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90-778: The surname originated in two major branches: during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, and near the end of the Western Zhou dynasty . It was a prominent aristocratic clan in the Eastern Jin dynasty of China. The hometown of the Xie is Kaifeng , Henan Province . The spelling of the same Chinese character using Wade–Giles romanization is Hsieh . The spelling "Hsieh" is most commonly used in Taiwan and in older romanizations, particularly by older generations of

180-427: A curiously choreographed pedal locomotion into various rituals. Mythology and practice, one explains the other: in these rituals, the sacred time of Yu merges with the sacral practice of the present. Various ideas about the nature of the earth, the universe, and their relationship to each other have historically existed as either a background or a focus of mythologies. One typical view is of a square earth separated from

270-434: A factual record of the past. Along with Chinese folklore , Chinese mythology forms an important part of Chinese folk religion and Taoism , especially older popular forms of it. Many narratives recounting characters and events from ancient times exhibit a dual tradition: one that presents a more historicized or euhemerized interpretation, and another that offers a more mythological perspective. Numerous myths delve into

360-430: A golden age when "communications between the human order and the divine were central to all life" and where the sages embodied the divine, or aided humans in communicating divine forces. In this period the abdication system was used before Qi of Xia violently seized power and established a hereditary monarchy. Taoist beliefs consisted of parables involving shamanistic themes, as were most ancient stories about

450-524: A lack of consensus regarding these dates by modern historians. Their historical use may be limited to establishing a relative chronology. Houji was a cultural hero, of the agricultural type. Chiyou (also known as Ch'ih Yu) was a metallurgical engineer, specializing in weaponry. The mythological history of people (or at least the Han Chinese people) begins with two groups, one of three and one of five. The numbers are symbolically significant, however,

540-642: A long history and many variations involves a shamanic world view, for example in the cases of Mongolian shamanism among the Mongols, Hmong shamanism among the Miao people , and the shamanic beliefs of the Qing dynasty from 1643 to 1912, derived from the Manchus . Politically, mythology was often used to legitimize the dynasties of China, with the founding house of a dynasty claiming a divine descent. Elaborations on

630-541: A mythological geography, and may have notable features, such as mythological islands, or other mythological features. There are mythological versions of all the major rivers that have existed in China in between ancient and modern China (most of these rivers are the same, but not all). Sometimes these rivers are said to originate from the Milky Way or Kunlun. Anyway, they are said to flow west to east because Gonggong wrecked

720-660: A result, the variations are non-exhaustive. In the Philippines , the name is also spelled as Sese (which also means thank you in Kapampangan , the language in Pampanga , where the first Xie settled), which is also a variation in the rest of the ASEAN region, Taiwan, and South Korea . In Indonesia , the name is also spelt as Tjhia or Tjia . In East Timor , as a legacy of Portuguese colonialism and lingua franca , Xie

810-472: A round sky by sky pillars (mountains, trees, or undefined). Above the sky is the realm of Heaven, often viewed of as a vast area, with many inhabitants. Often the heavenly inhabitants are thought to be of an "as above so below" nature, their lives and social arrangements being parallel to those on earth, with a hierarchical government run by a supreme emperor, many palaces and lesser dwellings, a vast bureaucracy of many functions, clerks, guards, and servants. Below

900-521: A series of sage Chinese emperors, and the first Emperors of China . Today, they are considered culture heroes , but they were widely worshipped as divine "ancestral spirits" in ancient times. According to received history, the period they existed in preceded the Xia dynasty , although they were thought to exist in later periods to an extent in incorporeal forms that aided the Chinese people, especially with

990-468: A symbol of fire as their tribal totems . K. C. Wu speculates that this appellation may be connected with the use of fire to clear the fields in slash and burn agriculture. And, Yandi is also a Red Emperor. One of the more important figures in Chinese mythology is the Yellow Emperor , or Huang Di. His original name was Yellow Soil or Huangdi where di was the Chinese word for soil or ground. He

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1080-426: A turn as the emblematic or totem animal for a year or other unit of time in a cycle of one dozen. This is explained by various myths. The zodiacs in order are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig Some Chinese mythology becomes specific about chronological time, based on the ganzhi system, numbers of human generations, or other details suggesting synchronization between

