1. A Comparison between Chinese and Greek Mythology

2. Definition of mythology
Religious Ideology Root
Plot and System
Archetypes of Gods
Spreading Ways and Influence
Conclusion

3. Definition
Mythology is sedimentary deposits(积淀） of primitive society ideology, which is also a heritage of national culture.
Mythology, which is cultural accumulation (文化积累)of a nation over a long period of time, reflects early people’s imagination and interpretation of the natural and social phenomenon that cannot be demonstrated in those days.
Mythology represents some eternal truth (永恒真理)which belongs to the moral or aesthetic category. This kind of representation has intercultural impacts. Religion and literature have the similar social functions, that is, to spread the eternal truth by telling stories. By studying mythology, we will be able to know how the primordial people lived and how they viewed themselves and the world and also the great impact that mythology has had on literature and arts.

4. Religious Ideology Root
In Chinese traditional creation mythology(创世神话), the naissance（人类诞生） is owing to Nv Wa (the Goddess of Sky-patching). As is recorded in Shuo Wen（说文）: “Nv Wa，the goddess in ancient time, who created human beings.” After Pan Gu creating the sky and earth, although there were mountains and lakes, flowers and birds, there was no trace of human beings, Nv Wa kneaded human beings by yellow clay(用黄泥捏造人类) from a model of herself in the water, endowed them with lives, and taught them weaving, plough and other knowledge of existence. As a female god, Nv Wa loved this world; however, she loved her children more deeply. So, when the sky was going to collapse and human beings were facing extinction, she smelt multicolored stones to repair the sky（炼五彩石补天）, and emancipated people from the catastrophe. In Chinese people’s mind, Nv Wa is kindly and amiable, she is the Goddess that having created and guarding human beings, and boasts the excellent quality of great females.

5. Nv wa

6. Prometheus
In Greece, people treat Prometheus as the primogenitor(始祖)of human beings. It is said that he created human beings by imitating the image of God. As a male God, he also loved his children, who even steal fire from the heaven and taught technologies to people. Because of these, he peeved（惹怒） Zeus and was locked on Caucasia Mountain, suffered from the pain of pecking by eagle. In Greek people’s mind, Prometheus benefits human beings and dares to resist power, who boasts the excellent quality of great males.

7. Difference
As a country with an ancient civilization, the primitive religion and early mythology in china came into being about in the middle of matriarchal society(母系社会）, private ownership system had not come into being in that time. Under this condition, the gods in primitive religion and mythology appeared as servicer, and were guardians of the whole society, who is acted as leaders in their society. So the primogenitor Gods of China was females.
But in western society, matriarchal society had been subsided by patrilineal society（父系社会）; female Gods no longer occupied the core place. Besides, characteristics of Ancient Greek religion has a profound impact on the Greek culture．Ancient Greece is the land of Pantheism．The diversity of beliefs promoted the free development of culture．The sensationalism of Ancient Greek religion formed dynamic national spirit which promoted cultural development．God and the people have the same appearance and temperament. This feature not only makes ancient Greek religion become all important source of Greek culture but also make Greek culture reflect a clear human consciousness

8. Plot and System Poseidon Hestia Demeter family color Hermes sister
brother
sister
daughter
Zeus
Hera
Wife sister
blood bond
Athena
daughter
son
son
son
Ares
Hephaestus
daughter
Apollo
Aphrodite
Artemis
basic skeleton

9. Chinese Mythology
Reason：Chinese mythology is primitive mythology, which is an outcome of the primitive society. China is a big country with vast land and several nations. Every nation and tribe has its own myths, legends and supreme god. In ancient China, there wasn’t a tribe that was as powerful as to conquer and annex the thousands of tribes on East Asia continent and unit China, so as to make their own tribe’s supreme god to be the supreme god of the whole ancient China. Therefore, the mythologies in ancient China didn’t form a uniform system. The system of gods also did not from.
independent
segmental

10. Archetypes of Gods
Myth-archetypal criticism originates from Frazer’s anthropological discoveries, Carl Jung’s analytical psychology and Northrop Frye’s literary theories illustrating how human social, cultural and psychological experiences collected over thousands of years are reflected in primordial mythology, religious rituals and archetypes. It also studies how literature today is related with primordial mythology，primordial rituals and archetypes．
From the theories of myth-archetypal criticism and literary anthropology，we can easily find that even though different peoples have the same conflicts, heroes and themes in their mythologies，the various historical，cultural and social backgrounds and unique thinking patterns of these mythologies exhibit different world views and values.

11. Appearance the same with human beings strong body charming appearance
half man and half animal

12. Characteristics
Except for longevity and strong power, the gods in Greek mythology are the same with human being in other aspects, they can eat, drink and play, they pursue sex, they are happy, angry , rage and jealous. It can be said that these gods are belong to the earth, they bring naturality and sociality with them. It can also be said that these anthropomorphic gods are full of humanistic color. The famous Swiss scholar Anne bonnie thinks that: “the starting point of Greek civilization and its object is man. It starts from human being’s need, focusing on people’s interests and progress, in order to achieve this aim, it explores the world and human being at the same time. In Greek people’s mind, man and the world is reflection of each other.” Therefore, the Greek gods are similar to human beings in many aspects.
However, in Chinese mythology, the gods are perfect, authoritative and inviolable. Their sense of mission is strong, each god has to hold their post and cannot have emotions. It takes a very long time for becoming a god, and the indispensable condition is unselfish, which differs greatly from the Greek gods.

13. Morality
Zeus: self-willed, has no principle, full of jealousy and unrestrained. He likes to chase beautiful women, left a long list of romantic debt in the divine world and man’s world.
Hera: very jealous. Even though she is often spited by Zeus, she frequently tries to hurt those female who are inferior to her.
Nv Wa: After mending the sky, she transformed her body into everything on the earth, kindly, amiable
Da Yu: didn’t step into his home when pass by it while he was bringing the water under control for three time.

14. Spreading Ways and Influence
Greek mythology: great influence, profound and immeasurable
Homer epics
Ancient Greek tragedians Greek arts and sculptures
Roman writers’ productions
Influence on British and American literature
Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida
Milton’s Paradise Lost
Keats’ Endymion
Shelly’s Adonis
Eliot’s Wasteland
Pound’s The Cantos

15. Chinese mythology
However, when it comes to Chinese mythology, its impact on the aftertime is smaller. As long time has passed away and lack of systematic processing and preservation, in addition to the records in Shan Hai Jing (山海经) are more concentrated, the rest are scattered. Moreover, the written down mythologies are most fragments without a complete plot. In addition, myths lost their original look in circulation, the “half man half animal” images have been obliterated. As in the mainstream of Chinese Confucian culture, it is difficult for the myths to be incorporated into the orthodox history(正史).

16. Conclusion Religious Ideology Root Plot and System Archetypes of Gods
Greek mythology
Chinese mythology
Religious Ideology Root
patrilineal society
Pantheism
sensationalism
matriarchal society
Server
Guardian
Plot and System
family color
blood bond
basic skeleton
independent
segmental
Archetypes
of Gods
the same with human beings
similar
half man and half animal
lack of “humanity”
morality moral model
Spreading Ways
and Influence
profound
immeasurable
small , lack of systematic processing and preservation

17. Mythology is the result of collective unconsciousness and figures in mythology have universality. If we do more studies on these mythologies, we can know more about the different cultures and world value in China and Greece and it is also helpful for us to know something about the historical and cultural factors that have great impact on the eastern and western civilization.

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19. Thank you!