Myths of Ancient China. Mythical beliefs and myths of the Chinese

The book by Sergey Mikhailovich Georgievsky, a prominent Russian sinologist of the 19th century and professor of Chinese literature at the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg University, is a kind of encyclopedia telling about the mythological beliefs of old China. The edition, decorated with more than 200 color illustrations of the XVII-XIX centuries, also includes two additional books: "Twenty-four Examples of Filial Piety" and "Twenty Most Famous Chinese Emperors". The hidden basis of the culture of any country is its myths. They capture the spirit of the people, their worldview, the foundations of ethics and morality. For example, in Russia, a huge role in the education of each younger generation play bylinas, in which act mighty and brave bogatyrs - defenders of their homeland. In China, whose history goes back more than a thousand years, this cultural layer is especially deep. Chinese mythology is comparable to ancient Greek mythology in terms of its volume and thoroughness, but compared to the gods and heroes of ancient Greece, mythological characters of ancient China are less known to us. This book fills this gap in knowledge, because it is a kind of encyclopedia of Chinese mythology. Not so long ago it remained for Europeans the area of little studied. In Russia, one of the first scientists who began to open the wonderful world of Chinese mythology for his compatriots was an outstanding expert of this country Sergei Mikhailovich Georgievsky. He was born in 1851 in Kostroma in the family of a priest, from childhood showed a talent for learning and received two higher educations. First, he studied at the Moscow University at the Faculty of History and Philology, and then became a student at the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg University. Georgievsky was beckoned by the East. The young scientist traveled extensively in Japan and China, studying the peculiarities of the worldview of the inhabitants of these countries. As a result, Georgievsky became the author of capital works: "Principles of Chinese life" and "Mythical beliefs and myths of the Chinese". There were other works, including those devoted to the history of ancient China. All of them were highly appreciated by the scientific community, and as a result Georgievsky received the degree of Doctor of Chinese literature, and then became a professor at the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg University. His works have not lost their significance to this day. They allow us to better understand the soul of the Chinese people, their mentality, and the urgent need for Russia to study it Georgievsky shrewdly pointed out back then, in the last third of the XIX century. This edition has several unique features. It is decorated with more than 200 magnificent color illustrations; these works by Chinese artists of the XIV-XIX? centuries help the reader to visually perceive the ancient Chinese mythology. For example, one can see what the "door god", the "dragon horse Lunma" or the Jade Emperor looked like from the Chinese perspective. Two classic illustrated Chinese classics, "Twenty-Four Examples of Filial Piety" and "Twenty Most Famous Chinese Emperors", are placed in their entirety inside their respective chapters.