Asian Mythology
China
• Most myths
recorded during the
Han dynasty (206BCAD220)
• First emperor
burned all books not
about medicine,
prophecy, or farming
China –Three Sovereigns and Five
Emperors
• Chinese mythology tells us about the first
legendary rulers of Ancient China. These wise
men and demigods ruled long before the first
Chinese dynasty.
• The Three Sovereigns were powerful
demigods who lived to be very old and
brought peace and prosperity to the land
during their rule.
China –Three Sovereigns and Five
Emperors
• Fu Xi - Fu Xi was said to have invented fishing,
trapping, and writing. His sister was Nuwa. It was
Fu Xi and Nuwa who crafted the first humans out
of clay.
• Nuwa - Nuwa was the sister of Fu Xi. She helped
him to create humans and also repaired the wall
of heaven.
• Shennong - Shennong's name means "Divine
Farmer.” He brought the knowledge of agriculture
to the Chinese people. He invented the plow, axe,
hoe, irrigation, and the Chinese calendar.
China –Three Sovereigns and Five
Emperors
• Other names for the Three Sovereigns include
The Heavenly Sovereign, The Earthly Sovereign,
and the Human Sovereign.
• The Five Emperors were perfect kings who ruled
wisely and with honor. The most famous of the
Five Emperors was the Yellow Emperor. He ruled
for 100 years and brought about the start of the
Chinese civilization. In addition to the Yellow
Emperor were Zhuanzu, Emperor Ku, Emperor
Yao, and Shun.
Chinese Dragon
• The greatest creature in Chinese
mythology is the legendary dragon.
The dragon is a long snake-like
creature with four legs each with
long and dangerous claws. Some
dragons are drawn with small
wings, but they all have the
magical power to fly. Dragons were
thought to have power over water
and the weather. They can control
storms, tornadoes, the ocean, and
floods.
• The dragon was the symbol of the
emperor. His throne was even
called the Dragon Throne. It is said
that the Yellow Emperor turned
into a dragon and flew to heaven
when he died
Other Mythical Creatures
• The dragon, phoenix, tortoise, and kylin are
the four most revered animals of ancient
China. Of these only the tortoise is real, the
others being entirely fictitious; each was a
symbol of good fortune and this is why people
paid them so much respect.
The Phoenix
• The phoenix is splendid
and regarded as the king of
birds. Usually it paired with
the dragon and in wedding
celebrations it is a wish for
a harmonious marriage for
the new couple. Once the
dragon became a totem of
the emperor, the phoenix
was accorded a similar
significance to empresses.
The Tortoise
• The tortoise is one of
the animals that has
endured longest on
earth and as such is a
symbol of longevity and
wealth because it is
thought that the
tortoise evolved while
collecting the nimbus of
nature.
The Kylin
• The kylin has a
compound appearance
with dragon's head,
antlers, horse's hoofs,
an oxtail, wolf's
forehead and a colorful
scute. It is lively,
intelligent, and gentle,
but valorous to ward off
devils.
Legend of the New Year
• The legend of the Chinese New Year began in a
small village many thousands of years ago.
• Each winter a monster named Nian would enter
the village and attack the people. The villagers
were scared and didn't know what to do.
• Then one year a wise old man figured out a plan.
The next time Nian appeared the people used
fireworks and drums to make a lot of noise. These
noises scared off the monster and it fled into the
hills.
Legend of the New Year
• The people of the village celebrated the day
that they freed themselves from the monster.
Each year they would light fireworks and
celebrate their victory. This day became the
start of the Spring Festival and the Chinese
New Year.
Interesting Facts about Chinese
Mythology
• Only the emperor could wear clothes that had pictures of the
dragon.
• Nian was said to have the body of a bull and the head of a lion.
• Sometimes the Yellow Emperor was considered one of the Three
Sovereigns.
• The Three Sovereigns are also known as the Three August Ones.
• Some records show that the Three Sovereigns each ruled for over
10,000 years.
• It was the Yellow Emperor's wife, Leizu, who taught the Chinese
how to make silk from silkworms.
• Emperor Yao was said to have been morally perfect and served as
the example of how all future Chinese emperors should behave.
Japan
• Crossed the Korea
Strait during the Han
dynasty in China
– Ainu people where
on the island before
them
• Recorded their
myths in 8th century
AD
Japan
• Japanese mythology includes a vast number of
gods, goddesses, and spirits. Most of the
stories concern the creation of the world, the
foundation of the islands of Japan, and the
activities of deities, humans, animals, spirits,
and magical creatures. Some myths describe
characters and events associated with
particular places in Japan. Others are set in
legendary locations, such as the heavens or
the underworld.
Source of Japanese Myths
• For many centuries myths were transmitted orally in Japan. In A . D
. 712, a written version of the mythology, the Kojiki (Records of
Ancient Matters), was compiled for the Japanese imperial court.
The tales in the Kojiki tell of the creation of the world, the origin of
the gods, and the ancestry of the Japanese emperors, who claimed
descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu.
• Another early source of Japanese mythology is the Nihongi, or
Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan). Completed in 720, this work also
includes various myths and legends, and it helps establish the
genealogy of the imperial family The Nihongi was greatly influenced
by Hachiman, one of the most popular gods of Japanese mythology,
was the patron of warriors.
