Myths and Legends of China eBook

Table of Contents
Section	Page

Start of eBook	1
Chapter	1
CHAPTER I	1
Racial Origin	1
Southern Origin Improbable	2
Expansion of Races from North to South	2
Arrival of the Chinese in China	2
The K’un-lun Mountains	3
Provisional Conclusion	3
Inorganic Environment	4
Organic Environment	5
Sociological Environment	5
Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Characters	6
Marriage in Early Times	7
Marriage in Monarchical and Republican Periods	7
Parents and Children	8
Political History	9
General Government	10
Laws	11
Local Government	13
Military System	13
Ecclesiastical Institutions	14
Professional Institutions	15
Accessory Institutions	15
Bodily Mutilations	16
Funeral Rites	17
Laws of Intercourse	18
Habits and Customs	19
Sports and Games	21
Domestic Life	21
Industrial Institutions	22
Arts	23
Agriculture and Rearing of Livestock	23
Sentiments and Moral Ideas	23
Religious Ideas	24
Superstitions	25
Knowledge	26
Language	27
Achievements of the Chinese	27
CHAPTER II	29
Mythology and Intellectual Progress	29
The Chinese Intellect	29
The Influence of Religion	30
History and Myth	30
Chinese Rigidity	31
The Prerequisites to Myth	31
Stimulus Necessary	32
Persistent Soul-expression	33
The Character of Chinese Myth	33
Periods Fertile in Myth	34
Sources of Chinese Myth	35
Phases of Chinese Myth	35
Tso-ch’iu Ming and Lieh Tzu	36
The T’ang and Sung Epochs	36
Myth and Doubt	37
Myth and Legend	37
CHAPTER III	38
The Fashioner of the Universe	38
The Sun and the Moon	38
P’an Ku and Ymer	39
P’an Ku a Late Creation	39
Nue Kua Shih, the Repairer of the Heavens	40
Early Cosmogony Dualistic	41
The Canon of Changes	42
The Five Elements	42
Monism	42
Chu Hsi’s Monistic Philosophy	44
Confucius’s Agnosticism	45
Mo Tzu and Creation	45
Mencius and the First Cause	45
Lieh Tzu’s Absolute	45
Chuang Tzu’s Super-tao	46
Popular Cosmogony still Personal or Dualistic	46
CHAPTER IV	47
The Birth of the Soul	47
The Populous Otherworld	47
Worship of Shang Ti	47
Worship of T’ien	48
Confusion of Shang Ti and T’ien	49
The Otherworld Similar to this World	50
The Three Religions	51
The Super-triad	52
Worship of the Living	52
Confucianism	52
Confucius not a God	53
The God of Literature	54
Wen Ch’ang and the Great Bear	54
Wen Ch’ang and Tzu T’ung	56
Heaven-deaf and Earth-dumb	56
Image of K’uei Hsing	57
Mr Redcoat	57
Mr Redcoat nods his Head	58
Mr Golden Cuirass	58
The God of War	59
The Meat-seller’s Challenge	59
The Oath in the Peach-orchard	60
Buddhism in China	62
Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood	62
Diamond Kings of Heaven	63
Legend of the Diamond Kings	64
Hua-hu Tiao devours Yang Chien	64
The Three Pure Ones	65
The Three Causes	66
Yuean-shih T’ien-tsun	67
An Avatar of P’an Ku	67
Yue Huang	69
The Cask of Pearls	69
The Legend of Yue Huang	69
T’ung-t’ien Chiao-chu	70
Immortals, Heroes, Saints	71
The God of the Immortals	72
Hsi Wang Mu	72
The Feast of Peaches	72
The First Taoist Pope	73
The Founder of Modern Taoism	74
The Peach-gathering	74
Chang Tao-ling’s Great Power	75
Kings of Heaven	75
T’ai I	76
Goddess of the North Star	76
Snorter and Blower	77
Blue Dragon and White Tiger	78
Apotheosized Philosophers	79
Fanning the Grave	79
Husband and Wife	79
Canonized Generalissimos	80
The Three Musical Brothers	80
The Dragon-boat Festival	81
Chiang Tzu-ya	81
The Battle of Mu Yeh	81
A Legend of Chiang Tzu-ya	81
No-cha defeats Chang Kuei-fang	82
Tzu-ya goes to K’un-lun	82
He receives the List of Immortals	82
The Soaring Head	83
The Ancient Immortal saves the Situation	83
Ch’iung Hsiao’s Magic Scissors	84
