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Title: Myths and Legends of China

Author: E. T. C. Werner

Release Date: March 4, 2005 [EBook #15250]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Myths & Legends of China

By

E.T.C. Werner

H.B.M. Consul Foochow (Retired) Barrister-at-law Middle Temple Late
Member of The Chinese Government Historiographical Bureau Peking
Author of "Descriptive Sociology: Chinese" "China of the Chinese" Etc.

George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd.
London Bombay Sydney

In Memoriam

_Gladys Nina Chalmers Werner_

Preface

The chief literary sources of Chinese myths are the _Li tai shen hsien
t'ung chien_, in thirty-two volumes, the _Shen hsien lieh chuan_,
in eight volumes, the _Feng shen yen i_, in eight volumes, and the
_Sou shen chi_, in ten volumes. In writing the following pages I
have translated or paraphrased largely from these works. I have also
consulted and at times quoted from the excellent volumes on Chinese
Superstitions by Pere Henri Dore, comprised in the valuable series
_Varietes Sinologiques_, published by the Catholic Mission Press
at Shanghai. The native works contained in the Ssu K'u Ch'uean Shu,
one of the few public libraries in Peking, have proved useful for
purposes of reference. My heartiest thanks are due to my good friend
Mr Mu Hsueeh-hsuen, a scholar of wide learning and generous disposition,
for having kindly allowed me to use his very large and useful library
of Chinese books. The late Dr G.E. Morrison also, until he sold it
to a Japanese baron, was good enough to let me consult his extensive
collection of foreign works relating to China whenever I wished, but
owing to the fact that so very little work has been done in Chinese
mythology by Western writers I found it better in dealing with this
subject to go direct to the origin