Mythical Animals Research Articles

National-cultural content of Chinese phraseologisms

The article is devoted to analysis of Chinese phraseological units as carriers of the embodiment of universal and unique cultural information. The author explores the national and cultural content of a number of Chinese phraseological units, which are based on the symbolic meaning of plants (meihua, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, pinetree), real and mythical animals (dragon, phoenix, tortoise, qilin, tiger).The relevance of the work is due to the necessity of study Chinese idioms from the point of linguoculturological approach, to define the cultural connotation contained in these phraseological units. Chinese phraseological units containing Chinese characters representing plants and animals are being studied in the aspect of their representation of national and cultural content. Revealing the national and cultural connotations reflected in Chinese idioms, the author actualizes the content of nationally specific concepts that are important in the traditional culture of the Chinese people. The conducted research pragmatically contributes to the effectiveness of intercultural communication, especially in the context of modern global sociocultural transformations. The study of the semantics of phraseological units is illustrated by examples from literary works in ancient Chinese and modern Chinese and examples from Chinese sentence writing sites. The study of the semanteme of phraseological units is illustrated by examples from literary works in ancient Chinese and modern Chinese and examples from Chinese sentence writing sites. The author concludes that phraseological units represent the national and cultural content of the world image of the Chinese people, demonstrating their traditions, customs, history and worldview.

Innovative Interpretation and Cultural Inheritance of Traditional Mythical Animal Totems in Modern Design from a Semiotic Perspective

Innovative Interpretation and Cultural Inheritance of Traditional Mythical Animal Totems in Modern Design from a Semiotic Perspective

Literature in the Face of War: ‘Not Our’, ‘Our’, and ‘Everyone’s’ War

Through literary analysis, comparative and memory studies, the article focuses on the works of Lithuanian fiction on the theme of the Great War (1914–1918), which became a prerequisite for the establishment of the Lithuanian nation­state. The aim of the article was to show different attitudes towards the war, convey the develop­ ment of collective consciousness, and present a summary assessment of the war as a spiritual shock and a global event of memory. The works selected for analysis be­ long to the contemporaries of the Great War: the classics of Lithuanian literature who stand out for their artistic maturity in the context of their war­themed works. In the first months of the war, Vaižgantas, one of the leaders of the national revival, published the allegorical story ‘Karo slibinas’ (The Dragon of War) in a periodical. The story conveys the horror and the scale of the war that had engulfed humani­ ty. The war dragon is a mythical animal that resurrects time after time and begins hunting people down without any measure or mercy. People are hypnotised by its power; they voluntarily send their children, brothers, and husbands to the jaws of the dragon.
 Soon after, Antanas Vienuolis’s short stories ‘Didysis karas’ (The Great War), ‘Mirtinai sužeistas’ (Mortally Wounded), and ‘Karžygis’ (A Hero) also appeared in a periodical. In ‘The Great War’, the war appears vile and not ‘great’ at all, destroying peasants’ usual environment and cynically killing those who failed to realise where they were running or why they were at war. In the second short story, the central character suffers a psychological shock because he cannot reconcile his romantic im­ agination of high German culture with the brutal behaviour of the Germans he has to experience when he is suspected of espionage. Disturbed consciousness disrupts the life of the gifted young man. The way the writer conveys the tragedy of the ‘little’ man resonates with the image created in the literature of the Great War.
 A different panoramic and epic picture of the world opens in Maironis’s poem Mūsų vargai (Our Troubles) completed in 1919. The national poet of Lithuania cre­ ates a verse novel about the war in which he highlights its most important events and identifies those that are directly related to Lithuania. In Maironis’s poem, all the suffering, calamities, deaths, expulsion of the peasants to the depths of Russia, and the misery of the prisoners in war camps acquire the meaning of noble suffer­ ing that leads to the final salvation: in the final scene, the main characters celebrate their wedding, and Lithuania becomes an independent state. Thus, the war that was ‘not ours’ turns into ‘our war’ in Maironis’s work. The independence of Lithuania was Maironis’s lifelong dream which he believed in and which he conveyed in his entire work. This poem and especially its final scene in the Vatican, where the Pope blesses the marriage of the main protagonists as well as the young state of Lithuania is a symbolical expression of the spiritual triumph of the poet.
 Still another type of a relationship with war opens up in Vydūnas’s drama Pasaulio gaisras (The World on Fire). This is an analysis of the phenomenon of war on micro and macro levels and a reflection on it in a dramatic form: here, the life­affirming procreative female civilization conflicts with the life­denying, male, killing civiliza­ tion. In this work, Vydūnas’s main idea and his concept of the human in history are most clearly articulated.
 The cruel and alien war in the works of Vaižgantas and Vienuolis undergoes a change in Maironis’s drama, where it is somewhat ‘domesticated’, transformed into ‘our’ war, endured yet meaningful. In Vydūnas’s drama, war is a litmus test revealing human­ ity’s greatest moral flaws but also expressing the noblest feelings at the same time. Until now, Lithuanian literature of the Great War has not been approached as a single phenomenon of memory: this study fills this gap at least partially. Observing Russia’s war against Ukraine, it must be noted that war and literature have been insepara­ ble since the time of Homer, and the nations bordering on Russia in the west have to constantly defend their independence with arms. It seems that humanity is still dealing with the problems of war and peace that were the same a hundred years ago. Much has been achieved in terms of security and stability but not everything: the ideal coexistence of nations on the planet remains a collective desire and ideal.

