Myths and legends give you some insight to a culture and its people. While you watch videos and read about Chinese mythological stories reflect on the following questions and respond to one of them in your journal.
- Why do all cultures have myths and legends, and folk stories?
- Compare and contrast one Chinese story with a Western mythological story, or figures
- What can we learn from reading the myths of another culture?
- What's the historical and cultural background for Chinese myths?
Mr. Wang
Please use your full name. Mr. Wang
回复删除test
删除There are many legends that are part of the great Chinese culture. Many of them are fables and myths. One of the fables is the nian. He lived in the mountains of China. On the first day of every year he would come out and terrorize the people in the village. All of the families in the town would board up their houses so that the nian could not enter their home. Then an old man told them that the nian isn’t as scary as it seems. The people did not listen to him and they continued to board their houses in fear of the monster. Then the man found out that he was scared of the color red and loud noises. Now the Chinese light off fireworks to scare it away and wear lots of red colors. This is the story of the nian and why it was such a big part of Chinese history.
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回复删除Chinese Mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales and religious tales that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. The following is a list of potential topics that are popular and the Chinese made holidays after some of these myths and legends.
回复删除Pan Gu Separates Heaven and Earth
Kua Fu Chases The Sun
Nu Wa Creates Human Beings
Gong Gong Crashes Into Mount Buzhou
Nu Wa Mends The Sky
Yi Shoots Down Suns
Chang E Goes to the Moon
Jing We Fills up The Sea
The Cowherd and the Girl Weaver
Hunter Sheffield
删除The story Yi Shoots down suns is about 10 sun birds who are supposed to take turns providing light and warmth to humans, but who end up going together causing the earth to become very hot and killing people and plants. Emperor Yao sent for the help of the god of the Eastern heavens and the father of the sun birds Dijun. Dijun sent from the heavens Yi the master archer. Yi, armed with a magic bow and 10 arrows was sent to frighten the disobedient suns. But when the Yi saw the damage that the suns had inflicted on the earth and its people he knew he would have to kill them. So Yi used his masterful skill and shot down nine of the suns, but after killing the ninth, Emperor Yao told Yi that if he killed the final sun that it would leave the world in total darkness. Yi did not kill the final sun and he was hailed as a hero to mankind, but had angered Dujin for disobeying and killing 9 of his sons. The Character Yi in this is very similar to the Greek god Apollo. Apollo is the God of light who is also known as a master archer. Apollo also relates to Yi and this myth because his daily job is to use his four horse chariot to move the sun across the sky.
Dean Palenski
回复删除Guo nian is a festival from the Chinese New Year which means “Passing of the beast.” A nian is a beast that lives under the sea in the mountains. On the Chinese New Year the nian comes out of hiding. The only way to drive the nian away is to make loud noises and the use of the color red a lot. This is just one point of symbolism in the Chinese culture. It symbolizes how they are big into their culture and celebrating their culture. The purpose of the myths and legends is to get the people excited for the new comings in their culture. The purpose behind them is they always have a moral behind them. They are explaining how the culture was made today and how the people work with them today. The myths are a little different, there is usually a monster involved in all of them and how the people have to get rid of the monster. Greek mythology is a lot like this because of the story with the minotaur and how it destructs everything and how the people have to get rid of that. The legend came first because the festivals were made to get rid of the legends. They are a lot like our festivals because there is usually a legend behind each holiday.
What's the "symbol" you were talking about? "Nian"? "noises" and "red color"?
删除Nian seems like a pretty scary monster. I love the way you explain how into these chinese people really are into their culture. Also, the way you tied in the minotaur and the greek mythology is top notch. I feel as if I learned what chinese new years is from this insightful piece of writing.
删除This is a good story of the nian and i like how you described the nian in the mountain. i like how you made a connection to greek mythology
删除Nian is scary. Its seems to be popular to write about. Good job describing their culture, and i liked how you compared Chinese mythology and Greek mythology.
