myths and legends of china（LegendsandMythsfromtheLandoftheRedDragon）
LegendsandMythsfromtheLandoftheRedDragon
China,alandshroudedinmysteryanditsrichhistorydatingbacktothousandsofyears.Thisancientcountryisnotonlyknownforitsgreatwall,deliciousfood,andmagnificentlandmarksbutalsohasavasttreasuretroveoflegendsandmyths.HerearesomecaptivatingmythsandlegendsfromtheMiddleKingdomthatcontinuetomesmerizepeopleacrosstheworld.
TheLegendaryDragon
Thedragonisthemostwell-knownandreveredcreatureinChinesemythology.Consideredasasymbolofpowerandgoodfortune,itisbelievedthatthedragonwascreatedtoembellishtheskyduringancientChinesedynasties.Accordingtolegend,agreatfloodoccurredinChinacausedbyconstantdownpours.Thedragonshelpedbytakingwaterfromtheseasandrivers,carryingittotheskywheretheywouldpouritbacktoEarth,thuspreventingacatastrophe.Fromthenon,Chinesedragonswereworshipped,andevenrulersofChinaidentifiedthemselvesassuch.TheChineseconsidertheDragonstobetherulersofwatersandstillbelievethattheyhavecontroloverthem.
TheSacrificialMaiden
ThismythtellsthestoryofNüWa,alegendarywarriorwhosavedthecreationofmankind.Accordingtomyth,shefoughtagiantturtleandcraftedthelegsoftheturtle,astherockyterrainofChinawaschallengingtonavigate.Shewentontofilltheskywithstars,andshecreatedmankind,whichsheloveddeeply.Aftermanyyears,twoofhercreationsfellinlovewitheachother,andNüWawaspleased.Shewassosentimentaltowardsthehumanracethatwheneversomeonedied,shewouldcreateaneffigyofamaidentomournthem.Hercreationsthenbeganmakingsacrificesinhonorofher,andthepracticehascontinuedinsomeformtothisdayinChina.
TheRomanticMythoftheCowherdandtheWeaverMaiden
Agreatmythologicallovestorythatdatesbackmorethan2,600yearstellsofthelovebetweenacowherdnamedNiulangandaweavermaidennamedZhinu.Theirlovewasforbidden,asZhinuisafairytalebeingknownasthedaughteroftheCelestialemperor,andNiulangisjustahumancowherd.However,thecouplewassodevotedtoeachotherthattheEmperorallowedthetwotomeetonceayearontheseventhdayoftheseventhmonth.Onthisday,birdswouldformabridgeforthecoupletomeeton.ThestoryissofamousthatinChina,theseventhdayoftheseventhmonthiscalledQiqiaoFestivalandisknownasadayoflove.
Thesemythsandlegends,somewellknown,somenotso,arebutafractionoftheabundanceofmythologycomingfromthisfascinatingandenigmaticlandofancientChina.
版权声明：本文版权归原作者所有，转载文章仅为传播更多信息之目的，如作者信息标记有误，请第一时间联系我们修改或删除，多谢。