Chiang Tzu-ya defeats Wen Chung	84
The Red Sand Battle	85
Further Fighting	85
Thousand-li Eye and Favourable-wind Ear	86
How the Brothers were Defeated	87
Celestial Ministries	88
Protectors of the People	88
The Ch’eng-huang	88
The Kitchen-god	89
Ts’an Nue	90
The God of Happiness	91
The God of Wealth	91
The God of Longevity	92
The Door-gods	92
Chinese Polytheism	93
CHAPTER V	94
Astrological Superstitions	94
Various Star-gods	94
Shooting the Heavenly Dog	95
The Sun-king	95
The Steep Summit	96
The Divine Archer	96
Vanquishes the Wind-spirit	97
Dispels the Nine False Suns	97
Marries the Sister of the Water-spirit	97
Slays Various Dangerous Creatures	98
Builds a Palace for Chin Mu	98
Kills Chisel-tooth	98
Heng O flies to the Moon	99
The Sun-palace and the Bird of Dawn	99
Shen I visits the Moon	100
Star-worship	101
The Herdsman and the Weaver-girl	101
The Twenty-eight Constellations	102
A Victim of Ta Chi	103
Myths of Time	104
The Planet Jupiter	104
Legend of T’ai Sui	105
Worship of T’ai Sui	105
CHAPTER VI	106
The Ministry of Thunder and Storms	106
The President of the Ministry of Thunder	106
The Duke of Thunder	107
Lei Kung in the Tree	107
The Mysterious Bottle	108
Lei Chen-tzu	108
The Mother of Lightning	109
The Origin of the Spirit of Lightning	109
The God of the Wind	109
The Master of Rain	110
The One-legged Bird	111
Ma Yuean-shuai	111
CHAPTER VII	111
The Dragons	111
The Dragon-kings	112
The Foolish Dragon	113
The Ministry of Waters	114
An Unauthorized Portrait	114
The Shipwrecked Servant	115
A Battle and its Results	116
The Dragon in the Pond	116
The Spirits of the Well	116
The Dragon-king’s Daughter	117
Golden Dragon Great Prince	117
The Old Mother of the Waters	118
The Magic Vermicelli	119
Hsue, the Dragon-slayer	120
The Spiritual Alligator	120
The Great Flood	121
The Marriage of the River-god	121
Legend of the Building of Peking	122
Chu-ti	122
The Sealed Packet	123
A Desolate Region	123
The Prince opens the Sealed Packet	123
The City is Founded	124
General Prosperity	125
A Drought and its Cause	125
The Prince’s Dream	125
The Pursuit of the Dragons	126
An Unexpected Flood	126
The Waters Subside	126
The Origin of Chen-shui T’a	126
CHAPTER VIII	127
The Ministry of Fire	127
A Conflagration	127
C’ih Ching-tzu	127
The Red Emperor	128
Hui Lu	128
The Fire-emperor	129
CHAPTER IX	129
The Ministry of Epidemics	129
The President of the Ministry	129
The Plague-disseminating Umbrellas	130
The Five Graduates	130
The Emperors Strategy	131
The Musicians are Slain	131
The Emperor Tormented	132
The Graduates Canonized	132
The Ministry of Medicine	133
The Medicine-gods	133
The Ministry of Exorcism	133
CHAPTER X	135
The Guardian Angel of Buddhism	135
The Buddhist Saviour	136
Miao Chuang desires an Heir	136
Prayers to the Gods	137
The Murder of the Tais	137
A Message for Yue Huang	138
Birth of the Three Daughters	138
Miao Shan’s Ambition	138
Her Sisters Marry	139
Miao Shan’s Renunciation	139
She is Exiled to the Garden	140
The Nunnery of the White Bird	140
Her Reception at the Nunnery	141
She makes Offering to the Buddha	141
Spiritual Aid	141
The Nunnery on Fire	142
The Execution of Miao Shan	143
Miao Shan visits the Infernal Regions	144
Hell a Paradise	145
A Test of Virtue	145
Miao Shan attains to Perfection	146
A Ruse	147
The Transformation of Shan Ts’ai	147
The King’s Punishment	148
The Disguised Priest-doctor	148
Strange Medicine	149
A Conspiracy that Failed	150
A Confession and its Results	151
The Gruesome Remedy	151
Half-measures	152
The King Cured	152
The King’s Daughter	153
The King and Queen taken Prisoners	153
The King’s Repentance	153
Sackcloth and Ashes	154