删除Dean i like how you commented on the literal meaning of the nian and how it means passing of the year. i also like how you related this the the greek mythology. i like how you said how it developes the culutre that china still has today
删除Dean Palenski
回复删除Guo nian is a festival from the Chinese New Year which means “Passing of the beast.” A nian is a beast that lives under the sea in the mountains. On the Chinese New Year the nian comes out of hiding. The only way to drive the nian away is to make loud noises and the use of the color red a lot. This is just one point of symbolism in the Chinese culture. It symbolizes how they are big into their culture and celebrating their culture. The purpose of the myths and legends is to get the people excited for the new comings in their culture. The purpose behind them is they always have a moral behind them. They are explaining how the culture was made today and how the people work with them today. The myths are a little different, there is usually a monster involved in all of them and how the people have to get rid of the monster. Greek mythology is a lot like this because of the story with the minotaur and how it destructs everything and how the people have to get rid of that. The legend came first because the festivals were made to get rid of the legends. They are a lot like our festivals because there is usually a legend behind each holiday.
The purpose of myths and legends were mainly to teach children lessons and morals. These mythology stories have endured over time because people love hearing stories that are not realistic. It creates a getaway from real life for these people. As I have read some of the mythology stories I have noticed there was a symbol that keeps popping up, which is luck. The mythology about Nian, who is a monster with a horn on the head and was extremely vicious. His habitat is deep at the bottom of the sea all year round and he only appears when he climbs up the shore only on New Year’s Eve to devour the cattle and babies. Before I begin about the legend of the Nian, I believe that the purpose of the Nian is to give hope for the Chinese people in luck terms. People relied on the color red and fireworks for protection giving them hope that their cattle and babies will not be taken on the Chinese New Year. I believe that the legend came first and once the Chinese people figured out that the Nian was afraid of loud noises and the color red they began having festival involving these aspects. So, one day on the Chinese New Year people were hiding in their homes hoping that the Nian will not come to them, but a black smith decided to still work on this day while everyone was inside. He realized that the Nian was chasing him and as he runs he drops pots and pans and he was wearing red clothing and as he dropped all his pots and pans he looks back and see’s that the Nian was running away from him! In the end, the Chinese people began celebrating their holiday in cheer and hung up red decorations and wore red clothing and shot up fireworks so the Nian would not return and they could celebrate freely and happily.
回复删除When did the Myth of the Nian originate?
删除So what's the moral of the "nian" story? Mr. Wang
回复删除Many cultures have myths in order to explain certain phenomenon. For example, the Ancient Greeks believed in gods in order to explain the many things in their lives that were out of their control, like storms or sickness. My myth, that of Pan Gu, is a story that explains the origin of the universe. In the beginning , the heavens and earth were still one and all was chaos. The universe was like a big black egg, carrying Pan Gu inside itself. After 18 thousand years Pan Gu woke from a long sleep. He felt suffocated, so he took up a broadax and wielded it with all his might to crack open the egg. The light, clear part of it floated up and formed the heavens, the cold, turbid matter stayed below to form earth. Pan Gu stood in the middle, his head touching the sky, his feet planted on the earth. The heavens and the earth began to grow at a rate of ten feet per day, and Pan Gu grew along with them. After another 18 thousand years, the sky was higher, the earth thicker, and Pan Gu stood between them like a pillar 9 million li in height so that they would never join again.
回复删除When Pan Gu died, his breath became the wind and clouds, his voice the rolling thunder. One eye became the sun and on the moon. His body and limbs turned to five big mountains and his blood formed the roaring water. His veins became far-stretching roads and his muscles fertile land. The innumerable stars in the sky came from his hair and beard, and flowers and trees from his skin and the fine hairs on his body. His marrow turned to jade and pearls. His sweat flowed like the good rain and sweet dew that nurtured all things on earth. According to some versions of the Pan Gu legend, his tears flowed to make rivers and radiance of his eyes turned into thunder and lighting. When he was happy the sun shone, but when he was angry black clouds gathered in the sky. One version of the legend has it that the fleas and lice on his body became the ancestors of mankind.
This story is a lot like the greek myth of Gaea. Gaea, just like Pan Gu, composed the earth. She held the entire earth on her breast, and protected it as her own.
So it sounds like both cultures share some similar explanation for the beginning of the universe?
删除It's curious that these two cultures have such similar myths. I bet one could spend years studying the similarities between different cultures' mythologies.
