De L'atlas Des Montagnes « Les Mots Pour Le Dire

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

De L'atlas Des Montagnes « Les Mots Pour Le Dire QUELLES CONNAISSANCES DES MONTAGNES ? Les mots pour le dire Les mots utilisés pour désigner la montagne et les montagnes sont de puissants révélateurs pour appréhender les relations des sociétés avec ces espaces. Leur très grande diversité révèle la complexité des rapports entre les hommes et les mondes d’en haut. L’étymologie ou la calligraphie, les images ou les associations de mots sont des constructions culturelles très fortes. Parmi les termes génériques, plusieurs registres sont convoqués, de l’échelle la plus locale à la plus universelle. Autant les chaumes sont restées attachées à la crête des Vosges, autant l’alpe a connu une diffusion très large. DE L’ÉCRITURE À L’ÉVOCATION gramme actuel. Attention néanmoins à ne Dans les manuels d’écriture des jeunes pas réduire sa lecture à une simple descrip- Verbatim élèves japonais, le kanji (idéogramme) tion géométrique : les travaux d’Augustin signifi ant yama (montagne) est souvent Berque insistent sur les deux sens associés fi guré par une construction progressive à yama, à savoir la montagne et la forêt, « Père, existe-t-il des pays entre l’image de trois sommets et l’idéo- avec des parentés linguistiques fortes pou- sans montagnes ? » vant être respectivement distinguées dans Friedrich Schiller, 1804, le birman yoma, le turc yamac ou le yema Guillaume Tell. de plusieurs langues d’Asie du Sud-Est. KUNLUN, LES NOMS Cette ambivalence se retrouve en japonais D’UNE MONTAGNE dans le terme de sanson, littéralement village de montagne, dont les contours sont défi - Kunlun nis par des critères… forestiers. Ces espaces sont de facto utilisés par les agriculteurs. La tradition japonaise envisage ainsi autant les dans les termes de tour, ziggourat ou pyra- dichotomies que les porosités entre plaine et mide (pyramide de Carstensz, Indonésie) Hundun montagne. Clairement délimité, voire borné, qui peuvent, par extension des bâtiments le passage de l’un à l’autre a aussi des signi- évoqués, avoir une portée symbolique très fi cations anthropologiques et religieuses. forte. Et « tête » ou « crêtes » déterminent Xiwangmu La présence des fameux yama-no kami, ces aussi plus que des extrémités ou des termi- génies maîtres de la montagne, qui descen- naisons topographiques. Source : A. Berque, « Kunlun, la montagne cosmique », L’Alpe, n° 32, printemps 2006, p. 79-82. dent vers la plaine, est ainsi une des signatu- ... res de la montagne dans le shintoïsme. C’est aussi dans le bouddhisme et l’hin- La chaîne du Kunlun, dont l’étymologie se confond avec Hundun et évoque le chaos des origines et l’idée de vie, douisme qu’il faut chercher les origines DES SIGNIFICATIONS MULTIPLES se situe sur la frontière nord du Tibet. « Au milieu du du népalais himal (« demeure des dieux »), Le sommet désigne autant la forme que monde », elle est habitée par Xiwangmu, Mère Reine tandis que pahar désigne en contrebas le le but à atteindre. La description topo- de l’Ouest ou reine des Immortels (taoïsme). domaine des hommes. Les dimensions spiri- graphique va d’ailleurs souvent bien au- tuelles des cimes sont également présentes delà d’une simple approche géométrique LES « ALPES » DANS LE MONDE NOUVELLE- ZÉLANDE CROATIE AUSTRALIE JAPON BOSNIE- FRANCE HERZ. Alpes du Sud ou Alpes mancelles Alpes dinariques Alpes néo-zélandaises Alpes australiennes Alpes japonaises 10 ATLAS DES MONTAGNES MMN8-23.inddN8-23.indd 1100 118/07/138/07/13 17:24:0617:24:06 CARTOGRAPHIE LEXICALE DES RÉFÉRENCES À LA MONTAGNE QUELS VOCABULAIRES ? Les nombreux termes NTHROPOLOGI se référant à la montagne A E peuvent être regroupés en fonction de leur portée sémantique. Beaucoup himal ont des sens multiples S que traduisent en partie ES YS R TÈ les recoupements TU M C E de la fi gure ci-contre. E pyramide, S IT ziggourat S Les mots liés H yama O C C aux caractéristiques R I O A géométriques et - T É aux grandes architectures E C colline S O d’ensemble décrivent E I (Provence), N souvent les reliefs R cerros, O T MONTAGNE(S) grande (vocabulaire lui-même É cordillère, pahar montagne, M M sierra I signifi ant) plus sûrement petite Q O U qu’une défi nition. Ils glissent É montagne E G S aussi vers une approche des paysages, parfois lus aiguille, amba, hauts dans des binômes associant Berg, chaîne, alpe, chaumes, les hauts et les bas, djebel, massif, mesa, collines et traduisent souvent les mont, pic, piton, gora, hills, étagements des systèmes pointe, sommet planina, Wald socio-économiques. ceja de montaña, Les glossaires sont enrichis monte, par des dimensions puña anthropologiques, avec des références à la religion PAYSAGES ou à la transcendance. LA CONSTRUCTION DE L’ÉCRITURE DE LA MONTAGNE EN JAPONAIS par rapport aux peuplements humains. Ainsi, dans le monde germanique, ils s’ex- priment avec Berg et Wald, dans le