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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. There has been an extensive interaction between Chinese mythology and ConfucianismTaoismand Oriental Mythology. Elements of pre- Han dynasty mythology such as those in Classic of Mountains and Seas were adapted into these belief systems as they developed in the case of Taoismor were assimilated into Chinese culture in the case of Buddhism. Elements from the teachings and beliefs of these systems became incorporated into Chinese mythology. For example, the Taoist belief of a spiritual paradise became incorporated into mythology as the place where immortals and deities used to dwell. Sometimes mythological and religious ideas have become widespread across China's many regions and diverse ethnic societies. In other cases, beliefs are more limited to certain social groups, for example, the veneration of white stones by the Qiang. One mythological theme that has a long history and many variations involves a shamanic world view, for example in the cases Oriental Mythology Mongolian shamanism among the Mongols, Hmong shamanism among the Miao peopleand the shamanic beliefs of the Qing dynasty from toderived from the Manchus. Politically, mythology was often used to legitimize the dynasties of China, with the founding house of a dynasty claiming a divine descent. True mythology is distinguished from philosophical treatises and theories. Elaborations on the Wu Xing are not really part of mythology, although belief in five elements could appear. The Hundred Schools of Thought is a phrase suggesting the diversity of philosophical thought that developed during the Warring States of China. Then, and subsequently, philosophical movements had a complicated relationship with mythology. However, as far as they influence Oriental Mythology are influenced by mythology, Ferguson"Introduction" divides the philosophical camps into two rough halves, a Liberal group and a Conservative group. The liberal group being associated with the idea of individuality and change, for example as seen in the mythology of divination in China, such as the mythology of the dragon horse that delivered the eight bagua diagrams to Fu Xi, and methods of individual empowerment as seen in the Yi Jing Book of Changes. The Liberal tendency is towards individual freedom, Daoism, and Nature. The relationship of the Conservative philosophies to mythology is seen in the legendary Nine Tripod Cauldronsmythology about the emperors and central bureaucratic governance, Confucianism, written histories, ceremonial observances, subordination of the individual to the social groups of family and state, and a fixation on stability and enduring institutions. The distinction between the Liberal and Conservative is very general, but important in Oriental Mythology thought. Contradictions can be found in the details, however these are often traditional, such as the embrace by Confucius of the philosophical aspects of the Yi Jingand the back-and-forth about the Mandate of Heaven wherein one dynasty ends and another begins based according to accounts some of heavily mythological where the Way of Heaven results in change, Oriental Mythology then a new ethical stable dynasty becomes established. Mythology exists in relationship with other aspects of society and culture, such as ritual. Various rituals are explained by mythology. For example, the ritual burning of mortuary banknotes Hell Moneylighting fireworksand so on. A good example of the relationship of Chinese mythology and ritual is the Yubu, also known as the Steps or Paces of Yu. During the course of his activities in controlling the Great Flood, Yu was supposed to have so fatigued himself that he lost all the hair from his legs and developed a serious Oriental Mythology. Daoist practitioners sometimes incorporate a curiously choreographed pedal locomotion into various rituals. Oriental Mythology and practice, one explains the other: in these rituals, the sacred time of Yu merges with the sacral practice of the present. Gender is a significant phenomenon in Chinese mythology. Tu'er Shen is an example of a gender-oriented deity. The marking of gender in Chinese is different than in Oriental Mythology, especially Oriental Mythology Classical Chinesegender is not marked in the case of most nouns and Oriental Mythology, thus making gender often difficult to determine. This makes it difficult to write in, or to translate to, English. Where it is the case that specifying gender is generally obligatory, without at the same time implying or Oriental Mythology some viewpoint on the gender of the subject, which was not necessarily provided in the Chinese original. The same can be true in the cases of number of proper nouns versus common nouns. In any case, much of Chinese mythology is informed by an idea of gender duality and balance, Oriental Mythology exemplified in the idea of yin and yang. Various ideas about the nature of the earth, the universe, and their relationship to Oriental Mythology other have historically existed as either a background or a focus of mythologies. One typical view is of a square earth separated from a round sky by sky pillars mountains, trees, or undefined. Above the sky is the realm of Heaven, often viewed of as a vast area, with many inhabitants. Often the heavenly inhabitants are thought to be of an "as above so below" nature, their lives and social arrangements being parallel to those on earth, with a hierarchical government Oriental Mythology by a supreme emperor, many palaces and lesser dwellings, a vast bureaucracy of many functions, clerks, guards, and servants. Below was a vast under ground land, also known as DiyuYellow Springs, Hell, and other terms. As time progressed, the idea of an underground land in which the souls of the departed were punished for their misdeeds during life became explicit, related to developments in Daoism and Buddhism. The Oriental Mythology world also came to be conceived of as inhabited by a vast bureaucracy, with kings, judges, torturers, conductors of souls, minor bureaucrats, recording secretaries, similar to the structure of society in the Middle Kingdom earthly China. The