删除Ashton Bohan
回复删除Mr. Wang
Period 6
February 26, 2015 Houyi Shot the Suns
Myths and legends have been around for thousands of years. All cultures have myths and legends because, “we draw strength from those that have gone before and faced greater challenges than our own.” Myths and legends have been around for thousands of years. In the myth about Houyi Shoots the sun they talk about how the sun-birds were to hot and would dry up the world causing a massive drought. Houyi is the hero of this legend. Houyi shot down 9 of the 10n sun-devils. This stopped the drought in the world. Houyi is a important myth to the Chinese people because he saved china from the monsters and devils that tormented the Chinese. These demons would dry up lakes and rivers; and created storms that swept across the middle kingdom.
Myths and legends tell us a lot about people’s culture. We can tell that china is very into myths and legends just from reading a few. On Chinese New Year they believe the Nian was going to come into china and terrorize the town. The fireworks and all the firecrackers are used to scare the demon away. On a website it says “The beast is easily scared. He does not like the color red. He fears loud noises and strange creatures. So tonight, spread red across the village. Hang red signs on every door. Make loud noises with drums, music, and fireworks. And to protect your children, give them face masks and lanterns to protect them." This has to do with Houyi because they both have to do with the Chinese culture and the way the chinese live their lives. Legends and myths teach us a lot about the Chinese culture.
Where did you get the quote, “we draw strength from those that have gone before and faced greater challenges than our own.”
删除Great Job Ashton. I liked how you researched your myth, and it showed In your response.
删除I didnt know that the Houyi was known for stopping the drought in the world, and he saved China from the monsters and devils.
删除Ashton this was very informational and taught me alot about Huoyi. I also wrote about him. Check out mine. Comment
删除I had no idea that houyi was known for stopping the drought in the world. I like the quote in the beginning it really catches the readers eye with a good quote
删除It is very intersting that Houyi shot down 9 out of the 10 sun devils. He seems that he is a hero. He relates to many tragic heros in all of the books we read in english.
删除Olivia Scott
回复删除Chinese mythology is a very important part of the Chinese culture. The Chinese people celebrate the legend of the Nian every year, in the infamous Spring Festival. The myth of the NIan is one that has lived on for more than four thousand years. The Nian was a monster, and, on the first day of the new year the monster would awaken and move upon into the village. The Nian would eat all of the grain and livestock, and it is said that if there were children in the village, they would disappear with the Nian. The Chinese people were so afraid of the Nian that they boarded up their houses so that nothing harmful to them could happen. Finally an optimistic old man came to the village and asked why all the villagers were so afraid of this drawn up monster. The old man promised the villagers that there was no way that even the most powerful of monsters could swallow all of them. The villagers did not believe the old man, and were skeptical of all of his reasoning. One night, the old man decided to set all of the villagers straight. He told them that the NIan is afraid of red, and loud noises. So the citizens spread the color of red throughout the streets and set fireworks off. Still, the villagers went to bed weary of logic of the old man. Surely enough the Nian never returned again. This myth has been celebrated for centuries, and still is. The Chinese now have a tradition every year on the night and day of the near year to spread red out through out the streets and set fireworks off, all to "scare away" the Nian. This myth has not only sparked celebration in China, but in America as well. Every year, Chinatown in New York City, is covered in red, with fireworks and streamers running throughout the streets. The Nian is not only a myth and legend, but a tradition, that has carried its legacy into a new territory.
Some stories say that the Nian eat the children on New Years Eve but your story says that the children would disapear with the Nian. I was wondering what would happen to them if they went with the Nian or if he kills them.
删除Cultures have myths and legends to set a moral standard. Myths help us refrain from doing something we are not supposed to do because there are myths that if you do that certain thing a really bad or really good thing might happen. For example the American myth that if you roll your eyes at someone that they will get stuck like that. Myths and ledges are also really important in children’s life for teaching purposes. I researched the Chinese legend of the Kylin. The Kaylin is an animal in ancient Chinese mythology. It resembles a deer with horns on his head and scales all over his body but he also has an ox tail. This is a very important myth because the Kylin is only second behind the dragon in the “Four Divine Creatures.” The Kylin symbolizes children, the Will of Heaven, the rise and fall of a dynasty, and a brilliantly talented person. Children, being a Kylin just by being born, will try and prosper to great success to become a real Kylin themselves.
回复删除great job Sloane, you seemed to research your myth very well and its reflected in your post.
删除It's funny that the children are symbolized by the Kaylin. This is interesting to me becuase the kids want to be like a monster with scales, a tail, and horns on their head. I wonder what the other four divine creatures symbolize in China today?