slovène avec gora et planina (prairie de montagne) ou encore dans le français « grande monta- gne » et « petite montagne ». Ce sont là aussi des explications des diff érentes formes d’appropriation socio-économique, ici pour le monde des éleveurs et des pâturages Source : D’après différents manuels d’écriture du japonais. – les « montagnettes » présentes en Savoie ou dans les Hautes-Alpes –, et là pour celui avec des références aux formes féminines vert végétal plus ou moins pénétrable), ou des forestiers et/ou des agriculteurs – la (mamelons, croupes, ballons…) ou phal- dans le monde andin entre la ceja de mon- « colline » provençale. liques (aiguilles, éperon, pics, pitons…). taña (versant forestier des montagnes) et Du particulier au général. Parmi les ter- Les lectures paysagères ont ainsi plusieurs la puña (haut plateau). mes les plus génériques, citons amba dans niveaux, avec des distinctions précises, Des montagnes et des hommes. Entre le le monde éthiopien, ou ol doinyo dans l’es- comme en Amérique latine entre les sier- mont, le massif, la chaîne ou la cordillère, il pace masaï (Kenya-Tanzanie). Et bien sûr les ras (montagne), cerros (chaîne) et la mon- y a des sauts d’échelle, mais aussi des dif- « Alpes », terme présent à toutes les échelles taña ou monte (davantage reliés au cou- férentiels d’agencements et de disposition et jusque dans la toponymie lunaire. NORVÈGE ITALIE ROUMANIE ÉTATS-UNIS FINLANDE GRANDE- BRETAGNE SUÈDE Alpes d’Arrochar Alpes d’Issaquah (Écosse) Alpes de Transylvanie Alpes apuanes Alpes scandinaves Alpes Trinity ATLAS DES MONTAGNES 11 MMN8-23.inddN8-23.indd 1111 118/07/138/07/13 17:24:0717:24:07.
Recommended publications
  • Glaciers in Xinjiang, China: Past Changes and Current Status
    water Article Glaciers in Xinjiang, China: Past Changes and Current Status Puyu Wang 1,2,3,*, Zhongqin Li 1,3,4, Hongliang Li 1,2, Zhengyong Zhang 3, Liping Xu 3 and Xiaoying Yue 1 1 State Key Laboratory of Cryosphere Science/Tianshan Glaciological Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; [email protected] (Z.L.); [email protected] (H.L.); [email protected] (X.Y.) 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China 3 College of Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China; [email protected] (Z.Z.); [email protected] (L.X.) 4 College of Geography and Environment Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 18 June 2020; Accepted: 11 August 2020; Published: 24 August 2020 Abstract: The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China is the largest arid region in Central Asia, and is heavily dependent on glacier melt in high mountains for water supplies. In this paper, glacier and climate changes in Xinjiang during the past decades were comprehensively discussed based on glacier inventory data, individual monitored glacier observations, recent publications, as well as meteorological records. The results show that glaciers have been in continuous mass loss and dimensional shrinkage since the 1960s, although there are spatial differences between mountains and sub-regions, and the significant temperature increase is the dominant controlling factor of glacier change. The mass loss of monitored glaciers in the Tien Shan has accelerated since the late 1990s, but has a slight slowing after 2010. Remote sensing results also show a more negative mass balance in the 2000s and mass loss slowing in the latest decade (2010s) in most regions.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Article
    International Conference on Arts, Design and Contemporary Education (ICADCE 2016) Ancient Emaki "Genesis" Exploration and Practice of Emaki Art Expression Tong Zhang Digital Media and Design Arts College Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications Beijing, China 100876 Abstract—The ancient myths and legends with distinctive generation creators such as A Gen, sheep and others, and a Chinese characteristics, refers to myths and legends from dedicated serial picture book magazine "Paint Heart", Chinese Xia Dynasty until ancient times, it carries the origin of "STORY" appears, the delicate picture and vivid story make Chinese culture and it is the foundation of the Chinese nation, it Chinese picture book also developing rapidly and has formed a influence the formation and its characteristics of the national national reading faction craze for outstanding picture books. spirit to a large extent. The study explore and practice the art expression which combines ancient culture with full visual 1) Picture book traced back to ancient Chinese Emaki: impact Emaki form, learn traditional Chinese painting China has experienced a few stages include ancient Emaki, techniques and design elements, and strive to make a perfect illustrated book in Republican period and modern picture performance for the magnificent majestic ancient myth with a books. "Picture book", although the term originated in Japan, long Emaki. It provides a fresh visual experience to the readers and promotes the Chinese traditional culture, with a certain but early traceable picture books is in China. In Heian research value. Kamakura Period Japanese brought Buddhist scriptures (Variable graph), Emaki (Lotus Sutra) and other religious Keywords—ancient myths; Emaki form; Chinese element Scriptures as picture books back to Japan, until the end of Middle Ages Emaki had developed into Nara picture books.
