The Concept Of Marriage And Childbirth In The Flood Myth In The Central Plains

The Flood Myth of Central Plains include all the myths,legends and folktales about the reproduction of human beings after the natural disaster in Henan province.The Flood Myth of Central Plains is part of the Myth of Central plains.And it is also an important branch of the Chinese Flood Myth.The Flood Myth of Central Plains based on the natural environment of Henan.It shows the reproduction of adherents after the flood disaster,mainly introduces the marriage and fertility of the ancestors.This paper discusses the most representational marriage and fertility plots of the Flood Myth of Central Plains,shows the rich cultural connotation and concepts of the myths and legends as well.The full paper is divided into five parts.The exordium is a discussion on the topics and research status of Flood Myth,marriage and fertility,as well as the main contents and structures,research methods and values.The first chapter makes the definition of the Flood Myth of Central Plains.By using the classification standard of The Motif Index of Chinese Mythology,we can screen out the marriage and reproduction plots from the text of the Flood Myth of Central Plains as basic material for our research.The second chapter makes the classification of the protagonist in the Flood Myth of Central Plains.God Pan Gu and Nu Wa create the human beings all alone by themselves.Other couples like Fu Xi and Nu Wa become the ancestor god in different areas by their multiple achievements in the Flood Myth of Central Plains.The third chapter discusses the marriage plots and concepts in the myth.The main three subjects are the marriage between brothers and sisters,the animal protectors,and the matchmakers and divination before marriage.Also we combine the custom of marriage in the myth and in people's daily life together to make a comparison,in order to know the custom of marriage in Henan better.The forth chapter discusses the production plots and concepts in the myth.We take the three modes of repopulation into consideration at first.Secondly,the praying for birth and health in the temple fair is a representative and important bearing custom in Henan.Among all the birth concepts in the Flood Myth of Central Plains,we consider the concept of reproduction and strong vitality as the core concept of not only people in Henan but also in China.Concluding remarks summarizes the front paper.By analyzing the marriage and production plots,we can draw the conclusion that the Flood Myth of Central Plains is of great importance and independence in the system of Flood Myth.Also,with the understanding of the marriage and birth concept of the myth,we can have a comprehensive reflection of the marriage and fertility phenomenon nowadays.