中希神话人物对比及其影响.docx

中希神话人物对比及其影响.docx

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中希神话人物对比及其影响

1Introduction

1.1TheDefinitionofMythology

Theterm“mythology”canrefereithertothestudyofmyths（e.g.comparativemythology）,ortoabodyorcollectionofmyths（amythos,e.g.,Incamythology）.Infolkloristics,amythisasacrednarrativeusuallyexplaininghowtheworldorhumankindcametobeinitspresentform,although,inaverybroadsense,thewordcanrefertoanytraditionalstory.Mythstypicallyinvolvesupernaturalcharactersandareendorsedbyrulersorpriests.Theymayariseasoverelaboratedaccountsofhistoricalevents,asallegoryfororpersonificationofnaturalphenomena,orasanexplanationofritual.Theyaretransmittedtoconveyreligiousoridealizedexperience,toestablishbehavioralmodels,andtoteach.ThecriticalinterpretationofmythgoesbackasfarasthePresocratics.Euhemeruswasoneofthemostimportantpre-modernmythologists.Heinterpretedmythsasaccountsofactualhistoricalevents,distortedovermanyretellings.ThisviewofmythsandtheiroriginiscriticisedbyPlatointhePhaedrus（229d）,inwhichSocratessaysthatthisapproachistheprovinceofonewhois"vehementlycuriousandlaborious,andnotentirelyhappy..."ThePlatonistsgenerallyhadamoreprofoundandcomprehensiveviewofthesubject.Sallustius,forexample,dividesmythsintofivecategories–theological,physical（orconcerningnaturallaws）,animastic（orconcerningsoul）,materialandmixed.Thislastbeingthosemythswhichshowtheinteractionbetweentwoormoreofthepreviouscategoriesandwhich,hesays,areparticularlyusedininitiations.

MirceaEliadearguedthatoneoftheforemostfunctionsofmythistoestablishmodelsforbehaviorandthatmythsmayalsoprovideareligiousexperience.Bytellingorreenactingmyths,membersoftraditionalsocietiesdetachthemselvesfromthepresentandreturntothemythicalage,therebybringingthemselvesclosertothedivine.Itisworthtobestudied.Sowechoosethissubject.

1.2AgeneralintroductiontoChineseandGreekmythology

Amongthefourgreatcivilizationsinhumanhistory,itseemsthatonlytheChineseculturehasmanagedtobekeptasoneofthesignificantculturalentiretodate.Basedonitsextensive,profoundandtimehonouredculture,Chinahasexistedintheworldforaslongasfivethousandyears.

Chinesemythologyisacollectionofculturalhistory,folk-tales,andreligionsthathavebeenpasseddowninoralorwrittentradition.Itincludescreationmythsandlegends,suchasmythsconcerningthefoundingofChinesecultureandtheChinesestate.Asinmanycultures’mythologies,Chinesemythologyhasinthepastbeenbelievedtobe,atleastinpart,afactualrecordingofhistory.

HistorianshaveconjecturedthatChinesemythologybeganinthe12thcenturyBC.Legendswerepasseddowninoralformforoverathousandyears,beforebeingwrittendowninbookssuchasShanHaiJing.OthermythscontinuedtobepasseddownthroughoraltraditionsliketheaterandsongbeforebeingrecordedasnovelssuchasHei’anZhuan（EpicofDarkness）.

ImperialhistoricaldocumentsandphilosophicalcanonssuchasClassicofHistory,RecordsoftheGrandHistorian,ClassicofRites,andL¨¹shiChunqiu,Lü’sSpringandAutumnAnnalsallcontainChinesemyths.

AstoGreekmythology,itisthebodyofmythsandlegendsbelongingtoancientGreeks,concerningtheirgodsandheroes,thenatureoftheworld,andtheoriginsandsignificanceoftheirowncultandritualpractices.TheywereapartofreligioninancientGreeceandarepartofreligioninmodernGreeceandaroundtheworldasHellenismos.Modernscholarsreferto,andstudy,themythsinanattempttothrowlightonthereligiousandpoliticalinstitutionsofAncientGreece,itscivilization,andtogainunderstandingofthenatureofmyth-makingitself.

Greekmythologyisembodied,explicitly,inalargecollectionofnarratives,andimplicitlyinGreekrepresentationalarts,suchasvase-paintingsandvotivegifts.Greekmythattemptstoexplaintheoriginsoftheworld,anddetailsthelivesandadventuresofawidevarietyofgods,goddesses,heroes,heroines,andmythologicalcreatures.Theseaccountsinitiallyweredisseminatedinanoral-poetictradition;todaytheGreekmythsareknownprimarilyfromGreekliterature.

1.3AreviewofthestudiesonChineseandGreekmythology

AncientChineseandGreekmythologyshowbothsimilaritiesanddifferences.AncientChinesemythologyisscatteringanddisorder,humanemythsaremorethannaturalmyths,thegodsaresemi-humanbeingsandsemi-animalsandgodnessesheldtheimportantpositions.AncientChinesemythologyworshipscollectivism,sacrificespiritandmoralpower.AncientGreekmythologyisregulerandsystermatic,andrichinbothnaturalmythsandhumanemyths,godshavethesameappearanceandsexasman.Itismanwhodominatestheworldofmythswhichisusuallyunifiedinfamilystyle.Greekmythologyadvocatesindividualism,hedonismdestinyviews.

