Intro to Chinese Mythology

I hope everyone had a happy Lunar NewYear!  I certainly did - I've been playing a ton of Overwatch's holiday event, and I got to test out For Honor.  In keeping with the holiday, today we're going to begin a series on Chinese mythology. Without further ado, let's start the Intro!

Chinese mythology has a very large number of deities. These deities have a hierarchy, with one god – the Jade Emperor – at the top, and everyone else falling into various ranks of importance beneath him. Within this hierarchy there are also smaller divisions of gods. For instance, the gods of the storm – lightning, thunder, etc. – form their own cabinet of sorts, with varying ranks of importance.

Because China is so large, and there are so many dialect variations, the gods have been called by numerous names throughout time. There are a lot of spelling variations, but I'll do my best to go with the most commonly used name.

Within Chinese mythology there exists an elixir that grants immortality, made with peaches grown by a goddess. This elixir has allowed several beings who were not originally gods to attain immortality. Perhaps the best known of these beings is the Monkey King. Originally a regular monkey, he was able to steal some of the elixir and gain eternal life – much to the dismay of much of the pantheon! He went on to have many adventures; some of them helped the gods, while others must have caused the deity version of a facepalm.

 

(My favorite representation of the Monkey King is from the movie The Forbidden Kingdom. I grew up watching a lot of Jet Li's older, more serious action movies – so to see him smiling and laughing was really strange for me! The movie is a gorgeous portrayal of Chinese mythology; plus, Jackie Chan and Jet Li!!! I'd recommend giving it a watch if you haven't.)

 

Outside of the gods, two other sorts of inhuman beings are commonly found in Chinese mythology.

 

Shapeshifters make frequent appearances. There are foxes who can turn themselves into human form, much like the kitsune of Japanese mythology. Heavenly maidens (beautiful celestial young girls) turn themselves into cranes as easily as slipping on a robe (literally). Some of these beings are benevolent and aid mankind, while others seek their own benefits.

Spirits of one sort or another are also common. They can take many forms, and serve many functions.  They're similar to shapeshifters in that they can also assume human form, in addition to whatever their natural form might be.  Rivers and other bodies of water are associated with dragons in Chinese mythology, who are the spirits of that water.

 

(Haku from Spirited Away is a gorgeous animated example of this.)

 

Much like the shapeshifters, the spirits can be good, self-serving...or evil. There are many folktales about shrines or abandoned houses possessed by dark spirits who terrorize and haunt the surrounding area. Sometimes these spirits are manifestations of animals such as scorpions. I'll cover one such tale in a couple of weeks.

 

There are three themes which are exceptionally prevalent throughout Chinese mythology. They are as follows:

Tales of valor in battle.

Tales of duty to family.

Tales of devotion to the gods.

All three of these traits were considered important in ancient China (and, to some extent, in modern China as well). As such, many myths and folktales reinforced them.

Much like Japanese mythology, the Chinese myths eventually see a significant change – one that occurred when Buddhism entered the country and gained popularity. The Chinese pantheon of gods remains, but is frequently superseded in the stories by Buddha and his devotees. Pious monks become popular characters in stories after the introduction of Buddhism. Characters who follow the noble principles are placed on high pedestals, particularly those who are willing to sacrifice of themselves to help others.

I'm very much looking forward to diving into Chinese mythology with you guys! I hope you've enjoyed this introduction. See you next week with our first story!