Chinese mythology

From Academic Kids

Chinese mythology is the mythology of Chinese civilization. Many of the legends of Chinese mythology take place during the period of Sanhuangwudi.

Missing image
Dragon_gods_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_15250.jpg

Dragon-gods, from Myths and Legends of China, 1922 by E. T. C. Werner

Contents

1 Important mythologies and deities

2 Mythical creatures

3 Mythical places

4 Literary sources of Chinese mythology

5 See also

6 External links

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Important mythologies and deities

N�wa (女媧): N�wa seals the broken sky using stones of seven different colours -- the patch becomes the rainbow. She is also said to have created humanity -- the story has been retold through many Chinese cartoons.
FuXi (伏羲): Fuxi, HuHsi was the brother and husband of Nuwa
Shen Nong (神農) Inventor of agriculture.
Great Yu (大禹): Great Yu regulates the courses of rivers (to control floods)
Gong Gong (共工): An evil water demon who crushed Mount Buzhou.
Zhu Rong (祝融): God of fire. Defeated Gong Gong.
Pangu (盤古): Pangu cleaves open heaven and earth -- the traditional story of the Earth's creation in Chinese mythology.
Cangjie (倉頡): Cangjie creates the characters
Chi You (蚩尤): A war god who fought Huang Di. Inventor of metal weapons.
Huang Di (黃帝): Ancestor of all Chinese.
Xuan Nu (玄女) who assisted Huang Di (黃帝) to subdue Chi You (蚩尤).

Three Pure Ones Daoist / highest deities
Jade Emperor Daoist / ruler of Heaven and Earth
Eight Immortals Daoist / He Xiangu, Cao Guojiu, Li Tieguai, Lan Caihe, Lu Dongbin, Han Xiang Zi, Zhang Guo Lao, Zhongli Quan

Four Heavenly Kings Buddhist / Feng1 Tiao2 Yu3 Shun4

A Xiang (阿香 a4xiang1) a girl and the driver of the chariot of God of Thunder
Bi Fang (必方 bi4fang1) mythical god of fire (also write as 畢方).
Bi Gan, Cai Shen God of Wealth; Rides on a Tiger
Chang E Yi's wife, the moon Goddess.
Che Kung
Di Tsang Wang (地藏王菩薩), rescuer of the dead
Erlang Shen
Fei Lian or Feng Bo Wind God. Enemy of Shen Yi.
God of North (Bei Di, Pak Tai)
Guan Yin (觀世音菩薩, also Kuan Yin) Goddess of compassion and mercy
Guan Yu
Hai Re (海若 hai3re4) god of the sea.
Hau Wong
Hung Shing
Jingzha
Kam Fa
Kua Fu -- Kua Fu chases the sun. (夸父追日)
Kuixing God of examinations
Lei Gong (雷公 lei2gong0) god of thunder
Lung Mo
Man Cheong
Man Mo
Matsu (Tin Hau)
Meng Po
Muzha
Nezha
Nu Ba, Ancient goddess of drought.
The Cowherd and Weaver Girl.
Qi Yu
Sam Po, sister of Matsu
Shen Yi The saviour of China. A great archer. (See note in solar deity)
Shing Wong
Sun Wukong The Monkey King from the story Journey to the West
Tam Kung, sea god
Tou Tei, or Tou Dei
Wong Tai Sin
Xi Wangmu (西王母) The Queen Mother of the west.
Yan Luo (閻羅 yan2luo2) ruler of Hell (short from 閻魔羅社 Sanskrit Yama Raja).
Yuk Wong
Zao Jun popular god of the Kitchen.
Zhong Kui (鍾馗 zhong1kui2) or Jung Kwae mythical person reputed for subjugating demons.

Missing image
Spirit_of_the_well_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_15250.jpg

Spirit of the well, from Myths and Legends of China, 1922 by E. T. C. Werner

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Mythical creatures

Ba She (巴蛇 ba1she2) a snake reputed to swallow elephants
Birds:
- Fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix)
- Ji Guang (吉光 ji2guang1)
- Jian (鶼 jian1) A mythical bird supposed to have only one eye and one wing: 鶼鶼 a pair of such birds dependent on each other, inseparable, hence, represent husband and wife.
- Jing Wei (精衛) a mythical bird which tries to fill up the ocean with twigs and pebbles.
- Shang-Yang (a rainbird)
- Nine-headed Bird Used to scare children.
- Su Shuang (鷫鵊 su4shuang3) a mythical bird, also variously described as a water bird, like the crane.
- Peng (鵬, a mythical bird of giant size and terrific flying power) Also known as Chinese roc.
- Qing Niao (青鳥 qing1niao3) a mythical bird, the messenger of Xi Wangmu.
- Zhu (a bad omen)
Chinese dragon
- Yinglong, a powerful servant of Huang Di.
- Dragon King
- Fucanglong, the treasure dragon
- Shenlong, the rain dragon
- Dilong, the earth dragon
- Tianlong, the celestial dragon
- Li (hornless dragon), lesser dragon of the seas. Is hornless.
- Jiao (Dragon), another hornless dragon. Lives in the swamps. The lowest dragon.
Qilin (in Japanese, Kirin), chimeric animal with several variations.
Long Ma Similar to the Qilin- the dragon-horse.
Kui (夔 kui2) a mythical one legged monster.
Kun (鯤 kun1) a mythical giant monsterous fish.
Hopping corpse
Iuduan can detect truth.
Yaoguai - demons.
Fox Spirit
Nian, the beast
Ox heads & horse faces 牛頭馬面 messenger boy in Hell.
Pixiu (貔貅)
Rui Shi (瑞獅)
Tao Tie (饕餮 tao1tie4) a mythical gargoyle like figure, often found on ancient bronze vessels, representing greed. It is said to be the fifth son of dragon and has such an appetite that it even eats its head.
Xiao (魈 xiao1) A mythical mountain spirit or demon.
The Transcendent Pig

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Mythical places

Xuan Pu (玄圃 xUan2pu3), a mythical fairyland on Kunlun Mountain (崑崙).
Yao Chi (瑤池 yao2chi2), abode of immortals where Xi Wang Mu lives.
Fu Sang (扶桑 fu2sang1), a mythical island, often interpreted as Japan.
Que Qiao (鵲橋 qUe4qiao2) the bridge formed by birds across the Milky Way.
Peng lai (蓬萊 peng2lai2) the paradise, a fabled Fairy Isle on the China Sea.
Long Men (龍門 long2men2) the dragon gate where a carp can transform into a dragon.
Feng Du the Chinese hell

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Literary sources of Chinese mythology

Zhiguai, a literary genre that deals with strange (mostly supernatural) events and stories
Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng'en, with a bestiarium of malevolent animal yougui
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, by Pu Songling, with many stories of fox demons
Creation of the Gods or Fengshen Yanyi (封神演義)
Heian Zhuan or Epic of the Darkness: the only collection of legends in epic form preserved by a population classified as part of the Han nationality of China, namely, inhabitants of the Shennongjia mountain area in Hubei, containing accounts from the birth of Pangu till the historical era.
Imperial historical documents and confucian cannons such as Shiji, Lushi Chunqiu, Liji, Shangshu
Verse poetry of ancient states such as Lisao by Qu Yuan of the Chu state.