China’s Creation and Origin Myths

Mineke Schipper, Ph.D. (1973) in Comparative Literature, Free University Amsterdam, is Professor of Intercultural Literary Studies at Leiden University in The Netherlands. She is the author of numerous books including Never Marry a Woman with Big Feet (translated worldwide), and three novels.Ye Shuxian, Ph.D. (2003) in Comparative Literature, Sichuan University, is Professor at the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His main publications include: Philosophy of Chinese Mythology (1997), The Goddess of Gaotang and Venus: The Theme of Love and Beauty in Chinese and Western Culture (1997).Yin Hubin Ph.D. in Folklore at Beijing Normal University, is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His current specialization is oral tradition and Chinese folk religion and his main publications include: Gudai Jingdian yu Koutou Chuantong (2002), Gushi de Geshou(2004), and Shishi yu Yingxiong(co-editor 2004).

"This is a book of ambitious breadth of scope, and clearly reflects the energy and enthusiasm of a discipline only now really re-establishing itself in the Chinese context...the book is attractively presented and is a significant addition to the Brill 'Religion in Chinese Societies' series."Peter Harris, New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 15.1 (June 2013)

• I Comparative PerspectivesMineke Schipper: Humanity’s Beginnings in Creation and Origin Myths from Around the WorldYang Lihui and An Deming: The World of Chinese Mythology: An IntroductionYe Shuxian: From Frog to Nüwa and Back Again: the Religious Roots of Creation MythsNamjila: Water-of-Immortality Myths in Altaic and Japanese CulturesJaeseo Jung: Myths of Giant Corpse TransformationII Rediscovering the Beginning in Texts Kao Lifeng: Sacred Order: Cosmogonic Myth in the Chu Silk ManuscriptKristofer Schipper: The Wholeness of Chaos: Laozi on the BeginningChen Lianshan: Gun and Yu: Revisiting the Chinese “Earth-Diver” HypothesisWu Xiaodong: Pangu and the Origin of the UniverseIII Oral Tradition and Ethnic DiversityWu Bing'an: Chinese Creation Myths: a Great DiscoveryWang Xianzhao: Minority Creation Myths: An Approach to ClassificationLiu Yahu: Humanism as a Paradigm for Creation MythsYang Lihui: Performing Myths Today: A Field Study of the Renzu Temple FestivalMark Bender: Perspectives on the Environment in Miao and Yi Creation NarrativesIV Anthology of Creation and Origin Myths