1170-512: Is Yánluó wáng ("King Yanluo")). Souls are parsed and adjudicated for torturous punishment by balancing ones' crimes in life against any merits earned through good deeds. Various other functions within Diyu are performed by minor officials and minions, examples of whom are Ox-Head and Horse-Face , humanoid devils with animal features. In some versions of mythology or Chinese folk religion, souls are returned from Diyu and reincarnated after being given

1260-538: Is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China . Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural traditions. Populated with engaging narratives featuring extraordinary individuals and beings endowed with magical powers, these stories often unfold in fantastical mythological realms or historical epochs. Similar to numerous other mythologies, Chinese mythology has historically been regarded, at least partially, as

1350-597: Is a lot of mythology around the Three Primeval Emperors, Five Premier Emperors, and Three Dynasties. An age of Three Primeval Emperors followed by the age of the Five Premier Emperors ( Sānhuáng-Wǔdì ) contrasts with the subsequent treatment of chronology by dynasties, up to recent times. Since the time the Qin emperor titled himself huangdi by combining two previous titles into one, huangdi

1440-401: Is a real mountain or range named Kunlun, as there has in the past, however the identity has shifted further west over time). The Qing Niao bird was a mythical bird, and messenger of Xi Wangmu to the rest of the world. Nearby to Kunlun, it was sometimes said or written and forming a sort of protective barrier to the western paradise or "fairyland" named Xuánpǔ ( 玄圃 ) where also was to be found

1530-504: Is also known as Kao Hsin or Gāoxīn. Diku is an important mythological figure, as signified by his title Di ( 帝 ), basically signifying possession of some sort of imperial divinity, as in the sense of the Roman title wikt:divus ; something sometimes translated as "emperor". Diku is sometimes considered to descend from Huangdi and to be ancestral to the ruling family of the Shang dynasty of

1620-474: Is also produced as Tchia , Tchea , Tsia , Tcha , and Tjea . The Vietnamese version is Tạ . In the United States, the name is sometimes spelled as Jair and Zia . Other variations of the surname include Shea and Shei . Cheah Chia Seah Sia Shia Cantonese During the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, the Xie were believed to be the descendants of Yuyang, son of

1710-442: Is included. The title of the Five Premier Emperors is di , in Chinese. The original connotation of this title is unknown, or how it compares or contrasts with the term huang , and it is variously translated into English. Translations include "Sovereign", "Emperor", and "Lord". Names of the Five Premier Emperors include Huangdi, Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Di Ku, Yao, and Shun. Nuwa and Fuxi (also known as Paoxi) are sometimes worshiped as

1800-405: Is inherently nonlinear, with time being telescopically expanded or contracted, there are various contradictions. The earliest culture heroes were sometimes considered deities and other times heroic humans, but often little distinction was made. Examples of early culture heroes include Youchao ("Have Nest") who taught people how to make wooden shelters ) and Suiren ("Fire Maker") who taught people

1890-624: Is sometimes believed that Nüwa molded humans from clay to populate or re-populate the world, thus creating modern humans. The production of the Yellow River Map is associated mythologically with Fuxi but is also sometimes placed in subsequent eras. Shennong is variously translated as "Divine Farmer" or "Divine Peasant", or "Agriculture God", and also known as the Wugushen (Spirit of the Five Grains) and Wuguxiandi "First Deity of

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1980-715: Is supposedly the ancestor of the Huaxia people. The Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor was established in Shaanxi to commemorate the ancestry legend. The Three Sovereigns are ascribed various identities in different historical texts, as shown in the table below: The Five Emperors were traditionally thought to have invented "fire, writing and irrigation". Like the Three Sovereigns, they are ascribed different identities depending on historical source, as shown in

2070-500: Is towards individual freedom, Daoism, and Nature. The relationship of the Conservative philosophies to mythology is seen in the legendary Nine Tripod Cauldrons , mythology about the emperors and central bureaucratic governance, Confucianism, written histories, ceremonial observances, subordination of the individual to the social groups of family and state, and a fixation on stability and enduring institutions. The distinction between

2160-477: The wuxing are not really part of mythology, although belief in five elements could appear. The Hundred Schools of Thought is a phrase suggesting the diversity of philosophical thought that developed during the Warring States of China. Then, and subsequently, philosophical movements had a complicated relationship with mythology. However, as far as they influence or are influenced by mythology, divides