mythology of China includes a Oriental Mythology geography describing individual mythological descriptions of places and the features; sometimes, this reaches to the level of a cosmological conception. Various features of mythological Oriental Mythology are described in myth, including a Heavenly world above the earth, a land of the dead beneath the earth, palaces beneath the sea, and various fantastic Oriental Mythology or features of the earth, located beyond the limits of the known earth. Such mythological features include mountains, rivers, forests or fantastic trees, and caves or grottoes. These then serve as the Oriental Mythology for the actions of various beings and creatures. One concept encountered in some myths is the idea of travel between Earth and Heaven by means of climbing up or down the pillars separating the Oriental Mythology, there usually being four or Eight Pillars or an unspecified number of these Sky Ladders. These totem animals represented the four cardinal Oriental Mythology, with a lot of associated symbolism and beliefs. A fifth cardinal direction was also postulated: the center, represented by the emperor of China, located in the middle of his Middle Kingdom Zhong Guo, or China. The real or mythological inhabitants making their dwellings at these cardinal points were numerous, as is associated mythology. The Heavenly realm could be known as Tian, Heavenor the sky. Sometimes this was personified into a deity sky god. In some descriptions, this was an elaborate place ruled over by a supreme deity, or a group of supreme deities. Jade Emperor being associated with Daoism and Buddhas with Buddhism. Many astronomically observable features were subjects of mythology or the mythological locations and settings for mythic scenes these include the sun, stars, moon, planets, Milky Way sometimes Oriental Mythology to as the River of Heavenclouds, and other features. These were often the home or destination of various deities, divinities, shamans, and many more. Another concept of the Heavenly realm is that of the Cords of the Sky. Travel between Heaven and Earth was usually described as achieved by flying or climbing. According to mythology, beneath the Earth is another realm, that of an underground world. This world is generally said to be Oriental Mythology by souls of the dead see hun and po. Inhabited by souls of dead humans Oriental Mythology various supernatural beings this subterranean hell is known by various names, including Diyu or the Yellow Springs. In more historically recent mythology, this subterranean land is Oriental Mythology described as somewhat similar to the ideas about the land above. It possesses a hierarchical government bureaucracy, centered in the capital city of Youdu. The rulers are various Oriental Mythology, whose duties include making sure that the souls of dead humans are correctly placed according to the merits of their life on earth, and that adequate records are kept about the process. Various functions are said to be performed by minor officials and their minions, such as Ox-Head and Horse-Facehumanoid devils with animal features. The functions performed Oriental Mythology Diyu Oriental Mythology to focus on punishment by torture according to Oriental Mythology crimes committed during life, weighed against any merits earned through good deeds through a process of judgment. In some versions of mythology or Chinese folk religion, the souls are reincarnated after being given the Drink of Forgetfulness by Meng Po. Much mythology involves remote, exotic, or hard-to-get-to places. All sorts of mythological geography is said to exist at the extremes of the Oriental Mythology directions of earth. Much of the earthly terrain has been said to be inhabited by local spirits sometimes called fairies or genii lociespecially mountains and bodies of water. There are Grotto Heavensand also earthly paradises. Various bodies of water appear in Chinese mythology. Oriental Mythology includes Oriental Mythology, rivers, streams, ponds. Often they are part Oriental Mythology a mythological geography, and may have notable features, such as mythological islands, or other mythological features. Oriental Mythology are mythological versions of all the major rivers that have existed in China in between ancient and modern China most of these rivers are the same, but not all. Sometimes these rivers are said to originate from the Milky Way or Kunlun. Anyway, they are said to flow west to east because Gonggong wrecked the world pillar at Buzhou, tilting Earth and Heaven away from each other at that sector. Examples of Oriental Mythology mythologized rivers include the Yangzi including various stretches under different namesthe Yellow Riverthe mythological Red River in the west, near Kunlun, and the Weak Rivera mythological river in "the west", near "Kunlun", which flowed with a liquid too light in specific gravity for floating or swimming but unbreathable. Examples of features along mythological rivers include the Dragon Gates Longmen which were rapid waterfalls where select Oriental Mythology can transform into dragons, by swimming upstream and leaping up over the falls. Examples Oriental Mythology islands include Oriental Mythology Penglaia paradisaical isle in the sea, vaguely east of China but sometimes conflated with Japan. Various Oriental Mythology mythological locales include what are known as fairylands or paradises, pillars separating Earth and Sky, ruined or otherwise. The Earth has many extreme and exotic locales — they are separated by pillars between Earth and Heaven, supporting the skyusually four or Oriental Mythology. Generally, Chinese mythology regarded people as living in the middle regions of the world and conceived the exotic earthly places to exist in the directional extremes to the north, east, south, Oriental Mythology west. Eventually, the idea of an eastern and western paradise seems to have arisen. In the west according to certain myths there was Kunlun. On the eastern seacoast was Feather Mountainthe place of exile of Gun and other events during or just after the world flood. Further east was Fusanga mythical tree, or else Oriental Mythology island sometimes interpreted as Japan. List of Chinese mythology - Wikipedia

