All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

THE FOUNDER OF CHINA

Fu Xi was married to the goddess Nü Wa. He was said to have come

to Earth in prehistoric times to become the first emperor of China.

Some believed that he had four faces, each overseeing one of the four

points of the compass. More importantly, he was one of the foremost

culture heroes of China. The invention of clan and family names, and

the establishment of social order were attributed to Fu Xi. Some said

he also taught the people of China how to domesticate animals, catch

fish with nets, and make music with instruments.

In addition, Fu Xi showed the Chinese how to

make silk thread and weave it into cloth, how

to measure time, and how to use a calendar

made from a length of knotted cord.

EAST ASIA

Chinese myths often feature culture heroes

who teach the skills of survival and civilization

to the people. Such heroes are portrayed as

emperors – either mortal rulers, or deities who

came from heaven to rule China. The origin

of the Chinese script, and the art of making silk

and weaving it into cloth – key features of

China’s culture – are explained in these myths.

The stories also stress the need for wise and

just rulers, showing that a good government

is sometimes even more important than the

reputation of the imperial family.

Legends of the Chinese Heroes

Fu Xi

The first of the great Chinese sages,

Fu Xi developed skills that were

crucial to Chinese life and thus he

is often called the Founder of China.

I Ching

Fu Xi is believed to have invented the

Chinese script and the trigrams of the I Ching,

a series of symbols used to predict the future.

THE LAND OF CHINA
China is a huge country with major variations in climate, and landscapes ranging from
high mountain ranges to vast plains. Large areas of the country are dominated by great
rivers such as the Yellow River and the Yangtze, which link the diferent regions of
China and unify the country. Important as arteries for transportation and sources of fish
for food, these rivers can be dangerous during floods – although the silt from the floods
helps farmers by making the land on the banks more fertile. So powerful are the rivers
that the ancient Chinese writers often depicted them as mythical beings – generally
108 Yangtze River dragons – and only the most powerful deities or rulers could tame their floods.