2250-792: The Earthly Sovereign , the Human Sovereign (in two varieties), and the Yellow Emperor . Groupings of the Five Emperors consist of some combination of the following: the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu , Emperor Ku , Emperor Yao , Emperor Shun , Shaohao , Taihao , and the Yan Emperor . The Three Sovereigns, sometimes known as the Three August Ones, were said to be god-kings or demigods who used their magical powers, divine powers, or being in harmony with

2340-693: The River of Heaven ), clouds, and other features. These were often the home or destination of various deities, divinities, shamans, and many more. Another concept of the Heavenly realm is that of the Cords of the Sky. Travel between Heaven and Earth was usually described as achieved by flying or climbing. The Queqiao ( 鵲橋 ; Quèqiáo ) was a bridge formed by birds flying across the Milky Way, as seen in The Cowherd and

2430-635: The Taishanese spelling of the same Chinese character is Dea , Der , Dare , or Dear . The Teochew and Hokkien spelling of the same Chinese character is Chia , Shia , Cheah , or Sia . In Malaysia and Singapore , the name is most commonly Chia , although Cheah , Seah , Sia , Shia , Cha , Tse , Chay , etc. can also be found. During the Chinese diaspora , the region was administered by British Empire clerks, who knew little about Chinese dialects, often had to find their own romanizations. As

2520-500: The Tao to improve the lives of their people. Because of their lofty virtue, they lived to a great age and ruled over a period of great peace. The Sovereigns have elements in common with xian from the Taoist pantheon, such as the Human Sovereign 's cloud-chariot and their supernatural abilities. Upon his death, the Yellow Emperor was "said to have become" a xian . The Yellow Emperor

2610-495: The Yao people and the She people , often as King Pan, and the eating of dog meat was tabooed. This ancestral myth has also been found among the Miao people and Li people . Some of the first culture heroes are the legendary emperors who succeeded the times of the part-human, part-serpent deities Nuwa and Fuxi; these emperors tend to be portrayed as more explicitly human, although Huangdi,

2700-542: The Yellow Emperor . Yuyang's descendants founded ten states successively, the State of Xie (谢) first, and its occupants becoming the first Xie. For the purpose of reciprocating his mother's upbringing, King Xuan of Zhou (r. 827 – 782 BCE) of the Western Zhou dynasty granted the former State of Xie, in modern Nanyang , Henan province, to his maternal uncle Shen Boxi, the Marquess of Shen , whose line claimed descent from

2790-945: The calendar and Chinese script are also credited to the kings. After their era, Yu the Great founded the Xia dynasty , traditionally considered the first dynasty in Chinese historiography . Three Exalted Ones: Suiren · Fuxi · Taihao · Nüwa · Zhurong · Shennong · Yandi · Gonggong · Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) Four Perils: Gonggong · Huandou · Gun · Sanmiao · Hundun · Qiongqi · Taowu · Taotie Five Primal Emperors: Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) · Shaohao · Zhuanxu · Ku · Zhi · Yao · Shun Chinese mythology Model humanity: Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions: Salvation churches and sects : Confucian churches and sects: Chinese mythology ( traditional Chinese : 中國神話 ; simplified Chinese : 中国神话 ; pinyin : Zhōngguó shénhuà )

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2880-542: The Chinese and Taiwanese diaspora , for instance in the United States. "Hsieh" has been often phonologically adapted to / ˈ ʃ eɪ / "Shay" in English-speaking society, for instance in the United States , as a result of anglicisation . Other variations are pronounced "Sh'eh" and the spelling is sometimes modified as Shieh. The Cantonese spelling of the same Chinese character is Tse or Tze and

2970-612: The Dragon Gates ( Longmen ) which were rapid waterfalls where select carp can transform into dragons, by swimming upstream and leaping up over the falls. Examples of islands include Mount Penglai , a paradisaical isle in the sea, vaguely east of China but sometimes conflated with Japan . Various other mythological locales include what are known as fairylands or paradises, pillars separating Earth and Sky, ruined or otherwise. The Earth has many extreme and exotic locales – they are separated by pillars between Earth and Heaven, supporting

3060-605: The Drink of Forgetfulness by Meng Po . Much mythology involves remote, exotic, or hard-to-get-to places. All sorts of mythological geography is said to exist at the extremes of the cardinal directions of earth. Much of the earthly terrain has been said to be inhabited by local spirits (sometimes called fairies or genii loci), especially mountains and bodies of water. There are Grotto Heavens , and also earthly paradises. Various bodies of water appear in Chinese mythology. This includes oceans, rivers, streams, ponds. Often they are part of

