eBook - ePub

Birth in Ancient China

Name: Birth in Ancient China
ISBN: 9781438467122

A Study of Metaphor and Cultural Identity in Pre-Imperial China

Constance A. Cook,

Xinhui Luo,

172 pages
English
ePUB (mobile friendly)
Available on iOS & Android

eBook - ePub

Birth in Ancient China

A Study of Metaphor and Cultural Identity in Pre-Imperial China

Constance A. Cook,

Xinhui Luo,

About this book

Using newly discovered and excavated texts, Constance A. Cook and Xinhui Luo systematically explore material culture, inscriptions, transmitted texts, and genealogies from BCE China to reconstruct the role of women in social reproduction in the ancient Chinese world. Applying paleographical, linguistic, and historical analyses, Cook and Luo discuss fertility rituals, birthing experiences, divine conceptions, divine births, and the overall influence of gendered supernatural agencies on the experience and outcome of birth. They unpack a cultural paradigm in which birth is not only a philosophical symbol of eternal return and renewal but also an abiding religious and social focus for lineage continuity. They also suggest that some of the mythical founder heroes traditionally assumed to be male may in fact have had female identities. Students of ancient history, particularly Chinese history, will find this book an essential complement to traditional historical narratives, while the exploration of ancient religious texts, many unknown in the West, provides a unique perspective into the study of the formation of mythology and the role of birthing in early religion.

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Yes, you can access Birth in Ancient China by Constance A. Cook,Xinhui Luo in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Ancient History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.