删除Great Job Sloane. I liked how you chose a very unique myth, and you described it in a very appropriate way.
删除Many years ago on the night of Chinese New Year the Nian was feared by all, especially babies. Legend has it that the Nian was a big and scary monster that lived in the mountains and would come out to the Chinese villages every Chinese new year to attack and eat people, the Nian especially liked to eat babies. One Chinese New Year though while everybody was hiding from the Nian a blacksmith decided to stay out a little late to get some work done. On his way home the blacksmith saw the Nian and with all his tools and pots and pans started to run away from him when all of a sudden he dropped all of his tools and pots and pans. Startled by the loud noise of the pots and pans and the red color of them the Nian retreated to the mountains. The next day the blacksmith told every one of his findings and so every year on Chinese New Year all of the people make lots of noise with fireworks and practically color the village with red to keep the Nian away. I feel that this is one of many versions of the Nian legend but either way it was found that loud noises and the color red keep the Nian away. After reading a couple versions of the Nian legend I have found that noise was involved in scaring away the Nian in all of the stories and I think noise is the most logical reason for the Nian being scared away. I think this because I have never heard of anything being scared of a certain color but I have definitely heard of things being scared by noises.
回复删除Great job! This is a wonderful reflection of how good of a student you are.
删除In the Chinese myth of Jingwei Fills up the Sea, there is a young girl named Nvwa, who is the daughter of the Sun God. Every day in the morning, her father would go to the East Sea to direct the rising of the sun. One day, Nvwa decided to go to the East Sea herself, to watch the sun rise. Unfortunately tragedy struck, and Nvwa was caught in the center of a large storm, which claimed her life. After her death, Nvwa turned into a bird and vowed to fill up the sea to prevent others from dying the way she did. Everyday she tossed sticks and stones into the sea and cried, “jingwei, jingwei…” This myth is very similar to the Greek myth of Sisyphus. After his death, when Sisyphus went to the underworld, he was condemned to push a boulder up a steep hill. Each time Sisyphus reached the top of the hill with the boulder, the boulder rolled back down the hill again. Nvwa’s efforts to complete an impossible task can be compared to those of Sisyphus. They both struggled to finish their tasks that they would never actually be able to do. Both their stories show that determination is an important thing because even though it doesn’t always help you, it can still keep you going. The only thing that helped Nvwa continue to try fill up the sea, was the hope that maybe she would be able to achieve her goal and replace the sea with sticks and stones. As for Sisyphus, he was determined to keep rolling that boulder up the hill with the idea that maybe, if he did it enough times, the boulder would finally remain at the summit of the hill.
回复删除How exactly does determination keep you going? why do you think dtermination is such a key role in the legends and myths?
删除In English class we learned that the east symbolizes new beginnings. This makes sense because her dad controlled the sun rise and when the sun rises a new day begins. Also, I really like the connection that you made between American and Chinese mythology. How do they (Sisyphus and Nvwa) keep hoping that they will finish their goals and tasks?
删除Wow! What a reflection - shows a high order of thinking by connecting these two mythological stories. Mr. Wang
删除Emma Paynter
回复删除Period; 6
There are many similarities and differences between the New Year's Eve traditions of China and America. In China, they have many legends and each legend has multiple versions that are told and believed. In China, they use the legend of the Nian to explain why they celebrate the new year. Nian means a year in chinese. The monster's name is Nian and he lived in the sea every day except for on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve he would eat people. Every New Year's Eve people left their villages to hide in the mountains from the Nian. One New Year's Eve, a beggar came to a village. Everyone was in chaos to pack up their things and they didn't notice the beggar. A grandmother told him he should go to the mountains to hide from the monster, but the man stayed, decorated her house, and promised to get rid of the Nian. At midnight, Nian came and saw that the grandmother's house was lit up and covered in red paper. The Nian made lots of noise and a fire to scare away Nian. The people thought that the red color and fireworks were magic because they could get rid of the Nian every year. This resulted in Chinese people always have tons of fireworks and wear red clothing for their New Year celebration. After the Nian was scared away, people go to their family and friends and say congratulations for surviving the new year, or for surviving the Nian. This relates to the present day Chinese celebration because now they always try to spend some time with their family during their long celebration. The Chinese New Year became called The Spring Festival and it has gone on ever since. In China, it is their biggest festival but in America we have many different major holidays. Also, in China they have to have big fireworks in every single village so that the Nian will be scared from everyone. However, in America we only have major fireworks in cities like New York City. Also, a lot of people just watch fireworks on TV and they don't have actual fireworks. Although they are celebrated on different dates, both American and Chinese New Year have parades or dances. It was very interesting to study the differences and similarities between American and Chinese New Year's celebrations.