3150-580: The Five Grains". Shennong is a mythological Chinese deity in Chinese folk religion and venerated as a mythical sage ruler of prehistoric China. Shennong's descendants began to style themselves as Yan Emperor ( Yandi ), or Flame Emperor. Yandi is often considered an important mythological emperor, although Yandi is sometimes considered as series of emperors bearing the same title, the "Yan Emperor(s)" or "Flame Emperor(s)". Yan literally means "flame", implying that Yan Emperor's people possibly uphold

3240-405: The Great . The Yellow River , prone to flooding, erupted in a huge flood in the time of Yao. The flood disrupted society and endangered human existence, as agricultural fields drowned, hunting game disappeared, and the people were dislocated to hills and mountains. Yu's father, Gun , was put in charge of flood control by Yao, but failed to alleviate the problem after nine years. In some versions Gun

3330-565: The Liberal and Conservative is very general, but important in Chinese thought. Contradictions can be found in the details, however these are often traditional, such as the embrace by Confucius of the philosophical aspects of the Yi Jing , and the back-and-forth about the Mandate of Heaven wherein one dynasty ends and another begins based according to accounts (some of heavily mythological) where

3420-553: The Sovereigns Fuxi , Nüwa , and Shennong . There are six to seven known variations on which people constitute the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, depending on the source. Many of the known sources were written in much later dynasties. Groupings of the Three Sovereigns consist of some combination of the following: Fuxi , Nüwa , Shennong , Suiren , Zhu Rong , Gonggong , the Heavenly Sovereign ,

3510-552: The State name as Clan. Its land was manor of Shen Bo until the Zhou dynasty got perished, the descendant of Shen Bo took the State name as Clan. Derived from Yan Emperor Tribe: the Ancestor Shen Bo is generally acknowledged by contemporary Xie Clan. Derived from Jiang Clan, came from the inherited manor Xie for the descendant of Yan Emperor and Shen Bo, it takes the State name as Clan. The royal descendant of State Shen who takes

3600-827: The Sui dynasty. The compound surname of Xieqiu, derived from Ji Clan, came from the manor Xie Shui which was granted by King Xuan for his concubine, it takes the densely populated place as the Clan. In the Western Zhou dynasty, the King Xuan of Ji Jing once granted his concubine with Xie Shui waterfront in the South-West of Luoyang. After the King Ping of Ji Yijiu transferred to Luoyang, these clan people also moved to Gongqiu (old Yunzhou, present-day Ningyang, Shandong). In memory of

3690-513: The Taoist belief of a spiritual paradise became incorporated into mythology as the place where immortals and deities dwell. Sometimes mythological and religious ideas have become widespread across China's many regions and diverse ethnic societies. In other cases, beliefs are more limited to certain social groups, for example, the veneration of white stones by the Qiang . One mythological theme that has

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3780-458: The Way of Heaven results in change, but then a new ethical stable dynasty becomes established. Examples of this include the stories of Yi Yin , Tang of Shang and Jie of Xia or the similar fantastic stories around Duke of Zhou and King Zhou of Shang Mythology exists in relationship with other aspects of society and culture, such as ritual. Various rituals are explained by mythology. For example,

3870-651: The Weaver Girl mythology surrounding the Qixi Festival . The hazy band of stars of the Milky Way was referred to as the "Silvery River" or the "River of Heaven". According to mythology, beneath the Earth is another realm—an underground world generally said to be inhabited by the souls of dead humans and various supernatural beings (see hun and po ). This hell is known by various names, including Diyu or

3960-530: The Yellow Emperor, is often portrayed as part-dragon during life. Some historicized versions of semi-historical and undeniably mythologized accounts of ancient times were used by those who have attempted to apply actual BCE dates to the mythological chronology. Traditional Chinese accounts of the early emperors chronologically locate the Yellow Emperor as having lived in the Northern Chinese plain around 2698 to 2599 BCE, about seventeen generations after

