Prototype Study Of The Myth Of The Moon

Chang E Flying to the Moon is one of the four main Chinese myths. It not only has endowed the moon, the mysterious celestial body, with specific connotation, but also is the symbol of human apsaras dream. The spread of Chang E Flying to the Moon widely in Chinese culture has had so deep influence to Chinese culture that it has been the profound prototype of Chinese culture. For its relationship with the myth of Yi, Chang E Flying to the Moon had been regarded as a myth concerning the matrimonial dispute. However, it is an error explain. Thought about it from the formal aspect the myth of Chang E contained a host of narrative modes and Chang E as an image has been a prototype in Chinese culture. Meanwhile, in the content aspect, it included the mythical spirit—Chang E's Spirit, which looked forward to freedom eagerly. It is the free spirit in essence, which began with the revolting against the limitation to time and space of life in mankind childhood as well as the revolting at the tie coming from outer social orders afterwards. After investigating the inheritance of Chang E's Spirit in Chinese literature historically, it could be found that Chang E's spirit existed mainly in the literary form of romantic legends in the pre-modern times.then appeared in the works which intervened in the reality in the modern times, and could be found in the satire in the post-modern times. This evolution tendency corresponded to Northrop Frye's theory on mythical narration pattern roughly. When exploring the mythical form of Chang E Flying to the Moon in comparison with the West culture simultaneously, it would be found that there was a common pattern of circulation and returning between the two different myths: Chang E Flying to the Moon and Returning to the Garden of Eden, which reflected the general character of human thought. Nevertheless, myths in this world were distinctive for their different cultural contexts decided their growth. Comfort is esthetic ideal of Chinese culture aimed at the real life. Therefore Chang E's spirit can only be demonstrated as tragedies related to freedom in Chinese culture.