Japanese Deities
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Deity: Role
Amaterasu: goddess of the sun and
fertility who brings light to the world
Hachiman: god of warriors, known
for his military skill
Inari: god associated with rice and
merchants
Izanagi: creator god
Izanami: creator goddess
Kagutsuchi: god of fire
Susano-ô: violent god associated with
storms and the sea, Amaterasu's
brother
Tsuki-yomi: moon god, Amaterasu's
brother
India
• Majority of the
people are Hindu
– Accommodates other
views
– Believes that there is
more than one path
– Dharma: a pattern of
righteous behavior
– Everything moves in
a cycle
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF HINDUISM
• Hindu religion is more philosophy than doctrine.
There is no authoritative hierarchy of clergy; the
religion is highly decentralized with multiple
sects, perfectly acceptable to Hinduism (in
contrast to the regrettable divisions within
Christianity). The Hindu claim that there are
different paths for each person.
• A practical definition of Hinduism: performing the
duty (dharma) of one's stage in life and social
status (caste).
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF HINDUISM
• The essence of the Hindu vision of reality lies in the tension
between dharma (social duty or righteousness) and moksha
(release from the material world, final liberation from the endless
cycles of rebirth). Both these perspectives, the world-supporting
and the world-denying, are necessary to fulfill human destiny.
• Other important terms :
• karma = moral law of cause and effect (deeds of past lives
determine present)
• samsara = rebirth according to the nature of a person's karma; what
we are now is the sum of all we have done in the past.
Dharma and caste
• Dharma means fulfilling one's duty in one's station in life,
which is determined by birth not merit.
• Each person is born into a distinct caste, depending on the
karma from the past lives.
• There is no crossing over or intermingling from one caste to
another, as this would disrupt the social order.
• Brahmins are the highest caste because they have faithfully
executed their duty in a previous life; lower castes must
have served society poorly to be born into their caste, but if
they perform their duty in this life, they have hope of being
reborn to a higher caste. Thus dharma focuses on
maintaining social and cosmic stability.
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
• Deity: Role
• Brahma: creator god
• Devi: wife of Shiva, goddess who
takes many forms—both kind and
fierce
• Ganesha: god of good fortune
and wisdom
• Indra: god of storms and rain
• Shiva: avenging and destroying
god
• Varuna: originally a creator god
and ruler of the sky, later became
god of water
• Vishnu: preserver god and
protector of life
Pacific Islands
• Variety of cultures
• People are known for their
excellent navigation skills
• Some display a distinct
Western influence
• Includes islands from Midway
and Hawaii in the north to New
Zealand in the south
• Includes triangular area called
Polynesia also includes Tahiti,
Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotu, the
Cook Islands, and the Pitcairn
Islands.
Polynesian Islands
Polynesian Mythology
• Scholars believe that humans first migrated to Polynesia
from Southeast Asia about 2,000 years ago. These people
carried with them their mythological traditions about
events, deities, and heroes.
• As time passed and people moved to different island
groups, they adapted their mythology and religious beliefs
to suit their new environments.
• In the process, they added new characters and events to
the traditional myths and legends. T
• he basic elements of religion and myth remained relatively
unchanged throughout the island groups, and a fairly
distinct pantheon of gods and goddesses emerged.
Polynesian Mythology
•
Polynesian religion and mythology placed great emphasis on nature, particularly
the ocean environment. The Polynesians became masters of navigation and other
seafaring skills, and their religion and myths strongly reflected the importance of
nature and the sea. Polynesians believed that all things in nature, including
humans, contained a sacred and supernatural power called mana. Mana could be
good or evil, and individuals, animals, and objects contained varying amounts of
mana.
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Because mana was sacred, Polynesians invented complicated rules to protect it.
Ordinary people were not allowed, for example, to touch even the shadow of a
great chief. Nor could they step inside sacred groves or temples. The punishment
for breaking important rules, known as tapus (the source of the word taboo), was
often death. Illness and misfortune were believed to come from breaking minor
tapus.
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The Polynesians' religion included many gods, local deities as well as the great
gods of their pantheon. The people felt a close personal connection to their deities
and to various heroes, demigods, and tricksters of their mythology. The most
popular character was Maui, a hero-trickster well known throughout Polynesia.
Origin of Yams
• The yam, or sweet potato, is one
of the basic food crops of
Polynesia. A number of myths
explain the origin of this
important food.
• One Maori myth tells how the
god Rongo-maui went to heaven
to see his brother Wahnui, the
guardian of the yam. Rongo-maui
stole the yam, hid it in his
clothing, and returned to earth.
Soon after, he made his wife,
Pani, pregnant, and she later gave
birth to a yam, the first on earth.
Rongo-maui gave this food to
humans.
Polynesian Deities
Deity Role
Haumia: god of wild plants and vegetables
Kamapua’a: pig god
Kane: god of creation and growth
Ku: creator god
Lono: god of the heavens
Maui: trickster god and hero
Oro: war god
Papa, Po: supreme creator goddess, mother earth
Pele: fire goddess
Rangi, Ao: supreme creator god, father sky
Rongo: god of cultivated plants
Ta'aroa, Rua-i-tupra: supreme creator god
Tane: god of the forest
Tangaroa, Kanaloa, Tangaloa: god of the seas
Tawhiri: god of the wind and storms
Tu: god of war
Polynesian Deities
• By far the most popular figure in
Polynesian mythology was Maui, the
trickster god and hero. Though small
in stature, he displayed amazing
strength and had various magical
powers.
• The many tales about his adventures
reveal a cunning and determined
hero who performed many great and
wondrous deeds, including creating
the Pacific islands with a magical
hook and providing humans with
more hours of daylight by slowing
the sun's passage across the sky.
Maui also tried, but failed, to
become immortal.