Chinese Mythology

The tradition of Chinese mythology is thought to have begun in the 12^th century BCE as an oral tradition. The stories included creation myths and heroic journeys that told of how certain aspects of Chinese culture came to be. Many of these myths were not written down for thousands of years, until they were adapted into novels, plays, or poetry. Most of the Chinese mythological texts and tales were collected and preserved by the Han, who lived in the Shennongjia mountain area.

Major Concepts

Chinese mythology is dominated by stories of mythological dynasties that existed before the Xia dynasty (2070 BCE – 1600 BCE). The rulers of these tales are usually benevolent and were used as examples for future rulers. Within these mythological realms, there are a number of important characteristics to be noted:

• Anointing of the Gods, is a mythological tale that focuses on the establishment of the Zhou dynasty.
• Shangdi, is a recurring character in Chinese mythology who is the “Supreme God” of the old religion. Shangdi means, literally, “above the emperor.”
• Yu Di, is the Jade Emperor, who is the ruler of Heaven according to Taoism.
• Tian, is the mythological concept of Heaven or Cosmos.
• Nuwa, is an important character in the creation myths. Along with her husband, Fuxi, she is said to have created humans out of clay. Nuwa and Fuxi are often represented as half-snake, half-human creatures.

According to mythology, Yu Di, the Jade Emperor, is the most important character. Yu Di is the overseer of the three realms: heaven, hell, and earth.

The Dragon

Within Chinese mythology, the dragon is held as the most powerful and holy creature. Dragons are said to be the rulers of all water and have many magical powers. The dragon’s main strength is that of symbolism. Throughout China’s long history, the dragon has been used to symbolize power. The most revered mythological dragon is Yinglong, who is the god of rain. Yinglong is thus an important part of Chinese planting and harvest festivals. Mythologically, the Chinese find their ethnic identity in that of the dragon and sometimes refer to themselves as the “Descendants of the Dragon.”