The people of China have a rich and complicated mythology that dates back nearly four thousand years. Throughout Chinese history, myth and reality have been intertwined. Historical figures have been worshipped as Gods, and ancient myths are sometimes treated as historical truths. In addition, three great religious traditions—Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism—have played a role in shaping the mythology. The result is a rich tapestry of characters and tales, both real and imagined, and a unique pantheon (collection of recognized gods and goddesses) organized very much like ancient Chinese society.
China can trace its historical roots in an unbroken line for more than four thousand years, and its mythological roots extend even farther back in time. From about 2000 to 1500 bce, a people known as the Xia dominated the northern regions of China. The Xia worshipped the snake, a creature that appears in some of the oldest Chinese myths. Eventually, the snake changed into the dragon, which became one of the most enduring symbols of Chinese culture and mythology.
New Religious Ideas From about 1500 to 1066 bce, China was ruled by the Shang dynasty. The people at this time worshipped many deities, including natural forces and elements, such as rain, clouds, rivers, mountains, the sun, the moon, and the earth. Their greatest deity, Shang Di, remains an important god in the Chinese pantheon.
When a new dynasty, the Zhou, came to power in China in 1066 BCE, significant changes took place in religion. People still worshipped the old gods, but ancestor worship became increasingly important. Confucianism and Taoism appeared near the end of the Zhou dynasty. These two religious traditions had an enormous influence on the development of the most basic and lasting principles of Chinese culture.
Changing Old Beliefs In 213 bce, many of the original sources of Chinese mythology were lost when Emperor Shi Huangdi of the Qin dynasty ordered the burning of all books on subjects other than medicine, prophecy (predictions of the future), and farming. This order was reversed in 191 bce, and much of the literature was reconstructed. But works were rewritten to support ideas popular with the royal court at the time. These changes affected religious beliefs, producing a pantheon of deities that mirrored the political organization of the Chinese empire. Gods and spirits had different ranks and areas of responsibility, just like Chinese officials.
Shortly before 100 ce, Buddhism arrived in China from India and added another important influence to Chinese culture and mythology. Buddhist ideas gradually came to be merged with Taoism and
Confucianism in the minds of many Chinese. The three traditions often were seen as different aspects of the same religion and as having basically the same goals. Buddhists and Taoists honored each other’s deities in their temples, and both incorporated principles of Confucianism, such as ancestor worship, in their beliefs.
World History