    [Show full text]
  • Transmission of Han Pictorial Motifs Into the Western Periphery: Fuxi and Nüwa in the Wei-Jin Mural Tombs in the Hexi Corridor*8
    DOI: 10.4312/as.2019.7.2.47-86 47 Transmission of Han Pictorial Motifs into the Western Periphery: Fuxi and Nüwa in the Wei-Jin Mural Tombs in the Hexi Corridor*8 ∗∗ Nataša VAMPELJ SUHADOLNIK 9 Abstract This paper examines the ways in which Fuxi and Nüwa were depicted inside the mu- ral tombs of the Wei-Jin dynasties along the Hexi Corridor as compared to their Han counterparts from the Central Plains. Pursuing typological, stylistic, and iconographic approaches, it investigates how the western periphery inherited the knowledge of the divine pair and further discusses the transition of the iconographic and stylistic design of both deities from the Han (206 BCE–220 CE) to the Wei and Western Jin dynasties (220–316). Furthermore, examining the origins of the migrants on the basis of historical records, it also attempts to discuss the possible regional connections and migration from different parts of the Chinese central territory to the western periphery. On the basis of these approaches, it reveals that the depiction of Fuxi and Nüwa in Gansu area was modelled on the Shandong regional pattern and further evolved into a unique pattern formed by an iconographic conglomeration of all attributes and other physical characteristics. Accordingly, the Shandong region style not only spread to surrounding areas in the central Chinese territory but even to the more remote border regions, where it became the model for funerary art motifs. Key Words: Fuxi, Nüwa, the sun, the moon, a try square, a pair of compasses, Han Dynasty, Wei-Jin period, Shandong, migration Prenos slikovnih motivov na zahodno periferijo: Fuxi in Nüwa v grobnicah s poslikavo iz obdobja Wei Jin na območju prehoda Hexi Izvleček Pričujoči prispevek v primerjalni perspektivi obravnava upodobitev Fuxija in Nüwe v grobnicah s poslikavo iz časa dinastij Wei in Zahodni Jin (220–316) iz province Gansu * The author acknowledges the financial support of the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) in the framework of the research core funding Asian languages and Cultures (P6-0243).
    [Show full text]
  • Mythical Image of “Queen Mother of the West” and Metaphysical Concept of Chinese Jade Worship in Classic of Mountains and Seas
    IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 21, Issue11, Ver. 6 (Nov. 2016) PP 39-46 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org Mythical Image of “Queen Mother of the West” and Metaphysical Concept of Chinese Jade Worship in Classic of Mountains and Seas Juan Wu1 (School of Foreign Language,Beijing Institute of Technology, China) Abstract: This paper focuses on the mythological image, the Queen Mother of the West in Classic of Mountains and Seas, to explore the hiding history and mental reality behind the fantastic literary images, to unveil the origin of jade worship, which plays an significant role in the 8000-year-old history of Eastern Asian jade culture, to elucidate the genetic mechanism of the jade worship budded in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, so that we can have an overview of the tremendous influence it has on Chinese civilization, and illustrate its psychological role in molding the national jade worship and promoting the economic value of jade business. Key words: Mythical Image, Mythological Concept, Jade Worship, Classic of Mountains and Seas I. WHITE JADE RING AND QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WEST As for the foundation and succession myths of early Chinese dynasties, Allan holds that “Ancient Chinese literature contains few myths in the traditional sense of stories of the supernatural but much history” (Allan, 1981: ix) and “history, as it appears in the major texts from the classical period of early China (fifth-first centuries B.C.),has come to function like myth” (Allan, 1981: 10). While “the problem of myth for Western philosophers is a problem of interpreting the meaning of myths and the phenomenon of myth-making” as Allan remarks, “the problem of myth for the sinologist is one of finding any myths to interpret and of explaining why there are so few.” (Allen, 1991: 19) To decode why white jade enjoys a prominent position in the Chinese culture, the underlying conceptual structure and unique culture genes should be investigated.