I was wondering if the begger that basically founded the New Year had a name. I would think that he would become a godly figure himself because of his courage in staying in the village. This was very well written and very interesting!
删除Chang E:
回复删除No one knows the exact details of the legend of Chang E. Most people think it the legend went like this. Chang E was a girl that had a lot of beautiful qualities. She worked in the Jade Emperor’s palace which was located in heaven. It is claimed that she accidently broke a porcelain jar that was precious to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor got so mad that she banned her to ever live on earth but she could return to Heaven if she contributed a valuable service on earth. The Jade Emperor transformed Chang E into a member of a poor farming family according to multiple legends. When 18 she met a boy named Hou Yi and they became close friends. After shooting down 9/10 suns Hou Yi became an instant hero to then become king and married Chang E.
I like this piece of writing and how it ies into greek mytology and Hades with him punishing people/ banning them from earth. Also, What were some of Chang E's qualities?
删除According to Chinese mythology, a nian is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. Once each spring, on or around Chinese New Year, it comes out of hiding to attack people, and prefers children. Weaknesses of the Nian are purported to be a sensitivity to loud noises, and a fear of the colour Red. The Chinese Lion dance is known to have originated from the legend of the Nian. The tradition has its origins in a story of a Nian's attack on a village. After the attack, the villagers discussed how to make the Nian leave them in peace. The traditions of firecrackers and red robes found in many Lion Dance portrayals originate from the plan the villagers had in which drums, plates and empty bowls were hit, red robes were worn, and firecrackers were thrown, causing loud banging sounds that they hoped would intimidate the Nian. According to this same myth, the Nian never appeared in the village again. The Nian was still believed to exist, but was never expected to make an appearance to a human again. It thus became symbolic in the eyes of the town people, and they continued doing what was needed to drive it away. With time this become a tradition.
回复删除Good job, you used alot of solid information. Considering this myth has been celebrated for over 5,000 years it shows that this event never died. This story helps to explain why the Chinese invented fireworks. Tremendous piece of writing.
删除Great info on the myth. It was very specific and interesting. Thank you for teaching me this incredible myth.
删除i like how you talked about how the nian never came back but they still believe it exists this is just like the year that we have. why is the nian scared of the color red? do hey ever know where it went?
删除
回复删除Chinese culture and any culture in general is developed through ancient myths to give reasons why things are the way they are. Huoyi also known as Yi, is an ancient Chinese mythological character. He is told to be the hero who shot down the suns, and was sometimes referred to as a god of archery who descended from heaven to protect mankind. In Chinese mythology the suns were portrayed as sun birds, there were ten of them, all offspring of the God of the Eastern Heavens. Cultures all round the world have myths to provide a reason to explain the occurrences in their lives. In this Huoyi is a story that explains why we only have one sun. When the suns realized the power of Huoyi they became scared and spread across the country. But Huoyi tracked them all down killing every sun but one. He warned the last one to be obedient and dutiful and then went back to the heavenly kingdom.
There was not a lot of information but he did a great job describing all the differnet mythologies. He also did a good job and contrasting all the different myths from each other.
删除The myth of Jingwei filling up the sea is a famous one of love and undying dedication. In the story, Jingwei is the bird form of a young girl who died at sea. She is angry at the sea, so she decides to bring stones and branches from nearby mountains and drop them into the sea to fill it up so that no one else has to die as she did. This story carries a strong moral for the Chinese people. It coined the phrase which means “Jingwei filling up the sea” and symbolizes determination and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. This story has survived because it carries a moral that all Chinese people can identify with. It reminds them to be strong, even when others say they will fail, just as the sea told Jingwei, “You will never fill me up, not in a million years.” Jingwei’s firm reply was “I will take ten million years, a hundred million years, however long it takes.” The sea, being so vast, symbolizes the huge odds stacked against us that we face, but that we must stay strong. This theme of perseverance and dedication is also seen in Greek myth, where Odysseus faces Poseidon, the god of the sea, in a struggle to cross the seas to reach his home in Ithaka. Despite the difficulty of the journey and its hazards, and the strength of the god he challenges, he continues, and is eventually rewarded by reaching his wife and son, and regaining his kingdom. Jingwei does not seem to be an important part of any festivals in China, but is more of an overarching idea of determination in the society. Because the idea of determination is so important to societies that require hard work to survive, most have legends with that theme, notably Odysseus of the Greek, Sigurd of the Norse, and Dhruva in Indian mythology. Clearly this is very important to a society, to know that sticking to a task is valuable.
