The Classic of Mountains and Seas

by Anonymous

Description

This major source of Chinese mythology (third century BC to second century AD) contains a treasure trove of rare data and colorful fiction about the mythical figures, rituals, medicine, natural history, and ethnic peoples of the ancient world. The Classic of Mountains and Seas explores 204 mythical figures such as the gods Foremost, Fond Care, and Yellow, and goddesses Queen Mother of the West and Girl Lovely, as well as many other figures unknown outside this text. This eclectic Classic show more also contains crucial information on early medicine (with cures for impotence and infertility), omens to avert catastrophe, and rites of sacrifice, and familiar and unidentified plants and animals. It offers a guided tour of the known world in antiquity, moving outwards from the famous mountains of central China to the lands "beyond the seas." Translated with an introduction and notes by Anne Birrell. show less

Recommendations

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Songling Pu

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio

Songling Pu

Monkey by Wu Ch'eng-en

Monkey

Wu Ch'eng-en

Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 by Philip A. Kuhn

Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768

Philip A. Kuhn

Return to Dragon Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man by Jonathan D. Spence

Return to Dragon Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man

Jonathan D. Spence

The Songs of Chu: An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poetry by Qu Yuan and Others by Qu Yuan

The Songs of Chu: An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poetry by Qu Yuan and Others

Qu Yuan

The Five-and-Twenty Tales of the Genie (Penguin Classics) by Sivadasa

The Five-and-Twenty Tales of the Genie (Penguin Classics)

Sivadasa

Myths and Legends of China by E. T. Chalmers Werner

Myths and Legends of China

E. T. Chalmers Werner

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Guanzhong Luo

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Guanzhong Luo

Six Records of a Floating Life by Shen Fu

Six Records of a Floating Life

Shen Fu

The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat: The Life of Ra Lotsawa by Ra Yeshe Senge

The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat: The Life of Ra Lotsawa

Ra Yeshe Senge

Ta Hsueh and Chung Yung: (The Highest Order of Cultivation and On the Practice of the Mean) (Penguin Classics) by Andrew H. Plaks

Ta Hsueh and Chung Yung: (The Highest Order of Cultivation and On the Practice of the Mean) (Penguin Classics)

Andrew H. Plaks

Journey to the West (complete) by Wu Cheng'en

Journey to the West (complete)

Wu Cheng'en

A Chinese Bestiary : Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas by Richard E. Strassberg

A Chinese Bestiary : Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas

Richard E. Strassberg

The Forest of Thieves and the Magic Garden by Phyllis Granoff

The Forest of Thieves and the Magic Garden

Phyllis Granoff

Mencius by Mencius

Mencius

Chinese Mythology: An Introduction by Anne M. Birrell

Chinese Mythology: An Introduction

Anne M. Birrell

The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China by An Liu

The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China

An Liu

The Book of Songs: The Ancient Chinese Classic of Poetry by Arthur Waley

The Book of Songs: The Ancient Chinese Classic of Poetry

Arthur Waley

Chinese Fairy Tales & Fantasies by Moss Roberts

Chinese Fairy Tales & Fantasies

Moss Roberts

The Tale of the Heike by Anonymous

The Tale of the Heike

Anonymous

Courtier And Commoner In Ancient China: Selections From The History Of The Former Han by Pan Ku by Burton Watson

Courtier And Commoner In Ancient China: Selections From The History Of The Former Han by Pan Ku

Burton Watson

The Golden Days by Xueqin Cao

The Golden Days

Xueqin Cao

The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China: The Complete Fiction of Lu Xun by Lu Xun

The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China: The Complete Fiction of Lu Xun

Lu Xun

As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams: Recollections of a Woman in Eleventh-Century Japan by Lady Sarashina

As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams: Recollections of a Woman in Eleventh-Century Japan

Lady Sarashina

African Myths of Origin by Stephen Belcher

African Myths of Origin

Stephen Belcher

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth-Century Korea by Hyegyŏnggung Hong Ssi

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth-Century Korea

Hyegyŏnggung Hong Ssi

Six Yuan Plays by Liu Jung-en

Six Yuan Plays

Liu Jung-en

Anthology of Chinese Literature: Volume I: From Early Times to the Fourteenth Century by Cyril Birch

Anthology of Chinese Literature: Volume I: From Early Times to the Fourteenth Century

Cyril Birch

The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Man-jung

The Nine Cloud Dream

Kim Man-jung

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Art of War

Sun Tzu

Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Arlene Mosel

Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange by Malcolm C. Lyons

Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange

Malcolm C. Lyons

The Story of Hong Gildong by Minsoo Kang

The Story of Hong Gildong

Minsoo Kang

A Heritage of Kings by JaHyun Kim Haboush

A Heritage of Kings

JaHyun Kim Haboush

Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'ang and Sung Dynasty Verse (Mandarin Chinese and English Edition) by Red Pine

Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'ang and Sung Dynasty Verse (Mandarin Chinese and English Edition)

Red Pine

The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology by Joseph Campbell

The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology

Joseph Campbell

The Masks of God: Oriental Mythology by Joseph Campbell

The Masks of God: Oriental Mythology

Joseph Campbell

The Book of Chuang Tzu by Zhuangzi

The Book of Chuang Tzu

Zhuangzi

The Diary of Lady Murasaki by Murasaki Shikibu

The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Murasaki Shikibu

Sunjata by Bamba Suso

Sunjata

Bamba Suso

Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus (Penguin Classics) by Michael Psellus

Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus (Penguin Classics)

Michael Psellus

Sagas of Warrior-Poets by Diana Whaley

Sagas of Warrior-Poets

Diana Whaley

Heroes of the Dawn: Celtic Myth (Myth and Mankind) by Fergus Fleming

Heroes of the Dawn: Celtic Myth (Myth and Mankind)

Fergus Fleming

Land of the Dragon: Chinese Myth by Tony Allan

Land of the Dragon: Chinese Myth

Tony Allan

The Analects by Confucius

The Analects

Confucius

The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches by Matsuo Bashō

The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches

Matsuo Bashō

Chinese History: A Manual by Endymion Wilkinson

Chinese History: A Manual

Endymion Wilkinson

Siṃhāsana Dvātriṃśikā: Thirty-Two Tales of the Throne of Vikramaditya by Anonymous

Siṃhāsana Dvātriṃśikā: Thirty-Two Tales of the Throne of Vikramaditya

Anonymous

Sources of Chinese Tradition volume I : From Earliest Times to 1600 by Wm. Theodore de Bary

Sources of Chinese Tradition volume I : From Earliest Times to 1600

Wm. Theodore de Bary

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan by Ivan Morris

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan

Ivan Morris

Complete Recommendations

Member Reviews

Featured Recent Thumbs

All Ratings
2
2

2 reviews

paperloverevolution 246 reviews

I feel slightly weird about giving 4 stars to a book which I found so confusing. It was an enjoyable kind of bafflement, though - delight, wonder, and the thrill of the unexpectedly strange. I love good modern renditions of classics, put in words which a current reader can really get into, but even more I love a translation which preserves the remote and alien strangeness of the past.

Mar 30, 2013

questbird 882 reviews

Mythology. A sort of travelogue-bestiary of Chinese mythological places, including notes about strange creatures of the various mountains. A bit repetitive after a while.

Oct 6, 2013

Ratings

cangjie

May 6, 2025

elucubrare 62 reviews

Apr 26, 2020

All Reviews