Definition
• • Mythology is sedimentary deposits(积淀） of primitive society ideology, which is also a heritage of national culture. Mythology, which is cultural accumulation (文化积累)of a nation over a long period of time, reflects early people’s imagination and interpretation of the natural and social phenomenon that cannot be demonstrated in those days. Mythology represents some eternal truth (永恒真理)which belongs to the moral or aesthetic category. This kind of representation has intercultural impacts. Religion and literature have the similar social functions, that is, to spread the eternal truth by telling stories. By studying mythology, we will be able to know how the primordial people lived and how they viewed themselves and the world and also the great impact that mythology has had on literature and arts.
Difference
• As a country with an ancient civilization, the primitive religion and early mythology in china came into being about in the middle of matriarchal society(母系社会）, private ownership system had not come into being in that time. Under this condition, the gods in primitive religion and mythology appeared as servicer, and were guardians of the whole society, who is acted as leaders in their society. So the primogenitor Gods of China was females. But in western society, matriarchal society had been subsided by patrilineal society（父系社会）; female Gods no longer occupied the core place. Besides, characteristics of Ancient Greek religion has a profound impact on the Greek culture．Ancient Greece is the land of Pantheism．The diversity of beliefs promoted the free development of culture．The sensationalism of Ancient Greek religion formed dynamic national spirit which promoted cultural development．God and the people have the same appearance and temperament. This feature not only makes ancient Greek religion become all important source of Greek culture but also make Greek culture reflect a clear human consciousness
Chinese Mythology
Da Yu Chinese mythology
Chi You
Jing Wei
Emperor Huang
segmenta l
Fu Xi
Niu Lang and Zhi Nv
Archetypes of Gods
• Myth-archetypal criticism originates from Frazer’s anthropological discoveries, Carl Jung’s analytical psychology and Northrop Frye’s literary theories illustrating how human social, cultural and psychological experiences collected over thousands of years are reflected in primordial mythology, religious rituals and archetypes. It also studies how literature today is related with primordial mythology， ， primordial rituals and archetypes． ． • From the theories of myth-archetypal criticism and literary anthropology，we can easily find that even ， though different peoples have the same conflicts, heroes and themes in their mythologies，the various ， historical，cultural and social backgrounds and ， unique thinking patterns of these mythologies exhibit different world views and values.
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Religious Ideology Root
• In Chinese traditional creation mythology(创世神话), the naissance （人类诞生） is owing to Nv Wa (the Goddess of Sky-patching). As is recorded in Shuo Wen（说文）: “Nv Wa，the goddess in ancient time, who created human beings.” After Pan Gu creating the sky and earth, although there were mountains and lakes, flowers and birds, there was no trace of human beings, Nv Wa kneaded human beings by yellow clay(用黄泥捏造人类) from a model of herself in the water, endowed them with lives, and taught them weaving, plough and other knowledge of existence. As a female god, Nv Wa loved this world; however, she loved her children more deeply. So, when the sky was going to collapse and human beings were facing extinction, she smelt multicolored stones to repair the sky（炼五彩石补天）, and emancipated people from the catastrophe. In Chinese people’s mind, Nv Wa is kindly and amiable, she is the Goddess that having created and guarding human beings, and boasts the excellent quality of great females.
Nv wa
Prometheus
• In Greece, people treat Prometheus as the primogenitor(始 祖)of human beings. It is said that he created human beings by imitating the image of God. As a male God, he also loved his children, who even steal fire from the heaven and taught technologies to people. Because of these, he peeved（惹怒） Zeus and was locked on Caucasia Mountain, suffered from the pain of pecking by eagle. Iபைடு நூலகம் Greek people’s mind, Prometheus benefits human beings and dares to resist power, who boasts the excellent quality of great males.