论文总字数：36834字

摘 要

创世神话是中国和西方共有的神话母题，并分别对各自的文化产生了深远的影响。中西方创世神话的差异主要体现在人和神关系的不同，人和自然关系的不同，以及背后价值观的差异。前人对这些差异都已经进行了具体的研究，而本文却从创世神话中女神的家庭地位和社会地位切入，具体分析他们的相似和差异以及背后的原因。

本文在研究女神社会地位时，选用中方典型女神女娲和西方希腊神话中的大地之母盖亚进行对比，她们的相似之处是都受到后代的尊敬和崇拜，而差异之处是社会地位略有不同，女娲在后人的印象中是接近完美的存在，而盖亚却有着人的七情六欲。

本文在研究女神家庭地位时，选用中方女仙之首西王母和西方众神之后赫拉进行对比，她们的相似之处是在家庭地位中都低于丈夫，而差异之处是西王母只负责后勤事务，并且严格遵循女子的三从四德，而赫拉以敢于对抗宙斯的情人和掌控自己的丈夫的精神著称。

可见，中国创世神话中女神的性格都具有包容，无私，宽厚的特点，为大局着想不惜牺牲自身利益。而西方女神性情刚烈，敢爱敢恨。她们既拥有神的超凡能力，也拥有人的嫉妒和报复之心。这说明现代社会中西方女性的不同地位在创世神话中就已经有所体现，而这源于中西创世神话出现时间不同，地理位置不同，以及中西方对伦理道德的重视程度不同。

最后，作者希望该文能够启发研究者们对神话这一珍贵文化遗产的重视，从新的角度开展研究，同时为推动现今社会男女平等，献出自己的一份绵薄之力。

关键词：创世神话 女神 女性地位 家庭 社会

1. Introduction

• 1. Research background

Myths are originated from the ancient beliefs about the structure of nature and society. Myths come from Greek language μύθος. It evolves from θεος, which means gods. It is important for us to understand just what a myth is. The term myth, as used colloquially today, denotes a fictitious story, a fairy tale.

Meanwhile, among these myths, the most famous one is creation myths, which approximately describe the beginning of world. For people who do not research myths, creation myths are only fictitious stories for children. However, if creation myths are that simple, it would not have survived among the long history, and would not have the importance they do, unless they conveyed some vital meaning to the culture. So, there must be some functions for these creation myths, such as etiology, teaching knowledge, broadcasting primitive science and recording history, which makes creation myths still have their significance toward modern people in today.

But every nation has their unique creation myths, and the culture or value behind them are quite different. This paper, through the comparative analysis of the differences between Western and Chinese creation myths, aims to give a perspective insight to their culture and find out the reason behind these differences.

At the same time, with the appearance of feminism movement, women’s status in today’s society have gained more and more attention. Not only in Western countries, but also in China, women need equal treatment as men do. The existence of the Woman Newspaper of Today shows more and more women have this consciousness to protect their right. However, in this part, Western countries’ people do better than Chinese, which pushes me to analyze women role in creation myths and compare them, and figure out the hidden factor that cause this phenomenon.

1.2 The significance of this study

Through this study, we can evaluate creation myths as an approach of cultural value studies, and this will make creation myths become a media during the cultural broadcasting.

At the same time, by comparing Chinese creation myths and Western creation myths, this thesis aimed to not only find out the superficial difference, but also analyze the value behind, which includes region, gender, ethic, and national spirit. Accordingly, this study would help both countries’ people to understand each other’s culture better, and promote the cross-cultural communication development.

Last but not the least, this research focuses on women’s role difference in Chinese and Western countries’ creation myths. This thesis analyzes women’s role in society and family thoroughly, which would attract more people’s attention on women’ status, then accelerate the development of gender equality in the world.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Definition of creation myths

After introducing myths, let us talk about the meaning of creation myths. Toward this part, it seems easier for scientists to definite this word than myths. People’s cognition about creation myths is similar.

Bonnefoy Yves (Asian Mythologies, 4) defined creation myths as the myth that introduced the first, larval, or germinal state of the world.

Encyclopedia Britannica (1994) defined a creation myth as people’s understanding towards the origin of the world, which using symbolism to record.

To sum up, according to the above definitions, creation myths are stories that describe the state of the original world, the god, and the structure of universe.

2.2 Previous studies on Chinese and Western creation myths

Systemic mythological studies have been established in Western countries since 18th century, and Western methods and approaches in this field have been introduced into China since the 20th century. In the process, scholars have made many comparisons between Chinese and Western creation myths, as comparative study is one of the most effective ways to reveal the nature of the subject.

People have identified three major differences between Western creation myths and Chinese ones:

The first one is human-god relationships. Biblical creation myths believes there is only one god, and it can change people’s lives directly. By contrast, in Chinese creation myths, gods are not essentially different from humans. They are ancestors of humans. Except this, gods can die, and human can be transformed to gods.

The second one is human-nature relationships. In Western creation myths, this relationship is conquering and be conquered. But in Chinese, human and nature gain a kind of harmony.

The last difference is value. Chinese myths repeal the importance of ethic, while Western ones do not focus on. Meanwhile, Chinese attitude toward the creation myth is quite different from Western countries.

2.2.1 The relationship between gods and human

Liu Fang (2001) compared two areas’ creation myths, and found the relationship between gods and human is quite different. In Western works, gods can decide human’s life easily, because it was god that created human and gave them the right to live. But things are different in Chinese creation myths. Gods in china do not have the right to control people, because Chinese gods’ status is equal to human’s, and they are a whole entity from the very beginning.

