Handbook of Chinese Mythology

(Hardback)

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An informative work of historical and contemporary Chinese myths, including a useful collection of historical documents, detailing myths as they live and change in China today. 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 revelatory 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 ethnic 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 appurtenances (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.

Reviews

"Information about Chinese mythology has been limited by language and access to primary sources. This volume attempts to fill a gap by providing a resource written in English by Chinese mythologists... The authors' credibility and in-depth scholarship offer a rare opportunity to experience Chinese mythology through Chinese eyes." - Booklist "ABC-CLIO's wonderful handbooks on world mythology offer in-depth explorations linking traditional cultural myths to insights on behavior and ideals... Handbook of Chinese Mythology is an essential reference for any high school to college-level collection with a Chinese studies program." - Midwest Book Review "Overall, The Handbook of Chinese Mythology is an important and interesting work that will appeal to popular audiences... [I]t is a significant contribution to the study of mythology, folklore, and East Asia." - Journal of Folklore Research

Author Bio

Lihui Yang, PhD, is associate professor of folklore and mythology at the College of Chinese Language and Culture at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. Deming An, PhD, is associate professor of folklore at the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China. Jessica Anderson Turner is a PhD candidate in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.