RATIONAL MYTHOS AND IRRATIONAL LOGOS: THE NARRATIVE FORMS OF CHINA’S ‘SHE’ PEOPLE

Year 2015, Volume: 3 , 25 - 37, 01.09.2015

Yan Saı

Abstract

This article considers the myths of China’s She people in the light of
the distinction made by western mythographers between mythos and logos.  In the analysis of ancient Greek myths, mythos
and logos have been seen as standing for irrational and rational
elements, respectively. Within the Chinese education system, however, myths and
history are not rigorously separated, and people believe that myths tell of
real events that happened in prehistoric times. 
By examining my collections of She narrative epics and graphic
depictions of these stories, I will suggest that the association of logos with
the rational and mythos with the irrational is reversed in the She case,
and that the effective transmission of the epics down the generations has
required the adoption of rational elements to the oral tradition or mythos, whilst
the sacred or irrational component of the stories is preserved in the graphic
depictions or logos.

Keywords

Myth, logo, she ethnic group, epic

References

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