Chinese Folklore
Several of thousands
of years ago, the concept of Chinese folklore came into existence.
With the change in the ruling dynasties of different emperors in
China, Chinese folklores also underwent recurrent revisions on a
periodic basis. For example, many emperors insisted on the burning
of old books for the new ones to be printed that also goes in sync
with the existing culture that they tried to impose. Taoism,
Confucianism and Buddhism have been greatly influenced by Chinese
folklores (or, folktales).
By Chinese folklores,
we mean Chinese folktales that often comprise myths, legends, fables
and many books written on folktales such as Strange Stories from a
Chinese Studio, which gained a lot of fame in China. The period of
Wei and Jin dynasties saw major Chinese folklores on mythology, and
several writers were found inspired by the alchemists ideas and the
superstitions of Taoism and Buddhism. This made them write more
Chinese folklores on Gods and ghosts, some with their imaginary
stories, while others showing their mastery over their language.
This practice got continued to the next period of Southern and
Northern Dynasties.
During the Tang
Dynasty, many reputed writers as well as poets penned down Chinese
folklores on a wide range of themes and subject matters, while
focusing on aspects like human nature, relation-building and social
life structure. Earlier, such stories were written in the form of
small anecdotes, but during the Tang Dynasty, they were stretched
out to well-structured stories; all having exciting characters such
as Gods, ghosts or foxes, and interesting plots. The storied drafted
during the Song Dynasty also show strong fictions of Tang dynasty
but not up to the same level.
All the Chinese
folklores till date have been created either by the ancient people
or by the scholars born in the later period. All the stories, no
doubt, are based on human feelings and human relations. A majority
of stories have characters of Gods, ghosts, foxes and spirits, who
have been portrayed as living things with human feelings and
attributes. Writers who invented myths in China describe Gods equal
to man, and treat them as human beings with human nature.
Much Chinese folklore
also tries to demonstrate fatalism, rebirths and such other feudal
ethical principles in their stories. The art and style of Chinese
writing has always been exemplary and marvellous. Only a few hundred
or dozen words can depict the entire story superbly for one to grasp
the real notion behind the folklore.
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