4050-548: The Yellow Springs. In more recent mythology, the underground inhabitation of the dead is generally described as somewhat similar to the land above: it possesses a hierarchical government bureaucracy, centered in the capital city of Youdu . The rulers of the underground realm are various kings, whose duties include parsing the souls of the dead according to the merits of their life on earth, and maintaining adequate records regarding that process. (An example of one such ruler

4140-534: The actual membership of the two groups is not explicated. There are different lists. The older group is the Three Primeval Emperors, who were followed by the Five Premier Emperors. After that came the Three Dynasties: these were the Xia dynasty , Shang dynasty , and the Zhou dynasty . These three are all historically attested to, but separating the myth from the history is not always clear; nevertheless, there

4230-449: The ancient titles of Huáng ( 皇 ) and Dì ( 帝 ) to create a new title, Huángdì ( 皇帝 ); thus, the Qin emperor used mythology to bolster his claims to be the legitimate and absolute ruler of the whole earth. This reflected what was to become a longstanding belief that all civilized people should have one government, and that it should be Chinese. Shun passed on his place as emperor to Yu

4320-438: The basics of writing. In some cases, they were revered as the ancestor of an ethnic group or dynastic families. Chinese mythology is intimately connected to the traditional Chinese concepts of li and qi . These two foundational concepts are deeply entwined with socially oriented ritual acts, including communication, greetings, dances, ceremonies, and sacrifices. Significant interplay exists between Chinese mythology and

4410-421: The calendar includes the twelve zodiacal animals and various divine or spiritual genii regulating or appointed as guardians for years, days, or hours. In China and surrounding areas, a calendrical system consisting of measuring time in cycles of twelve represented by twelve has an ancient historical past. The exact line-up of animals is sometimes slightly different, but the basic principle is that each animal takes

4500-403: The course of the mythology around the flood stories. For example, a historicized version of xirang explains this soil may represent an innovative type of raised garden, made up of soil, brushwood, and similar materials. Thus, Yu and his work in controlling the flood with xirang would symbolize a societal development allowing a large scale approach to transforming wetlands into arable fields. Yu

4590-470: The creation and cosmology of the universe, exploring the origins of deities and heavenly inhabitants. Some narratives specifically address the topic of creation, unraveling the beginnings of things, people, and culture. Additionally, certain myths are dedicated to the genesis of the Chinese state. A subset myths provides a chronology of prehistoric times, often featuring a culture hero who taught people essential skills ranging from building houses and cooking to

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4680-411: The deputy that competently and diligently helped in the work against the great flood, a mighty hunter who helped feed the people during a time when agriculture had been rendered impossible, Bo Yi . The mythological variants are much concerned with the relative merits between the two. Qi's succession broke the previous convention of meritorious succession in favor of hereditary succession, thus initiating

4770-583: The divine assistance obtained in the founding and the reasons for it. The fighter of the Great Flood, Yu "the Great" had served Yao and Shun and they enfeoffed him as the Prince of Xia, an area of land. Upon Yu's death questions arose regarding the method of imperial succession, which would be a key factor as an example for Chinese culture for millennia. The question was who would succeed Yu upon his death. It could be his son, Qi of Xia , also known as Kai, or

4860-495: The early dynasties, however, more purely historical literature tends to begin with the Qin dynasty (for example, see Paladin 1998). On the other hand, accounts of the Shang, Xia, and early Zhou dynasties tend to mythologize. By a historical process of euhemerism many of these myths evolved over time into variant versions with an emphasis on moral parables and rationalization of some of the more fantastic ideas. Mythology of time and

4950-439: The earth, palaces beneath the sea, and various fantastic areas or features of the earth, located beyond the limits of the known earth. Such mythological features include mountains, rivers, forests or fantastic trees, and caves or grottoes. These then serve as the location for the actions of various beings and creatures. One concept encountered in some myths is the idea of travel between Earth and Heaven by means of climbing up or down

5040-409: The first emperors include, in chronological order, Huangdi, Gaoyang (Zhuanxu), Gaoxin (Di Ku), Yao, and Shun. These emperors were said to be morally upright and benevolent, and examples to be emulated by latter-day kings and emperors. Sometimes approximate calculations of times have been made based on the claimed number of generations from one significant mythological figure to the next, as in the case of

5130-482: The jade pool Yáochí ( 瑤池 ), eventually thought to exist on mount Kunlun (which itself was thought to possess cliffs insurmountable to normal mortals was the Moving Sands , a semi-mythological place also to the west of China (the real Taklamakan Desert to the west of or in China is known for its shifting sands). There were other locations of mythological geography around the area of Kunlun such as Jade Mountain and

