Chinese culture, and the language which sustains it, have existed in a turbulent but unbroken sequence for some 3000 years, longer than any others in world history. One effect of this is to blur the passage of time, so that distinctions between past and present become less marked, less pungent, than in shorter-winded societies. In myth, the same blurring takes place between reality and fantasy. Historical characters become part of the mythic pantheon, and myth figures are treated as if they were our real-life relatives or neighbours, in a way quite unlike the legendizing process which takes place in other cultures.
Text from: “Chinese Myth.” Bloomsbury Dictionary of Myth, by Kenneth McLeish, 1st ed., Bloomsbury, 1996. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6OTg0MDQ0?aid=95497.
Most of the surviving Japanese myths are recorded in the Kojiki (compiled 712; “Records of Ancient Matters”) and the Nihon shoki (compiled in 720; “Chronicles of Japan”). These works tell of the origin of the ruling class and were apparently aimed at strengthening its authority. Therefore, they are not pure myths but have much political colouring. They are based on two main traditions: the Yamato Cycle, centred around the sun goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami, and the Izumo Cycle, in which the principal character is Susanoo (or Susanowo) no Mikoto, the brother of Amaterasu.
Text from: "Japanese mythology." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 22 Mar. 2007. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FJapanese-mythology%2F436238&ebboatid=9265886. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
The sources of myth in Indian literature in English are many: nature deities and creation stories from the Vedas; quest stories from the Upanishads; Ithihasas (or historical epics — the Ramayana and the Mahabharata); the Puranas (old stories of gods and demons); folk stories in their rich regional varieties; and Sthalapuranas (local history of places)...Myth, fantasy and folk tale are inextricably intertwined. They deal with concepts such as ava-tara, reincarnation, transmigration, karma, maya (illusion) and leela (divine play). The nameless, formless, transcendent Brahman is immanent everywhere and can take any name or form — hence the multitudinous gods and the limitless power of the Indian mind. The central figures are those of the Trinity — Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva (Creator, Preserver, Destroyer) — with their feminine counterparts — Sarasvathi, Lakshmi and Parvathi.
Text from:Seshadri, Padma, and Padma Sundararaghavan MALINI. “Myth in Indian-English Literature.” Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English, edited by Eugene Benson and L. W. Conolly, 2nd ed., Routledge, 2005. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MjA5MDMyNA==?aid=95497.
Image from: Davis, Tim. “UPANISHADS: DOCUMENT ANALYSIS ca. 500–200 BCE.” Milestone Documents of World Religions, edited by Grey House Publishing, 2nd ed., Salem Press, 2017. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDQ4MTE0OA==?aid=95497.
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