The Birth of Humanity

This volume is a rich ethnographic study of the emergence and features of anthropogenic mythology for all fifty-five official ethnic minorities in China. Anthropogenic mythology consists of myths and folklore about the birth of humanity as a group, species, ethnic, and surname origins, and also myths of individual origins, including the birth of cultural heroes and iconic figures. Mythologies on the origins of clans, tribes and ethnic groups are observed and analyzed through various motifs. This book highlights the unique characteristics, as well as shared commonalities, of mythological motifs.