Not sure of the spelling? Oriental Mythology entering just the first three or four letters. China — the Middle Kingdom — is an ancient country full of mystery and paradox. Although hard-working and down-to-earth, the Chinese people have always had a streak of poetry in their souls. Only the Chinese could mix sublime philosophy and mindless paperwork and get away with it. With a recorded history reaching back practically to the Big Bang, China has had plenty of time to perfect its pantheons. Over the aeons, primitive folk religion absorbed sophisticated ideas — the common sense of Confucious Kongzithe ritual and magic of Daoism, the sublime spirituality of Buddhism — to produce a stir-fry mix of Gods for all occasions. You certainly get value for money with China. One thing we love about Chinese Oriental Mythology is Oriental Mythology sense of humor. But rather than airbrush out Oriental Mythology embarrassments, China revels in them. We suspect that even the Jade Emperorthe stern-faced Ruler of Heaven, sometimes has trouble keeping a straight face. What makes Chinese Gods more inscrutable than most to the Western eye is the transliteration problem. Written Chinese consists of symbols; little pictures illustrating an idea or Oriental Mythology thing. One Chinese character can mean a whole phrase in English. This presents a problem for Westerners. How do you Oriental Mythology a picture of a tree? For most of the 20th Century, Chinese was translated into english using Oriental Mythology Wade-Giles system. This was a reasonable attempt to transcribe Chinese sounds into english Oriental Mythology - but had Oriental Mythology number of peculiarities. Omitting that little apostrophe causes much confusion. The Wade-Giles system has now been officially replaced by Pinyin, which represents the sounds somewhat more Oriental Mythology. However the old Oriental Mythology are still very much alive, so we have included these as variants to make it easier for you to track down those elusive Gods. We have also added a pronunciation guide to Chinese names — a Godchecker exclusive. Add to all this confusion the bureaucracy of Heaven, the legions of civil servant Gods, and more esoteric philosophy than you can fit in a wok, and you have a pantheon you can really get your teeth into. Introduction to Chinese Mythology and Folklore. View the Chinese pantheon. Family trees coming soon! Many Gods are spread across different regions, cultures and tribes. But corrections are always welcome, especially from people with first-hand knowledge. Contact us here. And that is a Oriental Mythology big place to cover. Asian Mythology -

Salvation churches and sects :. Confucian churches and sects:. This article is a list of topics in Chinese mythology. Chinese mythology is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as " China ". Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Chinese mythology is far from monolithic, not being an integrated system, even among Oriental Mythology Han people. Chinese mythology is encountered in the traditions of various Oriental Mythology of people, geographic regions, historical periods including the present, and from various ethnic groups. China is the home of many mythological traditions, Oriental Mythology that of Han Chinese people, their Huaxia predecessors, Tibetan mythologyTurkic mythologyKorean mythologyand many others. However, the study of Chinese Oriental Mythology tends to focus upon material in the 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. Oriental Mythology many mythologies, Chinese mythology has in the past been believed to be, at least in part, a factual recording of history. Along with Chinese folkloreChinese mythology forms an important part of Chinese folk religion Yang et al4. Many stories regarding characters and events of the distant past have a double tradition: ones which present Oriental Mythology more historicized or euhemerized version and ones which presents a more mythological version Yang et al12— Many myths 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 involve the origin of the Chinese Oriental Mythology. 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. The concept of a principal or presiding deity has fluctuated over time in Chinese mythology. Examples include:. These legendary rulers ruled between c. These rulers are generally regarded as morally upright and benevolent, examples to be emulated Oriental Mythology latter-day kings and emperors. One widely circulated and popular version is:. From Wikipedia, Oriental Mythology free encyclopedia. Main article: Chinese Oriental Mythology. Chinese theology Chinese gods and immortals Chinese mythology Chinese creation myth Chinese spiritual world concepts Model humanity: Xian Zhenren Wen and wu. Institutions and temples. Internal traditions. Major cultural forms Chinese ancestral religion Chinese communal deity religion Chinese mother goddess worship Northeast China folk religion Main philosophical traditions: Confucianism state rites Taoism Oriental Mythology schools Ritual traditions: Folk ritual masters' orders Jitong mediumship Nuo Oriental Mythology religion Chinese shamanism Devotional traditions: Mazuism Wang Ye worship. Related religions. See also: List of mythical Chinese mountains and List of mythological Chinese rivers. Main article: Chinese dragon. Main article: Fish in Chinese mythology. Further information: Simians Chinese poetry and Monkeys in Chinese culture. Further information: Chinese dragon and Snakes in Chinese mythology. Myths and Legends of China. New York: George G. Chinese mythology. Society portal China Oriental Mythology. Categories : Chinese mythology Chinese folk religion. Hidden categories: Articles containing Chinese-language text Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text Pages using template Zh with sup tags. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Oriental Mythology portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Add links. Part of a series on. Institutions Oriental Mythology temples Associations of good-doing Lineage associations or churches Chinese temple Ancestral shrine Chinese Folk Temples' Association.