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1、A Comparative Study of Chinese and Western mythologyA Thesis Presented for the Requirements of the Course of Western CultureWang Huan王欢辅修2班学号：04504159AbstractThis paper presents a comparative study of Chinese and western mythology. Based on the comparisons between Chinese myth and western myth, this
2、 thesis presented the same points and different points. The same points mainly include the sense of fear to the nature and reflecting the peoples courage, wisdom and strength. The different points mainly include the differences of times of backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, myth characters and diffe
3、rent concepts of values and so on.These will enable us to further the understanding of the myths influence is enormous and far-reaching. So it is not difficult to understand why the cultural experts and writers always take Chinese mythology and Greek mythology as the representatives of East-West cul
4、tural. Myth is the most concentrated and the most characteristic flashing in the longest ancient culture. And it is the most tenacious life root. Through the understanding and analysis of the myths which not only enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese and Western cultures, but also hav
5、e the important significance of future development of the world.Myth is the original view of philosophy and world, which is the fantasy of the natural and social exploration, understanding and the crystallization about all ethnic groups. Myth is a kind of process which is the imagination and the hel
6、p of imagination to conquer the natural forces, the dominant natural forces and the natural forces to visualize. Myth arose from the original clan society, which is the important source of each nations history and culture. Since the natural location, national enlightenment and the development of dif
7、ferent ethnic groups are different, under the impact of different nationalities, the national character and values will be different. Therefore, the myth has a different regionalism and the different nation has its own understanding of the meaning of myth. Although the time of the national myths for
8、mation is sooner or later, it reflected the world outlook and primitive living conditions of the clan society in the childhood of human society. Myth is also beard the mark of the times. 1. The same point of Chinese mythology and Greek mythology mainly reflected in two aspects.First of all, Chinese
9、myth and Greece myth have shown the sense of fear of the early humans to the natural, particularly in the story of flood. In Chinese myth and Greece myth, floods were regarded as the sin of Gods punishment for human. In the period of self-control in humans was not yet developed, the floods can play
10、a deterrent effect to human behavior. Despite the early human feared about nature, but they have a strong desire to conquer nature. Secondly, Chinese myth and Greece myth both reflected the peoples courage, wisdom and strength.2. There are many differences between the Chinese mythology and Greek myt
11、hology.2.1 The times of backgrounds are different.Chinese mythology was generated from the matriarchal clan community, and it was greatly influenced by the impact of the totem worship. At that time, beast was considered sacred animals by respect and worship of gods by the Chinese people. So the wors
12、hip and the beast were unified together. And the period of Greek mythology is in Homers age or heroic era, from the totem times is very far away. People were showing the more wisdom. And the beast of worship tended to disappear gradually. Therefore, the majority of Greek mythology is appeared by the
13、 shape and character of peoples feelings.2.2 Cultural backgrounds are different.Ancient Chinese people in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basin formed a relatively closed, stability and a single cultural tradition. Therefore, they developed the practical idea. They hope to have a supernatural pow
14、er which would help them solve the disaster which cannot be overcome by the power of human nature. So in their views, the God should always do the practical work. So, at the beginning of Chinese myth, which have the rational and moral elements. In a short, under the heavy atmosphere of Chinese mytho
15、logy, the Chinese nation was showing its strong national spirit and character with a sense of fortitude and bravery. But Greece is a kind of marine civilizations and cultures was open and pluralistic. Because of the long life at sea, they formed the personality of yearning for freedom of, which virt
16、ually marginalized the room of ethics in its national spirit. Thus the Greek myth reflected the kind of advocating freedom of the westerners optimistic character.2.3 Myth characters are differentThe images of gods in the ancient Chinese mythology, which were more shaped to be half beast and half hum
17、an. People were deified and didnt have human nature. But in Greek mythology, the god was shaped in accordance with the ancient Greeks. They put gods as heroes, the most beautiful, the most robust and the brightest people. All these reasons made the Chinese nation formed a kind of spirit of loyalty,
18、obedience and worship. Greek gods, especially the major God, have considerable experienced the process of human beings. Ancient Greek people elevated the gods. And because of the description of gods through the full recognition and praise of humanity, which strengthened and enlarged human dignity an
19、d beauty, freedom and peace, and so on in the cultural dimensions of Western culture. Therefore, in the history and in the contemporary western world, people all concern human nature concerns and defend the freedom.2.4 The characteristics of Myth characters are different.Chinese gods were often sole
20、mn, great, perfect, full of creativity and supreme. They are rational, kind and reasonable and take the conscience, reason and responsibility as the law. But in Greek mythology, the Greek gods according to their wishes to create a human, what kind of God there will be what kind of people. Greek and
21、Roman gods were the same with people in the images and characteristics. They have the same feelings with the people. So the Greek myth has a kind of special atmosphere of life, and it was more cordial and moving.2.5 Reflecting the different concepts of values In ancient Chinese mythology, the myth e
22、mphasized the willing of sacrifice, which showed that the labor could change everything. From which we could see that the certainty to labor, sacrifice and dedication constituted the values of the Chinese myth. But in Greek mythology, the myth emphasized the adventure, conquest and occupancy. In the
23、 concept of values, Chinese myth paid more attention to the responsibilities, the mission of human beings. The Greek mythology paid more attention to the adventure and possession, which had a special liking for self-satisfaction.3. The impact of mythChinese mythology paid attention to the feelings o
24、f relations between the human beings and the world, so the ethical Culture was formed with the center of ethics. But Greek mythology was focus on the people and the world utilitarian, which formed a rational understanding of the science and culture. This is the difference which impacted by the old E
25、ast-West cultural myths and they were long-standing in the history.To sum up, the myth is the most concentrated and the most characteristic flashing in the longest ancient culture. And it is the most tenacious life root. It is the essential characteristic of the national culture. Therefore, the myth
26、 is the key lifeline to understand and analyze the national character of a nation and the true nature of this culture. Through the comparison of Chinese and Greek mythology, we could find out the roots resulting in the fundamental similarities and differences between Chinese and western culture and
27、literature. In the globalization increased rapidly today, such comparison is not only to analysis the similarities and differences existing in the Chinese and western cultures and literature, and also construct a theoretical strategy to generate the contemporary conception of value. References:1马敏. 从对神的塑造看中国神话与希腊神话比较J. 理论学习. 2008, (01).2潘世东. 多维视野下的中国希腊神话之比较J. 陕西师范大学学报. 2001, (02).3周聪贤. 论希腊神话与中国神话的文化异同J. 郑州航空工业管理学院学报. 2005, (02).4刘新慧. 神性与人性读希腊神话与中国神话有感J. 兰州大学学报. 2000, (01).5王小芳. 希腊神话在欧洲文化中的地位和作用J. 西安航空技术高等专科学校学报. 2000, (04).6吴华群,张西虎. 中国神话与希腊神话的比较研究J. 社会科学家. 2006, (06)
