The Study On Improvement Of Penglai Myth Before Tang Dynasty

Penglai Myth, as one of the two systems of Chinese ancient myth, still spread in our daily life. Its tenacious vitality is really amazing. Though it has a long history with a far-reaching influence, some questions about it have no answer yet. For instance, how did Penglai Myth come into being, develop and evolve? Why can it continue a strong life force so long time? What caused the variation of it? In this thesis, I make a systematic study on the basic contents and main characteristics of Penglai Myth in different periods, approach the links and differences between mythology and fairy story, as well as the reason for the ceaseless emergence of new mythology and then probe the internal rules of its development.In the introductory remark, I mainly introduce the reason the thesis comes out, the relevant research situation, the studying theory and methods. Chapter one makes a brief introduction to the background and the development of Penglai Myth. Penglai Myth derives from ancient Chinese marine myths. With its development and evolution, The divine divinity ascended from the chaotic state to the heaven. However, the Sacred Mountains remained where they were and some eventually changed into Penglai Sacred Mountain. In chapter two, the Pre-Qin Period is very important for the evolution of Penglai Myth. Penglai, as a Sacred Mountain in the sea, appeared for the first time in The Classic of Mountains and Rivers and became world famous. Though lack of relevant records, yet compared with the other Sacred Mountains' records, we can still explain the cultural background of its. That is, the status of a god decreased by degrees while that of celestial beings is rising gradually, which is more evident during the late Pre-Qin Period,namely the Spring and Autumn Period. Chapter three, lasting only more than ten years, Qin Dynasty makes a profound impact on Chinese ideology and culture. It is the turning point and the complete period of Penglai Myth. The First Emperor of Chinese history was also the first one to look for the God off the coastal region, the records and legends of which could be found out in ancient books. Thus, Penglai became a world famous Sacred Mountain. In chapter four, with the Inheritance and development of Penglai Myth in Han Dynasty, divinities turned into celestial beings in the end. The legends and records that The Emperor Han Wu looked for the celestial being several times in Penglai were more detailed in ancient books, which is quoted and imitated by the further generation. The reason why the place name, Penglai, emerged from the name of the marine mountain is because The Emperor Han Wu used to overlook the mountain in shore of east China sea, and then the town was named Penglai. In chapter five, Penglai Myth was at its peak in the Period of Wei Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the ghost stories, the records were becoming more and more colorful and detailed, such as its geographical position, its shape, celestial beings and the surroundings, which are the fundamental characteristics of Penglai Myth after the Period of Wei Jin.Penglai Myth underwent the emergence, development and transition from the Pre-Qin Period to the Period of Wei Jin. The transition from a jerkwater Mysterious Mountain into the Most-Watched marine one revealed the links and differences between myths and fairy stories. Myth and fairy story are two different names of one matter in different stages. With the development of society and the heightening of individual life consciousness,after creating the world, the gods assumed the responsibility of saving mankind from death. Besides the magic power, they are also immortal. Not only are the later fairies immortal, but also have abysmal magic to help mankind at a dead lift. Thus, a conclusion can be drawn from the development of Penglai Myth that Chinese myth is always differentiating and evolving and is always changing with the development of society and idea, which is different from other countries' myth. For example, the myth of ancient Greece and Egypt maintained the inherent pattern and is regarded as canons, once formed. Therefore, new mythology can be fast multiplying. It not only inherits the factors of ancient myths, but also drinks in new contents.