The King renounces the Throne	154
Pardon of the Green Lion and the White Elephant	154
Miao Shan becomes a Buddha	154
CHAPTER XI	155
Pa Hsien	155
Li T’ieh-kuai	155
Chung-li Ch’uean	157
Lan Ts’ai-ho	158
Chang Kuo	158
Ho Hsien Ku	159
Lue Tung-pin	160
Han Hsiang Tzu	161
Ts’ao Kuo-chiu	162
Pa Hsien Kuo Hai	164
CHAPTER XII	164
Li, the Pagoda-bearer	164
An Avatar of the Intelligent Pearl	165
A Precocious Youth	165
The Slaying of the Dragon-king’s Son	166
An Unruly Son	167
Drastic Measures	167
No-cha draws a Bow at a Venture	168
Another Encounter	168
No-cha commits Hara-Kiri	169
A Habitation for the Soul	169
Li Ching destroys his Son’s Statue	170
No-cha consults his Master	170
A New No-cha	170
A Battle between Father and Son	171
Peace at the Last	171
CHAPTER XIII	172
Multifarious Versatile Divinities	172
Chun T’i	172
The One-eyed Peacock	173
Arrangements for the Siege	173
Impediments	173
Offence and Defence	173
Attempts at Revenge	174
The Golden-bearded Turtle	174
The Battle Won	174
Buddhahood	174
CHAPTER XIV	175
The Hsi Yu Chi	175
Legend of Sun Hou-tzu	175
A Rod of Iron	176
Grand Master of the Heavenly Stables	177
Grand Superintendent of the Heavenly Peach-garden	177
Double Immortality	177
Sun Hou-tzu Captured	178
Sun escapes from Lao Chuen’s Furnace	178
Broad-jump Competition	179
Conditions of Release	179
Sha Ho-shang	180
Sha Ho-shang becomes Baggage-coolie	180
Chu Pa-chieh	180
Hsuean Chuang, the Master	181
The Released Carp	181
The Chuang Yuean Murdered	181
Hsuean Chuang finds his Grandmother	182
The Murderer Executed	183
The Carp’s Gratitude	183
Pai Ma, the White Horse	183
Perils by the Way	184
The Grove of Cypress-trees	184
A Proposal of Marriage	184
Blind Man’s Buff	185
The Lotus Cave	186
The Monkey under the Mountain	187
The Magic Gourd	187
The Magic Rope	188
The Master Rescued	188
The Red Child Demon	189
A Prospective Feast	189
The Generals Tricked	189
The Demons of Blackwater River	190
The Slow-carts Country	190
Restraints on Freedom	191
Immortal for Suffering	191
The Saviour of the Buddhists	191
Anger of the Buddhist Priests	192
Sun bestows Talismans	192
The Magic Circle	193
Help from Ju Lai	194
The Fire-quenching Fan	194
The Power of the Magic Fan	195
Defeat of the Ox-demon	196
The Lovely Women	196
An Awkward Predicament	196
How the Master was Rescued	196
The Spiders and the Extinguisher	197
Shaving a Whole City	197
The Return to China	198
The Travellers Honoured	199
CHAPTER XV	200
The Fox	200
Fox Legends	200
Friendship with Foxes	200
The Marriage Lottery	201
The Magnanimous Girl	203
The Boon-companion	205
CHAPTER XVI	208
The Unnatural People	208
The Pygmies	208
The Giants	209
The Headless People	209
The Armless People	210
The Long-armed and Long-legged People	210
The One-eyed People and Others	210
The People of the Punctured Bodies	211
The Women’s Kingdom	211
The Land of the Flying Cart	211
The Expectant Wife	211
The Wild Men	212
The Jointed Snake	213
The Casting of the Great Bell	213
The Cursed Temple	216
The Maniac’s Mite	217
The City-god of Yen Ch’eng	218
The Origin of a Lake	219
Miao Creation Legends	220
The Dream of the South Branch	221
Ch’un-yue Fen enters the Locust-tree	223
He marries the King’s Daughter	223
He writes to his Father	225
He takes Office	225
He meets with Disasters	226
He returns Home	226
Ch’un-yue Regenerate	228
Why the Jung Tribe have Heads of Dogs	228
Two Tribes at War	228
The Chief’s Promise	228
A Strange Contract	229
The Chiefs Curiosity	229
The Origin of a Custom	229
And of a Worship	229
Conclusion	230
The Pronunciation of Chinese Words	230
Sound	231
Tone	232
Rhythm	233
NOTES	233