Mythical Pedigree Evolution And Ancient Social Change

Research on the mythical pedigree and social change in the west is very rich.Vico divides the human emergence and development of all ethnic groups for the Ageof Gods, the Age of Heroes and the Age of Human. It represents the earliestmythology studies. Morgen, Tylor and Frazer express that the development of themyths has a single evolutionary process from junior to senior. Boas expresses that themyths in the world are different and can’t be compared. Freud attributes the cause ofthe myths’ origin to the sexual instinct by psychoanalysis. Durkheim corresponds thesocial types to the gods’ representation of the period. Malinowski emphasises onsocial and psychological functions of the myths, Levy-bruhl thinks the myths springsfrom a different thinking style in different societies. Levi-Strauss advocates using themyths of synchronic study on method of static analysis of deep structure. Mullerattributes the cause of the myths’origin to the language.Marxist classical writers such as Marx and Engels Analysis the pattern of theorigin, development and extinction of the myths on the base of real life and economy.By the method of historical materialism, they point out that the myths are decided bythe social existence and restricted by the material mode of production.A study on the mythical pedigree and social change in China began in20thcentury on the right track. Before liberation, Gu Xiegang mainly starts from literatureto restore history to Myths, Mao Dun and Wen Yiduo use the western Anthropologicaltheory to locate an in-depth study of Chinese mythology and summarize the law ofdevelopment of Chinese mythology. After liberation, The Chinese mainly use theMarxist historical materialism to study the myths. They link the development of themyths with social production and life closely. The representatives of the study tomyths pedigree evolution of Manchu-Tungusic Group are Fu Yuguang, Guo Shuyun,Meng Huiying, Huang Renyuan and Wang Lizhen, etc. But the characteristics of themyths pedigree evolution can’t be explained from the vertical and lateral systematically, there isn’t any concrete research which linked the myths pedigreeevolution with social change yet.The myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group over Northern China show that,corresponding to the relationship between man and nature from unconsciousness,bend to the nature, conquer the nature, the myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group overNorthern China have three types of progression in turn: Totemic Myths, Myths ofGods and Myths of Heroes.In the original acquisition practice of hunting and fishing stages, People lookedthe nature as themselves, so Totemic Myths were created. Totemic Myths werecreated in matrilineal society, prevailed in matrilineal and patrilineal societies, goneor existed in the legend in the classic societies. In Totemic Myths, there is noboundary between man and totem, The myths does not have logic and reflect the blurof human’s self-consciousness. The Myths of Gods were created between matrilinealand patrilineal societies, prevailed in patrilineal societies and gone gradually in theclassic societies. In the Myths of Gods, the relationship between Man and Godchanges from homologous to the opposition. But God is still the same, Man expresstheir expectations by sacrifice or praying to God. It embodies the narcissism ofhuman consciousness and sense of inferiority. With the use of advanced fishing andhunting tools, animal husbandry and original agriculture’s mature development,human hopes to change nature and conquer nature by themselves, was produced atthe half God, half human hero for leading myths of heroes. The Myths of Heroes werecreated between matrilineal and patrilineal societies, prevailed in patrilineal societiesand classic societies. In Myths of Heroes, the relationship between Man and God isapart but inseparable: Man has the genetic of God or the power of God. It reflects thehuman’s “knowing yourself” consciousness, human has some confidence.The pedigree evolution of the myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group reflects thechange of the ancient society. In the economic system, in matrilineal societies, mostof the region was dominated by collective subsistence economy, mainly in the StoneAge, the means of production was collectively owned. in patrilineal societies,Collection of hunting and fishing economy, economy of animal husbandry,agriculture and other economic forms existed at the same time. They were in copper,iron and stone age, the means of production was collectively owned and some ofthem was remnant. In classic societies, agriculture economy developed maturely, themeans of production was privately owned. In the political system, in matrilineal societies, human was dominated by motherhood, and in the late of matrilinealsocieties, the unification of the state and Shamanism came into being. The rulers’authorities were set up by Gods, the society run in a democratic manner and thesocial order was maintained according to the sentence of Gods, taboos and tribalregulations such as the original natural laws. In patrilineal societies, human wasdominated by fatherhood, shaman couldn’t dominate any more, the authorities of therulers were set up by moralities or rules. There is a “blood revenge” system in thesocial control. In classic societies, human was dominated by the emperor; shamanwas suppressed by the emperor. The emperor relied primarily on national laws andregulations to maintain social order, he also used the view of destiny to advocate hisrule. In the social system, in matrilineal societies, social organization community wasin the transition to the clan-dominated, tribes and union of tribes emerged in Manchu,social contradiction was mainly gender conflicts and contradictions betweendifferent groups, the marriage forms transformed from the original cluster marriage,married punalua to a dual marriage. the relationship between relative concept wasmainly for mothers and children. In patrilineal societies, tribes and union of tribesprevailed, in addition to gender conflicts, polarization emerged and became the coreof a new conflict, monogamous marriage appeared, in addition to the relationshipbetween parents and children, multiple kinship of relative concept of grandparents,uncle or aunt, nephew appeared. In classic societies, countries replaced tribes andunion tribes, plural marriage basing on monogamous marriage appeared.By contrast, the myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group and the myths of HanNationality have different contents but the same idea gradually: in the period ofTotem Myths, the myths are distinctive but partly same; in the period of Myths ofGod, more and more plots and structures of Han nationalities’ myths infiltrates themyths of Manchu-Tungusic Group; in the period of Myths of Heroes, HanNationalities’ Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism culture is highlighted in fullthrough the myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group. Certainly, the communication ofculture is not unidirectional, the myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group also influence themyths of Han Nationality. In terms of cultural concepts, Manchu-Tungusic Group andHan Nationality are different in forms originally but same gradually: although thecontent of the myths are different, but the mathematical concepts are all based on thesacred digit of “3”and “7”, and with the understanding of direction, Man belives in“4” and “5”; the views of universe are all three-level universe with the core of the harmony between Man and God; the values are featuring Confucianism, Buddhismand Taoism Culture of Han nationality integrating into the Shaman Culture ofManchu-Tungusic Group. In the terms of cultural patterns, the ancient culturalpatterns of Manchu-Tungusic Group are similarly Dionysian Culture based on shameand sensibility, and the ancient cultural patterns of Han Nationality are similarlyApollo Culture based on the harmony between man and nature. But in the subsequentmyths of Manchu-Tungusic Group, especially in the myths of Manchu Nationalitywhich is more advanced, both cultural patterns are the harmony between Man andNature, the trend are the same. The myths of Manchu-Tungusic Group and the mythsof Han Nationality owe to Shaman Culture and Han Culture separately, and on behalfof the Shaman civilization featuring hunting and fishing economy and Chinesecivilization featuring agriculture economy. But countless small and isolated mythicalplots’ similarity, cultural concepts and cultural patterns’ blending prove that the twocomplementary cultures contact closely. The diversity and convergence betweenManchu-Tungusic Group and Han Nationality are not decided by a single factor suchas geographical environment, economic foundation or historic change, but decided byinteractive relationship. By thousands of years of positive and continuous culturalinteraction, Shaman civilization transforms to Chinese civilization smoothly andsatellite transition civilization is produced. It also promotes the formation of diversityin unity of cultural patterns of the Chinese Nation. The colorful myths ofManchu-Tungusic Group over northern China also influence Shamanism, the socialhistory, daily life, literature and art.