GreekmythologyandChinesemythologyarethetwopearlsintheworldculture,thiskindofstudycanmakeusknowmoreabouttheinfluenceofculture,scienceandtechnology,sothatwecanpromotecross-culturalcommunication.

1.4Ageneralintroductiontotheobjectiveofthisstudy,contentsandsignificance

Weareallinterestedinthissubject,becauseChinesemythologyandGreekmytharesoimportantinworldcultural.Sowechoosetostudythissubject.WemainlystudythecharacteristicofChinesemythologyandGreekmythology,themakeancomparisonbetweenChinesemythologyandGreekmythology.

OurpapermainlystudythecharactersofGreekmythologyandChinesemyth,analysethereasonsofthesedifferencesinordertounderstandmoreaboutthedifferentculturesandtheprofoudinfluenceoftheminmanyaspecets.

2ThecontrastamongthreekindsofChineseandGreekmythologicalfigures

AlthoughChineseculturediffersfromGreekcultureinsomanyaspects,theysharesomeofthecommonideasintheirmythology.Inthefollowingsections,thesimilaritiesanddistinctionsamongthemostrepresentativeChineseandGreekmythologicalfiguresaretobediscussedandanalyzedinadetailedway.

2.1TheTwoCreators—PanGuandChaos

Inancienttimes,peoplecannotwellexplainhowtheworldisformedwithoutthesupernaturalpower.Hencetheycameupwiththepersuasiveideaofthecreatoroftheworld—thealmightysaintwhobroughtaboutatmosphere,earth,lives,etc.Thisisthereasonthatsomanymythshavecompiledsuchanimportantroleintheirstories.Asisknowntoall,thereexisttwocreatorsinbothChineseandGreekmyths—PanGuandChaos.

2.1.1AnintroductiontoPanGu

PanGu,alsoknownasYuanshitianzun（themostlyrespectedgodinTaoism）isthefirstlivingbeinginChinesemythology.AsisrecordedinSuiShu·JingJiZhi,TaoismfirmlystickstotheexistenceofPan,theGodwhowasbornbeforeeverything,andheritagethespiritofnature.ThusheisbelievedtobethecreatorofallaccordingtoTaoism.Havingbeenwakedupfromacosmicegg,PanGuisusuallyportrayedasaprimitive,hairygiantwithhornsonhisheadandcladinfurs.HecreatedtheworldbyseparatingYin（earth）fromYang（sky）withhisaxe.Andhestoodbetweenearthandskytokeepthemfromcombiningtoeachotheragain.Hisworklastedfor1800years.Withinthoseyears,hisheightkeptgrowingandconsequentlythedistancebetweenskyandearthbecamelongerandlonger.Afterwards,hewaslaidtorest.Andhisorganschangedintovariouselementsoftheworld.

2.1.2AnIntroductiontoChaos

ChaosisbelievedtobethemostancientoriginalgodinGreekmythology.Chaosisalsodescribedasabottomlessabysswhichcreatedtheworld.MuchasintheBookofGenesis,chaoshasoftenbeeninterpretedasamoving,formlessmassfromwhichthecosmosandthegodsoriginated.Fromthedescriptionsabove,wemaygettheideathatChaosmaynotbeaman-shapedcreature,butamasswithoutanyshape.ItwasChaoswhogavebirthtothefirstgenerationofGreekgodssuchasGaia（godofground）,Tartarus（godofhell）,Eros（godofsex）,Nox（godofnights）,Erebus（godofdarkness）bythewayofasexualreproduction.

2.1.3Thedifferencesbetweenthetwocreators

Beingboththecreatorsoftheworld,PanGuandChaosdiffernotonlyinthewaytheycreatedtheworld,butalsoinhowtheyseparatedtheworld.PanGucreatedtheworldbysacrificinghimself,whileChaoscreatedtheworldbyhisasexualreproduction;PanGuseparatedtheworldintoskyandearth,whileChaosseparatedtheworldintoheavenandearth.PanGuchangedtheworldbyturninghisbreathintowind,turninghisvoiceintothunder,andturninghisorgansintodifferentelementsoftheworld;Chaoschangedtheworldbygivingrightstohisfollowinggodgenerations.Eachgodtakeschargeofacertainpartoftheworldandtheworldchangesundertheirreign.

2.2TheTwoleaders—JadeEmperorandZeus

Everygroupneedsaleader,sodogods.InbothChineseandGreekmythology,thereexistsuchpositionsforleaders.Peopleindifferentregionsworshiptheirownleaderofgods.Itseemsthattheleadershavethesupremepoweroverothersandenjoycertainprivileges.Andbytheirpower,theycankeeptheircirclesingoodorderandmakethemselvesauthorized.TheJadeEmperor,theleaderofChinesegods,andZeus,theleaderofGreekgods,aretwoofthemosttypicalgovernorsinlegend.

2.2.1AnintroductiontoJadeEmperor

TheJadeEmperorinChinesefolkcultureistherulerofHeavenandallrealmsofexistencebelowincludingthatofManandHell,accordingtoaversionofTaoistmythology.AndinAResearchonFourNamesofJadeEmperor（YuDiShengHaoTongYiKao）,JadeEmperoristhemostrespectable