2.2.2 The relationship between gods and nature

Liu Fang (2001) found there were some differences in the relationship between human and nature in two creation myths. In Chinese, nature and human have equal position. Chinese do not consider the nature as the matter, which is abiotic and rigid. However, in Western countries, human is the conqueror. The nature became the object that people took advantage of. In their myths, heroes were always brave adventurers and strong conquerors. For western people, the contribution on culture was quite rare. But military accomplishments can always be found.

Li Wenyou (2008) wrote that the most famous Chinese creation myth was Pan Gu’s story. In Pan Gu’s creating period, we can easily find nature and human made up the world, which reflected their equal status. This character in Chinese creation myths made Chinese practical and hate those visional things. At the same time, Western creation myths advocated human was the most important part in this world. So they supported conquering the nature.

2.2.3 The difference in value

Liu Xintaian (2011) found that modern people had different attitude towards their ancestors’ creation myths. When Western people felt the importance of creation myths and even made some hypothesis, like Gala hypothesis, to research some deep meanings behind their myths, Chinese were quite indifference. It seems myths are just fictitious stories and they just suitable for babies’ bedtime stories.

In Chinese Ancient Myths, Derk Bodde (2001) said, “What need to be emphasized was China, which had a long history, seemed to be the only country that had no real creation myths, except Pan Gu. There was similar situation in Chinese philosophy. In Chinese philosophy, people was quite interest in human’s relationship and how we adjusted to the environment, instead of figuring out the origin of universe.” Xie Xuanjun (1997) explained this phenomenon. He said that Chinese paid little attention on the origin of universe because these explorations had no help to rule the country and control the society. As a result, these creation myths lost and were forgotten by people.

Zhang Yulong (1999) also proposed his opinion. He thought China, as an ancient civilization, attached great importance to ethic relation, which has already shown in the creation myth. However, in Western creation myths, we have not found same thing like that.

However, there are hardly any studies comparing Chinese creation myths and Western creation myths on women’s different status,

But for me, the difference of women’s status and the role women play in the society and family have its charm and need to be investigated.

2.2.3 The difference in value

Liu Xintaian (2011) found that modern people had different attitude towards their ancestors’ creation myths. When Western people felt the importance of creation myths and even made some hypothesis, like Gala hypothesis, to research some deep meanings behind their myths, Chinese were quite indifference. It seems myths are just fictitious stories and they just suitable for babies’ bedtime stories.

In Chinese Ancient Myths, Derk Bodde (2001) said, “What need to be emphasized was China, which had a long history, seemed to be the only country that had no real creation myths, except Pan Gu. There was similar situation in Chinese philosophy. In Chinese philosophy, people was quite interest in human’s relationship and how we adjusted to the environment, instead of figuring out the origin of universe.” Xie Xuanjun (1997) explained this phenomenon. He said that Chinese paid little attention on the origin of universe because these explorations had no help to rule the country and control the society. As a result, these creation myths lost and were forgotten by people.

Zhang Yulong (1999) also proposed his opinion. He thought China, as an ancient civilization, attached great importance to ethic relation, which has already shown in the creation myth. However, in Western creation myths, we have not found same thing like that.

However, there are hardly any studies comparing Chinese creation myths and Western creation myths on women’s different status,

But for me, the difference of women’s status and the role women play in the society and family have its charm and need to be investigated.

2.3 Deficiency in previous studies

Most of the existed researches pointed out the different relationship between human and god, or human and nature. However, the relation between women and men has not been mentioned frequently. With the advance of our society, women’s status is quite different from ancient times. Not only in Western countries, but also in China, we have witnessed this change. However, there are still some discrepancies about women’s status in China and Western countries, which pushes the author to figure out its causes.

3. Comparison and Contrast of Chinese and Western

Goddess

3.1 Introduction of Chinese and Western Goddess

3.1.1 Chinese Goddess

There are so many characters in Chinese creation myths. Considering the importance of Confucianism and Taoism in China, this paper analyzes the goddess in these typical literature works.

Confucian literature is one of the most important ideologies in ancient China. Dong Zhongshu, an outstanding thinker in Han dynasty, had proposed to “Ban from hundred philosophers, venerate Confucianism”, which improved Confucianism’s importance in Chinese history. Even in today, Confucian literature still has a high position in the world of letters.

There are some famous creation myths in these Confucian works. For example, Tai Pin Yu Lan (太平御览·三五历记) has recorded Pan Gu’s story completely for the first time. It is said that Pan Gu was born in Chaos, and he formed the universe at the end. However, the most famous goddess in Confucian works is Nüwa, the mother of human.

Nüwa’s story was recorded in Huai Nan Zi (淮南子. 览冥篇), a philosophic literature in the Warring States Period (403一221B.C.)

俗说：天地开辟，未有人民，女娲抟黄土作人。务剧力不暇供，乃引恒入泥中，举以为人。故富贵者黄土人，贫贱者恒人也。

The universe had been created, but there were no people there. Nüwa made humans one by one from clay. The process was too slow, and she was getting tired. Therefore, she began to wipe mud with a willow branch. The mud splashed also became humans. The hand-made ones were refined and smart, so they were rich. The mud dots were coarse and retarded, so they were poor.

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