwayandinamoremythologicalway.Manydifferentconceptsarepresented
inChinesemythology,includingprincipaldeities,theformationofdifferentdynasties,
and mythical creatures. The myths surrounding Change, the Shang dynasty, and
Yinglongfocusontheseparticularconcepts.Chinesepeopleusethesemythstoexplain
certainhistoricaleventsandfigures,aswellaseverydayoccurrences.
Change,thegoddessofthemoon,isrememberedduringtheMidAutumnMoon
Festival,wherepeoplegivemooncakesinherhonor.Sheisthecentralfigureinseveral
Chinese legends, most of which also include Houyi the Archer, a benevolent or
malevolentemperor,anelixiroflife,andthemoon.
InthefirstmythofChangeandHouyitheArcher,Changeandherhusband
Houyi were immortal beings that lived in heaven. Ten of the Jade Emperors sons
transformedintotensunsandcausedtheearthtoscorch.TheJadeEmperorordered
Houyitohelpwhenhefailedtostophissonsfromdestroyingtheearth.Usinghisarchery
skills,Houyishotdownnineofthesons,butsparedonetobethesun.Displeasedby
Houyissolutiontokillnineofhissons,theJadeEmperorpunishedHouyiandChange
bybanishingthemtoliveasmortalsonearth.Changebecamemiserableoverthelossof
her immortality and Houyi decided to go on a dangerous quest to find the pill of
immortalitysothattheycouldbeimmortalagain.HeattainedthepillfromtheQueen
MotheroftheWest,whowarnedhimthateachpersononlyneededtoconsumehalfof
thepilltobecomeimmortal.WhenHouyibroughtthepillhome,hestoreditinacaseand
warnedChangenottoopenit.Whenhelefthome,Changebecamecuriousandfound
thepilljustashewasreturninghome.NervousthatHouyiwouldcatchherdoingwhathe
toldhernotto,sheswallowedthepillwhole,andbegantofloatintothesky.Houyicould
notbeartoshootherdownwithhisarrowandChangecontinuedfloatinguntilshe
landedonthemoon.
InthesecondmythofChangeandHouyitheArcher,Changeisabeautiful
younggirlworkingintheJadeEmperorspalaceinheaven.TheJadeEmperorbanishes
hertoliveoneearthwhenshebreaksapreciousporcelainjar,thoughhetellshershecan
returntoheavenifshecontributesavaluableserviceonearth.Changeistransformed
intoadaughterofarichfarmingfamily,andwhensheturned18,ahunternamedHouyi
metherandtheybecamefriends.Oneday,tensunsroseintheskyinsteadofone,and
scorchedtheearth.Houyi,withhisarcheryskills,successfullyshotdownnineofthesuns
andbecameaninstanthero.HethenbecamekingandmarriedChange.However,Houyi
becamegreedyandselfish,anddesiredimmortality.Heorderedanelixirtobemadeto
prolonghislife,whichcameintheformofapill.Changecameacrossitandeither
accidentallyorpurposelyswallowedthepill,whichangeredKingHouyi,whochased
afterher.Shefledbyjumpingoutofawindowatthetopofthepalace,andfloatedinto
thesky,insteadoffalling.KingHouyitriedtoshootherdownwitharrows,butfailed.
Eventually,KingHouyiascendedtothesunandbuiltapalacethere.Therefore,Change
andHouyirepresentyinandyang,themoonandthesun.
The Shang dynasty, or Yin dynasty, ruled in the Yellow River valley in the
secondmillenniumBC,from1766BCto1050BC,succeedingtheXiadynastyand
followedbytheZhoudynasty.TriballeaderTangofShangrevoltedagainstJie,thelast
kingoftheXiadynasty,whowasabloodthirstyruler,andeventuallyoverthrewhim,
creatingtheShangdynasty.TherewasagreatclimaticchangeduringKingJiesreign
andaccordingtolegends,theseasonsbecameconfusedbecausethepathsofthesunand
moonchanged,andthefivegrains driedup,ghoulscriedinthecountry,andcranes
shrieked for ten nights. Heaven commanded Shang Tang to receive the heavenly
commission from the Xia dynasty and destroy it, since the Xia had morally failed.
