![]() ![]() According to some Sinologists, there is written evidence in China that aliens visited Earth. The theory that humans obtained some of their knowledge through extraterrestrial beings doesn’t seem improbable in our times. So, nevertheless, what is «Shan Hai Jing»? Is it the list of representatives of flora and fauna, who nobody can understand? Is this information about historical geography or something else? It required a lot of work and mental effort from people, who were already living in hard conditions of haunting for food all day and night… However, it is doubtful that the ancients would have engaged in such a futile work of creating the images of never existing fantastic animals for us. Bizarre animals, reptiles, some unrealistic birds were considered the result of the fantasy of the ancients, who, at first glance, created this world for fun with the purpose of mocking those, who live at the present as if provoking us to solve the puzzle of what it all means. Indeed, a miraculous world, which could not have been invented even by the keenest contemporary fiction writer, was described in the “Catalog”. ![]() It was not included as a part of the canonical books due to its ambiguity. At the end, “Catalog of Mountains and Seas” was classified as mythological work of fiction of ancient Chinese. When writing comments to this treatise, some researchers tried defining the geographical location of natural objects described in it and classifying fantastic flora and fauna. The progeny deemed «Catalog of Mountains and Seas» ambiguous historical geography and flora and fauna book of prehistoric China. However, prior to this, according to historic records, the text of “Catalog of Mountains and Seas” was transcribed and the images of all the miraculous representatives of flora and fauna, spirits, and deities were copied. Later on, these sacred jars were lost under vague circumstances. As a result, all of these «notes» together with drawings of deities, magical animals, birds, and plants were engraved on nine ritual tripod jars. It was he, who ordered his official to describe everything they have seen. This dynamic ruler studied mountains and rivers he also came to know their deities, animals, and plants. The legend claims that Yu the Great quelled the great Deluge, which fell upon Earth, and that he established the national order. He was an official of the mythical ruler Yu the Great and, according to legends, he lived around 21 century BC. ![]() Boyi was credited as the creator of this significant treatise, which contained secret knowledge. It was essential to ascribe the authorship as was required by ancient Chinese tradition. Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-292) and index.Ancient and modern scholars cannot explain where this knowledge came from, who collected it and put it in the book called “Shan Hai Jing” – “Catalog of Mountains and Seas”.All seventy-six of those plates are reproduced here for the first time, and they provide a fine example of the Chinese engraver's art during the late Ming dynasty"-Back cover. The Guideways may have been illustrated from the start, but the earliest surviving illustrations are woodblock engravings from a rare 1597 edition. Today, it is regarded as the richest repository of ancient Chinese mythology and shamanistic wisdom. The work was originally used as a sacred geography, as a guidebook for travelers, and as a book of omens. Richard Strassberg brings the Guideways to life for modern readers by weaving together translations from the work itself with information from other texts and recent archaeological finds to create a lavishly illustrated guide to the imaginative world of early China." "Unlike the bestiaries of the late medieval period in Europe, the Guideways was not interpreted allegorically the strange creatures described in it were regarded as actual entities found throughout the landscape. The text also represents a wide range of beliefs held by the ancient Chinese. The Guideways through Mountains and Seas, compiled between the fourth and first centuries, B.C.E., contains descriptions of hundreds of fantastic denizens of mountains, rivers, islands, and seas, along with minerals, flora, and medicine. "A Chinese Bestiary presents a fascinating pageant of mythical creatures from a unique and enduring cosmography written in ancient China. English.īerkeley : University of California Press, 2018, ©2002, xxii, 313 pages : illustrations, maps 26 cm ![]()
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