The Generation and Cultural Connotation of the Myth of “Hou Yi Shooting the Suns”

Abstract

The generation of the myth of “Hou Yi shooting the suns” was neither a linear derivation process nor a linear interpretation within a single category of texts. Rather, it was a process of collection, reorganization, and integration of multiple discourse sources and complex threads. In this process, the story of “Hou Yi shooting the suns” absorbed a variety of knowledge, concepts, and discourse, including enduring cultural traditions, fictionalized historical narratives, social experiences such as drought relief, and real-life elements. It was also shaped by the values of Confucianism, Mohism, and Daoism. The cultural construction of the myth involved the recognition of historical events, the aggregation of knowledge and concepts, the refinement of discourse, and the articulation of values pursued by the elite. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the myth was eventually associated with the governance philosophy of Emperor Yao, marking the complete cultural connotation of the early narrative.

Keywords

Hou Yi shooting the suns / images / narratives of Emperor Yao / knowledge production / cultural value

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Higher Education Press