5220-447: The legendary founder of the Ji family, Hou Ji , whose descendants would rule generations after his mythological appearance as the historical Zhou dynasty , beginning around 1046 BCE. Despite various assignments of dates to the accounts of these Emperors, fantastic claims about the length of their reigns are common. The average reign-lengths that these numbers imply are improbable, and there is

5310-511: The mythological chronology and the ideas of modern historians. However, real correlation begins in the Year of the Metal Monkey, Zhou dynasty, 841 BCE, a since validated claim by Sima Qian . However, although historians take note of this, subsequent mythology has not tended to reflect this quest for rational, historical timelining. Various ideas about the creation of the universe, the earth,

5400-545: The old house, the concubine's son for King Xuan also call the newly granted Gongqiu as Xie Qiu, after that, some Clan people take the densely populated place Xie Qiu as Clan, called Xie Qiu Clan, there was Xie Qiu Zhang at Lu State in the Spring and Autumn period. Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors According to Chinese mythology and traditional Chinese historiography , the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors ( Chinese : 三皇五帝 ; pinyin : Sān huáng wǔ dì ) were

5490-426: The philosophical camps into two rough halves, a Liberal group and a Conservative group. The liberal group being associated with the idea of individuality and change, for example as seen in the mythology of divination in China, such as the mythology of the dragon horse that delivered the eight bagua diagrams to Fu Xi, and methods of individual empowerment as seen in the Yi Jing ( Book of Changes ). The Liberal tendency

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5580-517: The philosophical traditions of Confucianism , Taoism , and Buddhism . Elements of pre- Han dynasty mythology such as those in Classic of Mountains and Seas were adapted into these belief systems as they developed (in the case of Taoism), or were assimilated into Chinese culture (in the case of Buddhism). Conversely, teachings and beliefs from Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have, in turn, become integral components of Chinese mythology. For example,

5670-897: The pillars separating the two, there usually being four or Eight Pillars or an unspecified number of these Sky Ladders. The Four Symbols of Chinese cosmology were the Azure Dragon of the East, the Black Tortoise of the North, the White Tiger of the West, and the Vermillion Bird of the South. These totem animals represented the four cardinal directions, with a lot of associated symbolism and beliefs. A fifth cardinal direction

5760-421: The place name as Clan, called Xie Clan, its so-called Henan Xie Clan, known as Xie Clan Orthodox in history. Most of the contemporary Xie Clan people respects Shen Bo as the first ancestor. Changed into Zhile Clan. The litterateur Xie Yan in the late Sui dynasty and early Tang dynasty (?–643), changed Xie into Zhi Le, his grandfather Xiao Zheng was emperor's regular attendant of horse riding, restored to Xie after

5850-435: The place of exile of Gun and other events during or just after the world flood . Further east was Fusang , a mythical tree, or else an island (sometimes interpreted as Japan). The geography of China, in which the land seems to be higher in the west and tilt down toward the east and with the rivers tending to flow west-to-east was explained by the damage Gonggong did to the world pillar Mount Buzhou , mountain pillars separating

5940-418: The progress of cultural development. One common story involves Pangu . Among other sources, he was written about by Taoist author Xu Zheng c. 200 CE, as claimed to be the first sentient being and creator, "making the heavens and the earth". Various culture heroes have been said to have helped or saved humanity in many ways, such as stopping floods, teaching the use of fire, and so on. As mythic chronology

6030-443: The ritual burning of mortuary banknotes (Hell Money), lighting fireworks , and so on. A good example of the relationship between Chinese mythology and ritual is the Yubu, also known as the Steps or Paces of Yu . During the course of his activities in controlling the Great Flood, Yu was supposed to have so fatigued himself that he lost all the hair from his legs and developed a serious limp. Daoist practitioners sometimes incorporate

6120-716: The second millennium BCE. Diku is credited with the invention of various musical instruments along with musical pieces for them to accompany. Diku is said to have consorted with the semi-divine females Jiang Yuan and Jiandi . Yao and Shun were important mythological rulers, exemplars of propriety in rulership. The Great Flood began during the reign of Yao and continued through the time of Shun (the successor of Yao, who had passed over his own son and made Shun his successor because of Shun's ability and morality). Historically, when Qin Shi Huang united China in 221 BCE, he used propaganda to acclaim his achievements as surpassing those of mythological rulers who had gone before him. He combined