回复删除Very good reflection! The connection you made between Greek mythology and Chinese myths is valid and shows a high order of thinking! Mr. Wang
删除Andrew Willard
回复删除Mr Wang
Period 6
In the Chinese culture tea is a big part of life, often times it replaces regular drinking water. Tea had even originated in China. There are many types of tea in the Chinese culture a few of them include Black, Green, White, and Herbal teas. The Chinese believe that tea was discovered by the ancient Chinese farmer; Shennong. According to legend one fall afternoon Shennong decided to take a rest under a Camellia tree and boiled some water to drink. Leaves from the tree he was sitting under fell down into the pot of boiling water which then had created tea. This was now the beginning of tea. Intrigued by the delightful fragrance, Shennong took a sip and found it refreshing. In china they also have rituals called tea ceremonies where people will sit down and all together enjoy continuous amounts of different types of tea. For the ceremony there are six aspects of it that need to be considered. The first is attitude the person needs to behave in a respectful manner. Next is tea selection which type of tea would be selected. Next is water selection tea needs to be brewed in a high quality and clean water. The environment of the room needs to be fitting to the occasion and to be peaceful and quite. Lastly the technique of the brew has to be done right and in the right clothing. Today tea still plays a big part in the Chinese culture still being consumed in huge amounts by the Chinese people.
Brendan White
回复删除Chinese Period 3
Bai Ze
The Bai Ze was said to be the "guide to the supernatural world". He was first encountered by the Yellow Emperor when he was on a stroll near the beach and saw the Bai Ze lounging in the sun. The Bai Ze told him that he only appears to the greatest of all leaders since time. As they talked the Bai Ze told the Emperor that he knew everything about the supernatural world and all of the beings in it. He then proceeded to give the emperor a list of 11,562 names of the supernatural beings and how to avoid their attacks and hauntings. The emperor then wrote these down to protect his nation from these creatures. This myth was composed for the sake of making the Yellow Emperor look like the savior of the chinese people. It made it seem like the Emperor was the only person who could save them and could use the book as a way of controlling people. Do this or I will unleash this creature unto you. The myth was made to scare the people into listening to the emperor only.
Great job Brenden! I like the way you retold the myth very accurately and also told why you believe the myth was created.
删除Great reflection. This is worded very well.
删除Ancient peoples, much unlike those living in modern times, found themselves stranded in a time without the tools necessary to figure out the strange and bountiful world they found themselves suddenly a part of. Finding oneself in a world without the advances in science and technology of the modern world, many civilizations developed a collection of mythos, most of them including a creation myth. In Chinese culture, in an attempt to explain the creation of the universe, the story of Pangu was created. In the story, Pangu is born from a cosmic egg. Inside the egg, Yin and Yang were perfectly balanced, but when Pangu emerged, the Yin became the earth, and Yang became the sky. However, to keep them separated, he had to stand between them, holding up the sky. With every day, for 18,000 years, the sky grew ten feet higher, the Earth ten feet thicker, and Pangu ten feet taller. When he died, the remains of his body became the features of the Earth. Many other cultures, each of them separated from the Chinese by mountains, oceans, and huge expanses of land, had similar creation myths. In many of the myths, the Universe begins with Chaos, and some force creates order. Many civilizations, from the Greeks to the Maori, created myths in which the sky and the earth are personified as husband and wife, and in many of those myths, their offspring shape the Earth as we know it. Not only to these cultures share similar creation myths, but nearly all societies had many myths to explain the natural world they saw. The similarities between these myths seem to reinforce the theory of the collective unconscious researched by Carl Jung, as it shows that people around the world were curious about the things they saw.