    [Show full text]
  • The Daoist Tradition Also Available from Bloomsbury
    The Daoist Tradition Also available from Bloomsbury Chinese Religion, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao Confucius: A Guide for the Perplexed, Yong Huang The Daoist Tradition An Introduction LOUIS KOMJATHY Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 175 Fifth Avenue London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10010 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com First published 2013 © Louis Komjathy, 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Louis Komjathy has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Academic or the author. Permissions Cover: Kate Townsend Ch. 10: Chart 10: Livia Kohn Ch. 11: Chart 11: Harold Roth Ch. 13: Fig. 20: Michael Saso Ch. 15: Fig. 22: Wu’s Healing Art Ch. 16: Fig. 25: British Taoist Association British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 9781472508942 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Komjathy, Louis, 1971- The Daoist tradition : an introduction / Louis Komjathy. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4411-1669-7 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-1-4411-6873-3 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-4411-9645-3 (epub) 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Oriental Mythology Free Encyclopedia
    FREE ORIENTAL MYTHOLOGY PDF Joseph Campbell | 576 pages | 01 Sep 2011 | Souvenir Press Ltd | 9780285640566 | English | London, United Kingdom Chinese mythology - Wikipedia Salvation churches and sects :. Confucian churches and sects:. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and Oriental Mythology traditions. Chinese mythology is far from monolithic, Oriental Mythology being an integrated system, even among just Han people. Chinese mythology is encountered in the traditions of Oriental Mythology classes of people, geographic regions, historical periods including the present, and from various ethnic groups. China is the home of many mythological traditions, including that of Han Chinese and their Oriental Mythology predecessors, as well as Tibetan mythologyTurkic Oriental MythologyKorean mythologyJapanese mythology and many others. However, the study of Chinese mythology tends to focus upon material in Chinese language. Much of the mythology involves exciting stories full of fantastic people and beings, the use of magical powers, often taking place in an exotic mythological place or time. Like many mythologies, Chinese Oriental Mythology has in the past been believed to be, at least in part, a factual recording of history. Many Oriental Mythology involve the creation and cosmology of the universe and its deities and inhabitants. Some mythology involves creation myths, the origin of things, people and culture. Some Oriental Mythology the origin of the Chinese state. Some myths present a chronology of prehistoric times, many of these involve a culture hero who taught people how to build houses, or cook, or write, or was the ancestor of an ethnic group or dynastic family. Mythology is intimately related to ritual. Many myths are oral associations with ritual acts, such as dances, ceremonies, and sacrifices.