HeavendestroyedtheXiafortress,andShangTangwasabletooverthrowthem.The
ShangdynastycametoanendwhenZhouofShangwasoverthrownbythenewZhou
dynasty. According to legends, Heaven disapproved of Shang Zhous morality and
neglectoftimelysacrifices.Itrainedmudfortendaysandnights,theninecauldrons
shiftedpositions,pontianaksappeared,andghostscriedatnight.Womenbecamemen
whileitrainedfleshandthornybrambles,andaredbirdbroughtthemessage:Heaven
decreesKingWenofZhoutopunishYinandpossessits empire. WhenKingWu
becameking,threegodsappearedinadreamtotellhimthattheyhaddrownedShang
ZhouinwineandthatKingWuwastoattackhim.Whenhesucceeded,theheavensgave
himtheemblemofayellowbird.
OneofthemostfamousdragonsinChinesemythologyisYinglong,thegodof
rain, who is known as the Proper Conduct Dragon and the responding dragon.
YinglongistheonlyChinesedragonportrayedwithwingsandlacksscales,asdragons
onlygainwingsafter1,000years.Yinglongisoftenmentionedinlegendsaboutthe
ThreeSovereignsandFiveEmperors.YinglongisaguardianofthewatersofEarthand
isassociatedwiththeraincloudsofheaven.ManypeoplepraytoYinglongforrain.
AccordingtotheChuciSongsofChu,YinglonghelpedKingYu,founderoftheXia
dynasty,tocontrolthemythicGreatDeluge. KingYaoassignedYusfatherGun,a
supposeddescendentoftheYellowEmperor,tocontrolamassiveflood,buthefailed.
YaossuccessorKingShunhadGunexecuted,butGunscorpsedidnotdecompose,and
whentheycuthimopen,Yuwasbornbyparthenogenesis.Yuwasthenappointedto
controlthefloodsandaftersucceedingthroughconstructingcanals,Yudividedancient
ChinaintotheJiuzhou,orNineProvinces.TheChucicommentaryofWangYistatesthat
YinglongdrewlinesonthegroundtoshowYuwheretodigdrainageandirrigation
canals.
Accordingtoearlycommentaries,Yinglongwhomadethebedsofriversby
wagglinghistailinthemuddysoilandthushelpedYutoregulatetheflood,wasakind
ofeel,too.Hsiangliustoppedthewaterwithhisbody;Yinglungwithhistailmadeit
runfreely,justasYusfatherKunstoppedthewater,whileYumadeitrun.Wolfram
Eberhard,whowroteTheLocalCulturesofSouthandEastChina,statesthatYinglong
representationswereancientlyusedinrainmagicceremonies,wherethemostimportant
animalisalwaysadragonmadeofclay.HestatesthatYinglongalsoplaysalargepart
inharvestingricewithhistailhedrewlinesintheearthandthuscreatedriversIn
otherwords,thedragonmadethewaterwaysthemostimportantthingforallcultivators
ofrice.
Inconclusion,thesemythsallcontributealargeparttoChineseculture,andare
importanttoChinesepeoplesbeliefs.Thesemythsexplainalargepartofhistoryand
alsoeverydayoccurrences.
Citation
1.ChineseMythology.Wikipedia.Web.10November2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology>
2.Changeur,SeurngmNgor,orTheGodessontheMoon.ChinaExpats.Web.14
November2014.<http://www.chinaexpats.com/Holidays_Cn_MAF_Change.htm>
3.Yang,LihuiandDemingAn.HandbookofChineseMythology.OxfordUniversity
Press.GooglePlay.Web.18November2014.<http://books.google.com/books?
id=tUwTxocaOGsC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=yinglong+chinese+mythology&sourc
e=bl&ots=WOeLDtrMCL&sig=bEu4us5zUBKyQyO_wV0pCqpm8go&hl=en&sa=X&ei
=gXtuVJLBFpDgsASYqoHADw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=yinglong
%20chinese%20mythology&f=false>
4.Horemheb,Sementawy.Yinglong.AncientWorlds.AncientWorldsLLC.March03,
2012.Web.19November2014.<http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/1263352>
