Editing Chinese mythology (section)

===First dynasties===
The first three dynasties have especial significance in mythology.

====Xia dynasty====
{{Further|Xia dynasty}}
The Xia dynasty is the first dynasty in traditional [[Chinese historiography]] as known through literary accounts. However, many of these accounts contain elements of a clearly semi-mythological, and in some versions completely mythological or fanciful. The founding mythology of the early dynasties tends to have certain common general features, including the divine assistance obtained in the founding and the reasons for it. The fighter of the Great Flood, [[Yu the Great|Yu "the Great"]] had served Yao and Shun and they enfeoffed him as the Prince of Xia, an area of land.{{sfn|Wu|1982|p=106}} Upon Yu's death questions arose regarding the method of imperial succession, which would be a key factor as an example for Chinese culture for millennia. The question was who would succeed Yu upon his death. It could be his son, [[Qi of Xia]], also known as Kai, or the deputy that competently and diligently helped in the work against the great flood, a mighty hunter who helped feed the people during a time when agriculture had been rendered impossible, [[Yi (husbandman)|Bo Yi]]. The mythological variants are much concerned with the relative merits between the two. Qi's succession broke the previous convention of [[meritocracy|meritorious]] succession in favor of hereditary succession, thus initiating a dynastic tradition.{{sfn|Wu|1982|pp=116–117}} The new dynasty was called "Xia" after Yu's centre of power.

====Shang dynasty====
{{Further|Shang dynasty}}
The Shang dynasty is the earliest dynasty of traditional Chinese history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Yet, as in common with the founding of Xia, there is mythological material regarding how the previous dynasty turned to evil and unworthy ways, and the founder (of miraculous birth or ancestry) overthrew it. The mythology of the Shang dynasty is distinct from philosophical and historical accounts. Significant mythology includes the origin of its founders, the miraculous birth by [[Jiandi]] of Shang founder Qi, also known as [[Xie of Shang]], after she became pregnant upon swallowing or holding in her bosom a bird's egg.{{sfn|Yang|An|Turner|2005|pp=148–150, 186}} After several generations, Xie (or Qi)'s descendant Tang became king of Shang by overthrowing [[Jie of Xia|Jie]], the last king of the Xia dynasty, said to be a very drunken and bloodthirsty tyrant. The fifth book of the philosopher [[Mozi]] describes the end of the Xia dynasty and the beginning of the Shang:
{{blockquote|During the reign of King Jie of Xia, there was a great climatic change. Legends hold that the paths of the sun and moon changed, the seasons became confused, and the [[Five Cereals (China)|five grains]] dried up. Ghouls cried in the country and cranes shrieked for ten nights. Heaven ordered [[Tang of Shang|Shang Tang]] to receive the heavenly commission from the Xia dynasty, which had failed morally and which Heaven was determined to end. Shang Tang was commanded to destroy Xia with the promise of Heaven's help. In the dark, Heaven destroyed the fortress' pool, and Shang Tang then gained victory easily ([http://ctext.org/mozi/condemnation-of-offensive-war-iii {{lang|zh|非攻下}} Condemnation of Offensive War III, by Mozi]).}}

After discussing the end of Xia and the beginning of Shang, Mozi describes the end of Shang and the beginning of the succeeding Zhou dynasty:
{{blockquote|During the reign of [[King Zhou of Shang|Shang Zhòu]], Heaven could not endure Zhòu's morality and neglect of timely sacrifices. It rained mud for ten days and nights, the nine cauldrons shifted positions, supernatural prodigies appeared, and ghosts cried at night. There were women who became men while it rained flesh and thorny brambles, covering the national highways. A red bird brought a message: "Heaven decrees [[King Wen of Zhou]] to punish Yin and possess its empire". The Yellow River formed charts and the earth brought forth mythical horses. When [[King Wu of Zhou|King Wu]] became king, three gods appeared to him in a dream, telling him that they had drowned Shang Zhòu in wine and that King Wu was to attack him. On the way back from victory, the heavens gave him the emblem of a yellow bird.}}

The mythological events surrounding the end of the Shang dynasty and the establishment of the Zhou greatly influenced the subject and story told in the popular novel ''[[Investiture of the Gods]]''.

====Founding of the Zhōu dynasty====
The origins of the Ji dynastic founding family of the [[Zhōu dynasty]] is replete with mythological material, going back to its legendary founder [[Houji]] (who was originally named Qi, but a different Qi than the Shang founder known as Xie or Qi). Myths about Houji include those of his mythical origins, of which there are two main myths. The end of the Shang overlaps the rise of the Zhōu, so there is shared material. Once established, the Zhōu were characterized by their volume of literature, in the beginning much of it justifying their overthrow of the Shang. However, it was not long before much historical material appeared, of a rational, rationalized, philosophical, or otherwise non-mythological nature.

=====Bagua=====
{{Main|Bagua}}

One of the main legacies of the rise of Zhou was the dissemination of the classic book ''[[I Ching]]'', however the eight trigrams must be from a far earlier period than [[King Wen of Zhou|Wengong]], and even more than the editing and commentary by Confucius – mythology references the [[culture hero]] sometimes named [[Fuxi]].{{sfn|Legge|1963|loc=Introduction}}{{sfn|Siu|1968|loc="Preface" and "Introduction to the ''I Ching''"}}