    [Show full text]
  • Cenozoic Deformation of the Tarim Plate and the Implications for Mountain Building in the Tibetan Plateau and the Tian Shan
    TECTONICS, VOL. 21, NO. 6, 1059, doi:10.1029/2001TC001300, 2002 Cenozoic deformation of the Tarim plate and the implications for mountain building in the Tibetan Plateau and the Tian Shan Youqing Yang and Mian Liu Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA Received 11 May 2001; revised 14 March 2002; accepted 8 June 2002; published 17 December 2002. [1] The Tarim basin in NW China developed as a the geology and tectonics of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen complex foreland basin in the Cenozoic in association [Dewey and Burke, 1973; Molnar and Tapponnier, 1975; with mountain building in the Tibetan Plateau to the Allegre et al., 1984; Armijo et al., 1986; Burchfiel et al., south and the Tian Shan orogen to the north. We 1992; Harrison et al., 1992; Avouac and Tapponnier, 1993; reconstructed the Cenozoic deformation history of the Nelson et al., 1996; England and Molnar, 1997; Larson et Tarim basement by backstripping the sedimentary al., 1999; Yin and Harrison, 2000]. However, some funda- mental questions, such as how stress has propagated across rocks. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite the collisional zone and how strain was partitioned between element models are then used to simulate the flexural crustal thickening and lateral extruding of the lithosphere, deformation of the Tarim basement in response to the remain controversial. One end-member model, approximat- sedimentary loads and additional tectonic loads ing the Eurasia continent as a viscous thin sheet indented by associated with overthrusting of the surrounding the rigid Indian plate [e.g., England and McKenzie, 1982; mountain belts.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook of Chinese Mythology TITLES in ABC-CLIO’S Handbooks of World Mythology
    Handbook of Chinese Mythology TITLES IN ABC-CLIO’s Handbooks of World Mythology Handbook of Arab Mythology, Hasan El-Shamy Handbook of Celtic Mythology, Joseph Falaky Nagy Handbook of Classical Mythology, William Hansen Handbook of Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch Handbook of Hindu Mythology, George Williams Handbook of Inca Mythology, Catherine Allen Handbook of Japanese Mythology, Michael Ashkenazi Handbook of Native American Mythology, Dawn Bastian and Judy Mitchell Handbook of Norse Mythology, John Lindow Handbook of Polynesian Mythology, Robert D. Craig HANDBOOKS OF WORLD MYTHOLOGY Handbook of Chinese Mythology Lihui Yang and Deming An, with Jessica Anderson Turner Santa Barbara, California • Denver, Colorado • Oxford, England Copyright © 2005 by Lihui Yang and Deming An All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yang, Lihui. Handbook of Chinese mythology / Lihui Yang and Deming An, with Jessica Anderson Turner. p. cm. — (World mythology) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-57607-806-X (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 1-57607-807-8 (eBook) 1. Mythology, Chinese—Handbooks, Manuals, etc. I. An, Deming. II. Title. III. Series. BL1825.Y355 2005 299.5’1113—dc22 2005013851 This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook. Visit abc-clio.com for details. ABC-CLIO, Inc. 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116–1911 This book is printed on acid-free paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancestor Culture Be Held in the Religious Worship Rituals by Weixin Shengjiao
    Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.8, No. 5, pp.1-14, May 2020 Published by ECRTD-UK Print ISSN: 2052-6350(Print), Online ISSN: 2052-6369(Online) HOW TO PROMOTE THE ETHNIC HARMONY OF THE CHINESE THREE- ANCESTOR CULTURE BE HELD IN THE RELIGIOUS WORSHIP RITUALS BY WEIXIN SHENGJIAO Chen-Mei Li Author Affiliation, Weixin Shengjiao College Li-Yueh Chen Weixin Shengjiao College Kuo-Ching Shih Weixin Shengjiao College Ming-Hsien Wang Weixin Shengjiao College ABSTRACT: The Chinese people is a people with long and profound history. It can be dated to Kunlun civilization, Fuxishi, Nuwa and Chinese Three-Ancestor, Huangdi, Yandi, and Chiyou. I Ching lays for the philosophy of thought in Chinese ethnic culture. What were Chinese religious beliefs before Buddhism reached China? War and worship affairs have been considered magnificent in Chinese dynasties. Tracing back to the battle in Zhuolu 5,000 years ago, which was a vital page in Chinses history, have the worship rituals for the death been perfected now? This part of research is missing in the Eastern religious studies. Therefore, this study adopts the method of qualitative longitudinal research to collect the ritual texts of worshipping ancestors from 2004 to 2017 as research materials of this study. The research results show that the religious interpretation of ethnic harmony in Chinese Three-Ancestor culture expressed in the worship rituals held by Weixin Shengjiao. KEYWORDS: Gui Gu mind method, ancestor worship ceremony, centre of the cross, vertical and horizontal alliances, spiritual oration, ancestor worship ceremony, INTRODUCTION The Chinese people is a people with long and profound history.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook of Chinese Mythology (Handbooks of World Mythology) by Lihui Yang
    Handbook of Chinese Mythology (Handbooks of World Mythology) by Lihui Yang Ebook Handbook of Chinese Mythology (Handbooks of World Mythology) currently available for review only, if you need complete ebook Handbook of Chinese Mythology (Handbooks of World Mythology) please fill out registration form to access in our databases Download here >> Series:::: Handbooks of World Mythology+++Paperback:::: 312 pages+++Publisher:::: Oxford University Press (March 13, 2008)+++Language:::: English+++ISBN-10:::: 0195332636+++ISBN-13:::: 978-0195332636+++Product Dimensions::::9.2 x 1.4 x 6.1 inches++++++ ISBN10 0195332636 ISBN13 978-0195332 Download here >> Description: Every year, at the Wa Huang Gong temple in Hebei Province, China, people gather to worship the great mother, Nuwa, the oldest deity in Chinese myth, praising her for bringing them a happy life. It is a vivid demonstration of both the ancient reach and the continuing relevance of mythology in the lives of the Chinese people.Compiled from ancient and scattered texts and based on groundbreaking new research, Handbook of Chinese Mythology is the most comprehensive English-language work on the subject ever written from an exclusively Chinese perspective. This work focuses on the Han Chinese people but ranges across the full spectrum of ancient and modern China, showing how key myths endured and evolved over time. A quick reference section covers all major deities, spirits, and demigods, as well as important places (Kunlun Mountain), mythical animals and plants (the crow with three feet; Fusang tree), and related items (Xirang-a kind of mythical soil; Bu Si Yao-mythical medicine for long life). No other work captures so well what Chinese mythology means to the people who lived and continue to live their lives by it.With more than 40 illustrations and photographs, fresh translations of primary sources, and insight based on the authors own field research, Handbook of Chinese Mythology offers an illuminating account of a fascinating corner of the world of myth.