回复删除In almost every culture, there are myths and stories that hold a unique meaning. In china, there is a myth called The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd. In this story, a cowherd attracted the attention of a young weaver girl named Ori-hime. She was one of the many daughters of the goddess Sia-ouba. As a fairy, Ori-hime had a special job. That job was to weave the clouds in the sky. Ori-hime soon fell in love with a mortal man with the name of Hilo-Boshi. Not soon after, they got married without the knowledge of heaven. They had a peaceful, blissful marriage, that resulted in two beautiful children, until Orin-hime’s mother, Sia- Ouba heard of the nuptials. She was livid that her immortal daughter would marry a mortal. She ordered Ori-hime to return to heaven without her husband and children. Back on earth, Hilo-Boshi is very upset that his wife had disappeared. His best ox told him to take kill him and wrap himself in the ox hide. If he successfully does this, he will be able to go up to heaven. He did as his beloved ox says and was able to take himself, and his children up to heaven to find his wife. Sia-ouba was very upset by their impropriety. With her hairpin, the goddess scratched a wide gap in the floor of the Great reception hall where they were causing a silver river to form separating the lovers forever. Ori-hime sits on one side of the river sadly weaving on her loom. The king of Magpies took pity on them and allowed them to see each other once a year when a bridge forms in the sky. All cultures have myths, legends, and folk stories, in my opinion, so that they can find a way to explain things that can’t possibly be understood. They add certain characters to make it comprehensible to us. They also teach lessons and morals to whoever is reading it. The moral of The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd is that you don’t know what you have until it is gone.
回复删除Maeve, detailed response. I learned a lot just from this brief intro. However, I'm still wondering- What is the origin of this myth; when was it first introduced? Also do you think any other cultures have things similar to this? Overall good job. One thing to improve on is your flow of thought.
删除Scarlett de L.C
回复删除Period 3
China is known for its many myths and legends, some of which tie in to both festivals and celebrations. One in particular that caught my eye was the legend of the moon festival. This legend tells a story of a famous archer, Hou Yi, who with his arrows was able to take down anything and anyone that threatened him. Hou Yi, was married to Chang-O, a beautiful women, both inquisitive and caring. During this time the ten suns took turns circling the earth, one every ten days. But one day the ten suns orbited the earth at the same time causing complete and utter chaos. The earth would destroy everything in its path, threatening mankind. The emperor at the time, both wise and cunning, commanded to see Hou Yi. The emperor asked Hou Yi to kill every sun but one. After completing this task Hou Yi was rewarded with an elixir of immortality. The emperor advised Hou Yi "to make no haste to swallow this pill, but first prepare yourself with prayer and fasting for a year". Hou Yi, both cunning and inquisitive like his wife, made sure to hide his elixir and keep it out of harm’s way. One day, while her husband was away, Chong-O noticed a ray of light coming from the place that the elixir was hidden. After finding the “potion” Chong-O swallowed it and instantly was able to fly. As Hou Yi arrived home he saw the state in which his wife was and immediately reprimanded her. But he was late she began to fly upwards towards the heavens. Hou Yi, bow in hand, went in pursuit after his beloved wife. Unfortunately for the both of them the winds were too strong for Hou YI and forced him back down towards earth. Hou Yi eventually built himself a palace in the sun and now on the 15th day of the full moon, once every year, he and his wife can reunite. Supposedly, according to the legend, this is why the moon shines so brightly on this specific night.
Is there any particular reason that they can reunite on the 15th day of the full moon? Does this night have any special significance?
删除Jack Giaconia
回复删除Period 3
The Candle Dragon
It was said that, to the north of the Chishui River beyond the distant Northwest Sea, there was a strange mountain named Zhangwei Mountain, in which lived a magical god of mountain who wore a human face, yet with a curving snake-like body. The mountain god was so mighty that when he closed his eyes, night befell the earth and when he opened them, the world turned into daytime. He winked and winked, and days and nights occurred alternately. Once he breathed, there would appear the fierce wind and torrential rain; once he blew, there would be winter in a second with the sky filled with black clouds and heavy snow storms; once he sniffed, there would be midsummer in no time with scorching sun that could even melt the stones. Chinese myths and legends like the candle dragon are important because they show us how far we have come and how much knowledge we have gained as a species. The Candle Dragon for instance was created in order to explain the constantly changing weather, time of year, and the rotation of nighttime and daytime. We now of course know that a dragon does not actually control the weather but it is a nice reminder that we did actually believe that at one point and that we have gained lots of knowledge since that myth was invented. Chinese myths and legends are also important because they preserve the culture of a country and allow a country to be unique in its own way. Chinese culture for example incorporates lots of dragons which makes it unique from other countries because a dragon is such an unusual animal. If it weren’t for myths and legends then countries would not be able to separate their cultures form one another and develop their own specific celebrations and traditions.