6210-489: The semi-mythological character Bo Yi. The people of Xie later adopted the name of the state as their surname. In the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Xie were among the cluster of noble clans who fled to the south in the wake of the fall of Chang'an, dominating the court thereafter. The legend has it that it derived from Yellow Emperor Tribe: almost vanished in “Xia, Shang, Zhou” dynasty. The legend has it that it derived from Ren Clan in Xie State, descendant of Yellow Emperor, It takes

6300-421: The sky , usually four or eight. Generally, Chinese mythology regarded people as living in the middle regions of the world and conceived the exotic earthly places to exist in the directional extremes to the north, east, south, or west. Eventually, the idea of an eastern and western paradise seems to have arisen. In the west, according to certain myths, there was Kunlun. On the eastern seacoast was Feather Mountain ,

6390-402: The sky from the world (China), which also displaced the Celestial Pole, so that the sky rotates off-center. In the west was Kunlun, although it is also sometimes said to be towards the south seas. Kunlun was pictured as having a mountain or mountain range, Kunlun Mountain where dwelt various divinities, grew fabulous plants, home to exotic animals, and various deities and immortals (today there

6480-513: The sky, various deities and creatures, and the origin of various clans or ethnic groups of humans have circulated in the area of China for millennia. These creation myths may include the origins of the universe and everything, the origins of humans, or the origins of specific groups, such as a Han Chinese in descent from Yandi and Huangdi (as 炎黃子孫 , "Descendants of the Flame and Yellow Emperors"). Various myths contain explanations of various origins and

6570-401: The stories of Nüwa existing as a spirit in the Shang dynasty and Shennong being identified as the godly form of Hou Ji and a founder of the Zhou dynasty . In myth, the Three Sovereigns were demigods who used their abilities to help create mankind and impart to them essential skills and knowledge. The Five Emperors were exemplary sages who possessed great moral character, and were from

6660-464: The structure of society in the Middle Kingdom (earthly China). The mythology of China includes a mythological geography describing individual mythological descriptions of places and the features; sometimes, this reaches to the level of a cosmological conception. Various features of mythological terrain are described in myth, including a Heavenly world above the earth, a land of the dead beneath

6750-505: The table below: There is the legend of the Four Clans (四氏) who took part in creating the world, Youchao -shi (有巢氏), Suiren -shi (燧人氏), Fu Xi -shi (伏羲氏), and Shennong -shi (神農氏). These Sovereigns and Emperors are said to have helped introduce the use of fire, taught people how to build houses, and invented farming. The Yellow Emperor's wife is credited with the invention of silk culture . The discovery of medicine and invention of

6840-444: The time of Shennong. A major difference between the possible historicity of material embedded in mythological accounts is that through the time of the last Flame Emperor (Yandi) information was recorded using knotted ropes, whereas the introduction of writing is associated with the reign of Huang Di (although the historical continuity of written tradition beginning at that time is a matter of discussion by experts). The most prominent of

6930-561: The ultimate ancestor of all humankind and are often represented as half-snake, half-humans. Nuwa's companion, Fuxi, was her brother and husband. After Gong-Gong was said to have damaged the world pillar holding the earth and sky apart, the sky was rent causing fires, floods (the Flood of Nuwa ) and other devastating events which were only remedied when Nüwa repaired the sky with five colored stones. The figure of Nüwa, also referred to as Nü Kwa, appeared in literature no earlier than c. 350 BCE. It

7020-459: The use of fire and cooking thus saving them from much food-poisoning, in addition to developing cuisine . Another example of a mythological hero who provided beneficial knowledge to humanity involves sericulture , the production of silk : an invention credited to Leizu , for one. An example of a non-Han ethnicity culture hero is Panhu . Because of their self-identification as descendants from these original ancestors, Panhu has been worshiped by

7110-498: The various colored rivers which flew out of Kunlun. For example, the Red, or Scarlet River was supposed to flow to the south of Kunlun. Mythological and semi-mythological chronology includes mythic representations of the creation of the world, population (and sometimes re-populations) by humans, sometimes floods, and various cultural developments, such as the development of ruling dynasties. Many myths and stories have been recounted about

