LEADER 03930nam 22006854a 450 001 9910455639503321 005 20211027235054.0 010 $a0-520-92278-6 010 $a1-59734-532-6 024 7 $a10.1525/9780520922785 035 $a(CKB)111087027175476 035 $a(EBL)223215 035 $a(OCoLC)475927297 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000121458 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)11130275 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000121458 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10115269 035 $a(PQKB)11458544 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC3038171 035 $a(DE-B1597)543188 035 $a(DE-B1597)9780520922785 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC223215 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL3038171 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10051181 035 $a(OCoLC)1163878127 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL223215 035 $a(EXLCZ)99111087027175476 100 $a20020604d2002 ub 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurnn#---|u||u 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 12$aA Chinese bestiary$b[electronic resource] $estrange creatures from the guideways through mountains and seas = [Shan hai jing] /$fedited and translated with commentary by Richard E. Strassberg 205 $aReprint 2019 210 $aBerkeley $cUniversity of California Press$dc2002 215 $a1 online resource (339 p.) 300 $a"Philip E. Lilienthal Asian studies endowment." 300 $aParallel title in Chinese characters. 311 0 $a0-520-29851-9 311 0 $a0-520-21844-2 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. 273-292) and index. 327 $tFront matter --$tContents --$tIllustrations --$tPreface --$tEditorial Notes --$tIntroduction --$tPLATES I TO LXXVI FROM THE --$tNotes --$tSelected Bibliography --$tGlossary Index to Plates 330 $aA Chinese Bestiary presents a fascinating pageant of mythical creatures from a unique and enduring cosmography written in ancient China. 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. The text also represents a wide range of beliefs held by the ancient Chinese. 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 work was originally used as a sacred geography, as a guidebook for travelers, and as a book of omens. Today, it is regarded as the richest repository of ancient Chinese mythology and shamanistic wisdom. The Guideways may have been illustrated from the start, but the earliest surviving illustrations are woodblock engravings from a rare 1597 edition. 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. This beautiful volume, compiled by a well-known specialist in the field, provides a fascinating window on the thoughts and beliefs of an ancient people, and will delight specialists and general readers alike. 517 3 $aShan hai jing 606 $aMythology, Chinese 606 $aFolklore$zChina 607 $aChina$xDescription and travel 608 $aElectronic books. 615 0$aMythology, Chinese. 615 0$aFolklore 676 $a951 701 $aStrassberg$b Richard E$0640373 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910455639503321 996 $aA Chinese bestiary$92462899 997 $aUNINA