Chinese Mythology : An Introduction

FOREWORD xi(4) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xv(2) ABBREVIATIONS xvii(2) CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE xix Introduction 1(22) Definitions of Myth 2(3) Approaches to Chinese Myth 5(5) The Comparative Method in the Study of Chinese Myth 10(3) Modern Chinese and Japanese Studies of Chinese Myth 13(4) The Nature of Chinese Mythic Narratives 17(3) The Polyfunctionality of Myth as an Organizing Principle 20(1) Future Research on Chinese Myth: A New Dimension 21(2) 1. Origins 23(17) The Origin of the World 26(7) The Goddess Nu Kua Creates Human Beings 33(2) Sunrise, Sunset 35(5) 2. Culture Bearers 40(27) The River God Chu Ling 41(1) The Fire Driller 42(2) Fu Hsi's Inventions and Discoveries 44(3) The Farmer God Thrashes Herbs 47(3) Ch'ih Yu Invents Metallurgy and Weapons 50(3) Ti K'u Makes Musical Instruments 53(1) Hou Chi Teaches How to Sow Grain 54(4) Po Yi Tames Birds and Beasts 58(2) K'ung Chia Rears Dragons 60(1) Ts'an Ts'ung Encourages Sericulture 61(2) Master Yen Presents His Invention 63(2) Minor Culture Bearer Traditions 65(2) 3. Saviors 67(22) Chu Lung, Torch Dragon 68(1) Nu Kua Mends the Sky 69(3) Hou Chi Saves Humans from Starvation 72(2) Shun, the Filial Son 74(2) The Burial Place of Shun 76(1) Yi Shoots the Ten Suns to Avert Disaster 77(2) Kun and the Flood 79(2) Yu Controls the Flood 81(2) K'ai Receives the Music of Heaven 83(2) At Mulberry Forest They Pray for Rain 85(2) The Virgin Brides and the River God 87(2) 4. Destroyers 89(24) Crimes of the Gods 90(1) The Links between Earth and Heaven Are Severed 91(4) The Sons of Chuan Hsu 95(2) Kung Kung Butts into the Mountain 97(1) The Myths of Hun Tun 98(2) The Shen Star and the Ch'en Star 100(1) Yi Shoots the Lord of the River 101(3) The Three Trials of Shun 104(1) King Kai Loses His Oxen 105(3) King Chieh of the Hsia and the Two Suns 108(2) King Chou of the Shang Imprisons King Wen of the Chou Dynasty 110(3) 5. Miraculous Birth 113(17) Ti K'u 114(2) Chiang Yuan Gives Birth to Hou Chi 116(2) P'an Hu 118(2) Po Yi 120(1) Kun and Yu 121(1) Yu, the T'u-shan Girl, and Ch'i 122(1) Ti Chun and His Wives 123(2) King Yen of Hsu 125(3) Yi Yin Is Born of a Hollow Mulberry Tree 128(2) 6. Myths of the Yellow Emperor 130(8) The Battle between the Yellow Emperor and the Flame Emperor 131(1) Ch'ih Yu Attacks the Yellow Emperor 132(2) The Yellow Emperor Captures the K'uei Monster 134(1) The Yellow Emperor Conquers the Four Emperors 135(1) The Yellow Emperor Loses the Black Pearl 136(1) The Yellow Emperor Questions the Dark Lady on the Art of War 137(1) 7. Myths of Yi the Archer 138(8) Yi Shoots the Ten Suns to Avert Disaster 139(1) The Rock of the Nine Suns 140(1) Yi Shoots the Lord of the River 140(3) Feng Meng Kills Yi 143(1) Ch'ang O Escapes to the Moon 144(2) 8. Myths of Yu the Great 146(14) Yu Controls the Flood 146(2) The Signs of Yu's Divine Favor 148(1) Yu's Function as Warrior 148(4) Yu Measures the Whole World 152(1) Yu Casts the Nine Cauldrons 153(2) Yu and the T'u-shan Girl 155(2) The Deities Help Yu to Control the Flood 157(3) 9. Goddesses 160(21) Nu Kua 163(2) Draught Ox and Weaver Maid 165(2) The Hsiang Queens 167(2) Woman Ch'ou 169(2) The Queen Mother of the West 171(5) Ch'ang O 176(1) Jasper Lady 176(2) The Goddess of Salt River 178(3) 10. Immortality 181(8) The Mountain Paradise of K'un-lun 183(2) The Island Paradises in the East 185(2) The Myth of P'eng-tsu's Longevity 187(2) 11. Metamorphoses 189(12) P'an Ku Is Transformed into the Universe 190(1) The Monster Fish Changes into the Monster Bird 191(1) The Death of Ch'ih Yu 192(1) The Myth of Yao's Son Tan Chu 193(2) Ch'ang O Becomes a Toad in the Moon 195(1) Yi Yin's Mother Changes into a Hollow Mulberry Tree 195(1) Fu Yueh Turns into a Star 196(1) Tu Yu and the Call of the Nightjar 197(2) The Silkworm Horse 199(2) 12. Love 201(12) Nu Kua Marries Her Brother in the First Marriage 203(1) The Lord of the Granary and the Goddess of Salt River 204(2) Draught Ox and Weaver Maid 200(1) The Son of the White Emperor Courts the Goddess Huang O 207(2) The Bereavement of Shun's Wives 209(1) Yu and the T'u-shan Girl 210(1) Han P'ing, a Husband and His Wife 210(3) 13. Heroes 213(17) Ching Wei Dams the Sea 214(1) K'ua-fu Races the Sun 215(1) Hsing T'ien Dances with Shield and Battle-Ax 216(2) The Foolish Old Man Moves a Mountain 218(1) K'ai Receives the Music of Heaven 219(1) The Death of Po Yi and Shu Ch'i 220(1) Kan Chiang and Mo Yeh Forge Swords 221(3) Eyebrows Twelve Inches Apart 224(3) The Five Brothers 227(1) Li Ping Fights the Water Beast 228(2) 14. Fabled Flora and Fauna 230(13) The Divine Light of Torch Dragon 232(1) The Chien-mu Sky-Ladder 232(1) The Giant Peach Tree 233(1) Leaning Mulberry 234(1) The Vastness of K'unlun Mountains 234(1) The Beast of White Marsh 235(1) King Mu of Chou's Fabled Horses 236(1) The Many-Splendored Bird 237(1) Vegetal Myths: Ming-chia, Sha-fu, and Chih-ning 238(2) Kao Yao Honors His Ram 240(1) The Dragon and the Tortoise 241(1) Carp Leap over Dragon Gate 242(1) 15. Strange Lands and Peoples 243(10) Pierced-Chest Country 245(2) Odd-Arm Country 247(1) The Country of Men 247(1) The Country of Women 248(2) The Country of Meng Shu 250(1) Owl-Sunshine Country 251(2) 16. Founding Myths 253(16) The Founding Myth of the Shang 255(1) T'ang the Conqueror Attacks the Hsia 256(2) Hou Chi, Founder of the Chou 258(1) King Wen of the Chou 259(2) King Wu of the Chou 261(3) The Beginning of the Yao People 264(1) The Ancestor of the Shu 264(1) The Founding Myth of the Pa People 265(2) The God Shao Hao Founds the Niao Kingdom 267(2) CONCORDANCE OF ENGLISH AND CHINESE BOOK TITLES 269(4) BIBLIOGRAPHY 273(22) INDEX OF CHINESE NAMES AND TERMS 295(21) INDEX OF CONCEPTS 316