中国的神话历史——从“中国神话”到“神话中国”

Chinese History of Myths——From Chinese Myths to Mythological China

神话在今日学科体制中归属于文学是一个大错误。因为神话概念远大于文学。神话作为初民智慧的表述,代表着文化的基因。后世出现的文、史、哲等学科划分都不足以涵盖整体性的神话。作为神圣叙事的神话与史前宗教信仰和仪式活动共生,是文史哲的共同源头。中国早期历史具有"神话历史"的鲜明特点。文学人类学与历史人类学的会通视角,是重新进入华夏文明传统,重新理解中国神话历史的门径。从《尚书》《春秋》到《周礼》《说文解字》,古代经典体现着神话思维编码的统一逻辑。参照玉神话与圣人神话的八千年传承,呼吁学界从文学视野的"中国神话"转到文化整体视野的"神话中国"。

It is a big mistake to classify myth as one member of literature in discipline system nowadays. The reason is that the concept of myth is much broader than that of literature. As an expression of ancient people＇s wisdom, myth marks the gene of culture. In later generations, literature, history and philosophy was divided and they failed to cover all areas of myth. The myths of sacred recount, going along side by side with the pre-historical religious belief and ceremony activities, serve as the common source of literature, history and philosophy. The history of early China carries the striking characteristics of ＂mythological history＂. The mutual perspective of literary anthropology and historical anthropology provides an access to re-interpreting China＇s traditional civilization and mythological history. Ancient classics, from The Book of History and Spring and Autumn to Rites of Zhou Dynasty and Explaining Articles and Interpreting Words, embody the same logic of coding with mythological thinking. Based on 8000 years of jade myths and saint myths, we appeal the academic world to turn from ＂Chinese myths＂ in literature perspective to ＂mythological China＂ in cultural perspective.