Chi Chi
Chinese MYTHOLOGY A TO Z
Jeremy Roberts
Chinese Mythology A to Z Copyright © 2004 by Jim DeFelice All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Jeremy, 1956– Chinese mythology A to Z: a young reader’s companion / by Jeremy Roberts.—1st ed. p. cm.—(Mythology A–Z) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-4870-3 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Mythology, Chinese. I. Title. II. Series. BL1825.R575 2004 299.5′1′03—dc22 2004005341 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text design by Joan M. Toro Cover design by Cathy Rincon Map by Jeremy Eagle Printed in the United States of America VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments Introduction Map of China A-to-Z Entries Important Gods and Mythic Figures Selected Bibliography Index iv v xv 1
151 153 154
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank my wife, Debra Scacciaferro, for her help in researching and preparing this book. Also I would like to thank Dorothy Cummings; my editor, Jeff Soloway; Lauren Goldberg; and everyone else at Facts On File who helped prepare this volume.
iv
INTRODUCTION
China covers nearly 4 billion square miles in Asia, roughly 14 percent of the world’s landmass. It has grasslands and deserts, a long coastline, and some of the highest mountains in the world. Its rich river
Jeremy Roberts
Chinese Mythology A to Z Copyright © 2004 by Jim DeFelice All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Jeremy, 1956– Chinese mythology A to Z: a young reader’s companion / by Jeremy Roberts.—1st ed. p. cm.—(Mythology A–Z) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-4870-3 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Mythology, Chinese. I. Title. II. Series. BL1825.R575 2004 299.5′1′03—dc22 2004005341 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text design by Joan M. Toro Cover design by Cathy Rincon Map by Jeremy Eagle Printed in the United States of America VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments Introduction Map of China A-to-Z Entries Important Gods and Mythic Figures Selected Bibliography Index iv v xv 1
151 153 154
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank my wife, Debra Scacciaferro, for her help in researching and preparing this book. Also I would like to thank Dorothy Cummings; my editor, Jeff Soloway; Lauren Goldberg; and everyone else at Facts On File who helped prepare this volume.
iv
INTRODUCTION
China covers nearly 4 billion square miles in Asia, roughly 14 percent of the world’s landmass. It has grasslands and deserts, a long coastline, and some of the highest mountains in the world. Its rich river
Bibliography: A 19th-century artist’s view of many popular Chinese gods (The Dragon, Image, and Demon, 1886) Taoism seems not to have had a hell until Buddhism arrived in China