It is also interesting to see what other cultures have weather gods. For example, the Greek's had Zeus, god of lightning and storms, and Egypt had Set, god of storms and chaos.
删除Myths and legends have been around since the beginning of human existence. People use myths and legends to explain why circumstances occur or how things came to be. Humans have always had a need for an explanation for everything that surrounds them. Some of the most popular myths come from the Greek and Roman culture. The Greek and Romans have gods and goddesses who represent a certain item and the myths that come with these gods and goddesses explain how phenomena occurs around these specific items.
回复删除In Chinese culture, they too have many myths and legends to explain the certain phenomenas that occur. As many cultures do, the Chinese believe each mythological legend to be true. Due to this, they have two versions of each legend/myth: a mythological version and a historicized version.
One example of a Chinese legend/myth would be the legend of Kua Fu. Kua Fu is a giant that wanted to capture the sun. Throughout his life, he chased the sun running east to west, but he never could catch it. With each step he got closer to the sun making it hotter and hotter for him. He used all the rivers and lakes as a source of water and as he came closer and closer to this massive burning star, it kept getting hotter. He soon died of exhaustion and heat. They say that the wooden club he carried turned into a forest and Kua Fu himself turned into a mountain range. Many people use this legend to depict a person like Kua Fu who overestimates themselves and due to this, fails what they set out to do.
Excellent response! I think you are absolutely correct that the Chinese use their myths to explain things that they are unsure of. Great comparison of the Chinese myths to the Roman and Greek myths.
删除The myth that I chose was the Pan Gu. Pan gu is a story that explains the origin of the universe. At first, the heaven and earth was a mess due to it being all the same that Pan Gu was carried inside of. After 18 thousand years, Pan gu woke up from a very long sleep. His feel touched the earth and his head touched the sky. After 18 thousand years, the earth was thicker, the sky was higher, and Pan Gu stood there like he was holding everything together. When he died, his eyes became the sun and moon, along with his breath becoming the wind, clounds and his voice the thunder. His muscles became land, the stars came from his hair and beard. Pan Gu's tears became the rivers and his sweat became the rain and sweet dew.Whenever he is very angry, the clounds become black.
回复删除Cam- good response. I feel as if this myth is interesting and can be related to a lot of things. One thing to improve your writing could be to relate this myth to things in your life, or the Chinese culture. I'm also wondering- what is the appearance of this beast? Is a myth like this strictly Chinese? I think it could of been a lot better with more details. Well done though.
删除Aidan McHugh
回复删除PD 3
Guo Nian
The Chinese culture is full of myths and legends that continue to shape their way of life and celebrations. One major holiday in china is the New Year. Opposed to the US culture, Chinese New Year is not December 31st into January 1st. Instead, it is sometime in late January or February, depending on the way the calendar falls that year. It is called Guo Nian, which means passing of the beast. In Chinese culture, nian is a human eating ferocious beast that comes out of hiding on the Chinese New Year. It is believed that loud noises scare off this beast, which is the reason everyone lights off loud fireworks. The Chinese are so enveloped in this mythology, that they annually spend one billion US dollars on fireworks. The nian is also scared of the color red, which is why you can see copious amounts of red on houses, markets, streets, and people during this time. This concept of Guo Nian is uniquely Chinese, it’s one of the only times they prepare large amounts of food for themselves. The Chinese normally are very conservative with their food, but the time of the spring festival is a special exception. Traditionally, the New Year was the most important festival on the Chinese calendar. Business life completely stopped during this festival and all citizens are focused on celebrating and having a nice time. One thing they did was completely sweep out their houses before the festival to clean out all bad spirits, but they wouldn’t clean again until a few days after the festival. They did this because they feared cleaning after the festival would clean out all the good energy and spirits that had just came in.