    [Show full text]
  • UNDERSTANDING CHINA a Diplomatic and Cultural Monograph of Fairleigh Dickinson University
    UNDERSTANDING CHINA a Diplomatic and Cultural Monograph of Fairleigh Dickinson University by Amanuel Ajawin Ahmed Al-Muharraqi Talah Hamad Alyaqoobi Hamad Alzaabi Molor-Erdene Amarsanaa Baya Bensmail Lorena Gimenez Zina Ibrahem Haig Kuplian Jose Mendoza-Nasser Abdelghani Merabet Alice Mungwa Seddiq Rasuli Fabrizio Trezza Editor Ahmad Kamal Published by: Fairleigh Dickinson University 1000 River Road Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA April 2011 ISBN: 978-1-457-6945-7 The opinions expressed in this book are those of the authors alone, and should not be taken as necessarily reflecting the views of Fairleigh Dickinson University, or of any other institution or entity. © All rights reserved by the authors No part of the material in this book may be reproduced without due attribution to its specific author. THE AUTHORS Amanuel Ajawin is a diplomat from Sudan Ahmed Al-Muharraqi is a graduate student from Bahrain Talah Hamad Alyaqoobi is a diplomat from Oman Hamad Alzaabi a diplomat from the UAE Molor Amarsanaa is a graduate student from Mongolia Baya Bensmail is a graduate student from Algeria Lorena Gimenez is a diplomat from Venezuela Zina Ibrahem is a graduate student from Iraq Ahmad Kamal is a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Haig Kuplian is a graduate student from the United States Jose Mendoza-Nasser is a graduate student from Honduras Abdelghani Merabet is a graduate student from Algeria Alice Mungwa is a graduate student from Cameroon Seddiq Rasuli is a graduate student from Afghanistan Fabrizio Trezza is a graduate student from Italy INDEX OF
    [Show full text]
  • An Analysis on Chinese and Greek Mythologies
    AN ANALYSIS ON CHINESE AND GREEK MYTHOLOGIES ... PROMETHEUS, NÜWA AND GUN Yan Qiuxia Chinese and Greek mythologies, as many other mythologies in the world, are mixtures of history, legends, and myths. Although they both have been passed down in oral or written form and have developed over the ages, Greek mythology is much more organized because of The Theogony and The Works and Days by Hesiod1, while Chinese mythology is not so systematic and dispersed in a few books2, among which Shan Hai Jing3, Shui Jing Zhu4, and Huai Nan Zi5 are the important ones.6 Hei An Zhuan is also very important because it is the only collection of legends in epic form but it is not widely known because its value is not recognized until 1980s.7 So many Chinese myths exist in different versions, and often conflicting. Take the creation of the first human beings as an example. It is variously ascribed to Tiandi, Nüwa, Pangu, and Yuhuang in different stories. What I am discussing here is based on a common version which is widely spread in North China. So don’t be surprised if you come across or have come across a different version. I would compare first Prometheus and Nüwa and then Prometheus and Gun and analyze the culture reflected by their stories. Prometheus and Nüwa both are the creators of the human beings in their respective mythology. Prometheus was permitted by Zeus, who wants to express gratitude to Prometheus for helping him in the fight with the Titans, to populate the earth with humans and animals, together with his brother Epimetheus.
    [Show full text]