Birth in Ancient China
A Study of Metaphor and Cultural Identity in Pre-Imperial China
eBook Features
-
Read Anywhere
Read your book anywhere, on any device, through RedShelf's cloud based eReader.
-
Digital Notes and Study Tools
Built-in study tools include highlights, study guides, annotations, definitions, flashcards, and collaboration.
-
Text-to-Speech Compatible
Have the book read to you!
-
Offline Access
(
100% )
The publisher of this book allows a portion of the content to be used offline.
-
Copy/Paste
(
20% )
The publisher of this book allows a portion of the content to be copied and pasted into external tools and documents.
Additional Book Details
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.
| ISBNs | 1438467125, 9781438467122, 9781438467115 |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 172 |