7200-676: The world pillar at Buzhou, tilting Earth and Heaven away from each other at that sector. Examples of these mythologized rivers include the Yangzi (including various stretches under different names), the Yellow River , the mythological Red River in the west, near Kunlun, and the Weak River , a mythological river in "the west", near "Kunlun", which flowed with a liquid too light in specific gravity for floating or swimming (but unbreathable). Examples of features along mythological rivers include

7290-532: Was a vast under ground land, also known as Diyu , Yellow Springs, Hell, and other terms. As time progressed, the idea of an underground land in which the souls of the departed were punished for their misdeeds during life became explicit, related to developments in Daoism and Buddhism. The underground world also came to be conceived of as inhabited by a vast bureaucracy, with kings, judges, torturers, conductors of souls, minor bureaucrats, recording secretaries, similar to

7380-408: Was also postulated: the center, represented by the emperor of China, located in the middle of his Middle Kingdom (Zhong Guo, or China). The real or mythological inhabitants making their dwellings at these cardinal points were numerous, as is associated mythology. The Heavenly realm is described by the Chinese word "Tian," which can be translated into English as both " Heaven " and "sky." Sometimes this

7470-423: Was executed by Shun's minister Zhurong for this failure, but according to others Gun was merely exiled for opposing the elevation of Shun as co-emperor. In more purely mythological versions, the story is more along the lines that Gun transformed into an animal shape to escape the wrath of Heaven (for having dared to go to Heaven and steal the flood-fighting expanding earth xirang ). He fled to Feather Mountain and

7560-678: Was named after the Yellow Soil in the Yellow River Basin area where Chinese civilization was thought to have originated. Future generations later changed it to di or emperor in order to give Huangdi a more sovereign-sounding name. He also appears as Xuanyuan. Huang Di is also referred to as one of the Five August ones, and one of the few consistent members of the list. There were also other colored emperors, such as Black, Green, Red, and White. According to some mythology, Huang Di

7650-430: Was personified into a deity (sky god). In some descriptions, this was an elaborate place ruled over by a supreme deity, or a group of supreme deities, Jade Emperor being associated with Daoism and Buddhas with Buddhism. Many astronomically observable features were subjects of mythology or the mythological locations and settings for mythic scenes. These include the sun, stars, moon, planets, Milky Way (sometimes referred to as

7740-503: Was punished by Heaven, but when Yu used it he was able to stop the flood and was rewarded by Heaven, is a question frequently made in the myths. The mythology of Yu and his associates during their work in controlling the flood and simultaneously saving the people can be seen in various ways to symbolize different societal and cultural developments, such as innovations in hunting, agriculture, well-digging, astronomy, social and political organizing, and other cultural innovations that occur during

7830-474: Was said to be the founder of the Xia dynasty . The first three dynasties have especial significance in mythology. The Xia dynasty is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography as known through literary accounts. However, many of these accounts contain elements of a clearly semi-mythological, and in some versions completely mythological or fanciful. The founding mythology of the early dynasties tends to have certain common general features, including

7920-472: Was struck dead by the fire god Zhurong on behalf of Heaven. After three years, his son Yu appeared out of his belly, usually said to be in the form of some fantastic animal. Yu took his father's place fighting the flood, leading the people to build canals and levees, often said to be with the help of Xirang . After thirteen years of toil, Yu abated the flood. Why the Xirang failed to work when Gun used it and he

8010-492: Was the son of Shaodian, who was the half-brother of Yan Di. Huang Di's mother was said to be Fubao . Huang Di's wife Leizu is supposed to have invented sericulture. In some versions Cangjie invented writing during the reign of Huang Di. The Yellow Emperor is said to have fought a great battle against Chiyou . Huangdi had various wives and many descendants, including Shaohao (leader of the Dongyi ). Ku, Di Ku, Ti K'u, or Diku,

8100-455: Was the title for Chinese emperors for ages. The title of the Three Primeval Emperors is huang , in Chinese. The original connotation of this title is unknown, and it is variously translated into English. Translations include "Sovereign", "Emperor", and "August". The names of the Three Primeval Emperors include Youchao ("Have Nest"), Suiren ("Fire Maker"), Paoxi/Fuxi ("Animal Domesticator"), and Shennong ("Divine Husbandman"). Sometimes Huangdi

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