Asian Mythology

Kevin Putra

ASPA 487

28 January 2014

Similarity of themes in Korean, Japanese and Chinese myths

The similarity of myths that is present in Korean, Japanese and Chinese myths mainly has to do with the relation to nature, animal imagery and how kingship come to be.

In nature the Korean myth explains how the sun came to be by a godly power turning a sister into the sun and the brother into the moon and this is the same with Chinese myth where pangu a god dies, his eyes become the sun and the moon. This is also the same central theme of gods making of nature like in Japanese where Amaterasu was born from a higher power and the moon as well.

Another similarity is the animal imagery used in these myths. These animals are used as representation of the sky, the land, and water where each has a symbolic meaning. Korean, Chinese and Japanese myths also explains how kings come to be. For example, in Chinese myths, it is explained that the emperor is granted kingship by the jade emperor and in Japanese myths, the king is appointed because he has the blood of a god which explains why he in the throne. In Korean myths, the king is the descendant of the heavenly ruler that came down to earth. It is also present that in Kingship origin of all these myths, the jewel, sword and the mirror is present to represent kingship.

Thus, the similarities between these myths is the explanations of nature how the sun and moon came to be, symbolism of animals and how the kings are appointed in the coutry.