Barongsai Form and Color at the Cap Go Meh Festival in Singkawang City

The aim of this study is to identify the significance of the visual elements of the Barongsai In Singkawang City, West Kalimantan during the Cap Go Meh festival. Qualitative methodologies were used to perform research on the Barongsai visual aspects. Observation, interviews, and documentation are used to acquire data. Due to the predominantly Chinese population, Singkawang City is also known as Amoy City. One of the inherited legacies of art and culture in Singkawang City that is still being preserved today is the Barongsai Dancing Art, which can be seen at the annual Chinese New Year celebrations planned by the Chinese community. According to research, the Barongsai is a mythical animal from Chinese mythology that resembles a lion and comes in two forms: the North Lion and the South Lion. Each form has a distinct meaning based on the visual elements it has. The findings of this study can help comprehend how each Lion Dance performed at the Cap Go Meh festival differs from one another in order to show respect for one of Indonesia's cultural traditions. This study was conducted in the hopes that it will be useful to researchers who study lion dances in the future. It can be concluded that the visual components of the lion dance are created by paying attention to their beauty as well as considering every meaning that will be associated with them.

The Buddhist Banner: Identity and Aestheticism in the Dimension of Meaning Reflection on the Tai Lue Ethnic Group Education

Tung, the Buddhist banner of the Tai Lue ethnic group (TLEG), has been used for many types of worship and rituals of TLEG living in northern Thailand from the past to the present. Thus, Tung is a symbol that reflects the beliefs and faiths of TLEG. This research aimed to study the characteristics and aestheticism of Tung in the dimension reflecting the beliefs and faiths of TLEG. The in-depth data and information were obtained from the observations and interviews from the key informants, such as the leaders of communities, local philosophers, and Tung weavers of TLEG in Chiang Kham, Phayao, Thailand. It showed that commonly the characteristic shape of Tai Lue Tung is a vertical rectangle that has characteristic patterns that can be divided into three groups: 1) real-world and mythical animals, 2) plants, and 3) utensils and castles, which reflect the stories handed down from the past to the present. Additionally, the aestheticism of Tung takes place through three factors: 1) beliefs and faiths, 2) merit and gratitude, and 3) creativity and imagination from the Tung weavers’ experiences obtained from the compositions and arrangements of all patterns based on the principles of visual elements. This study can be implied into curriculum and learning about Tai cultural education.

Motif Seni Hias Koleksi Cutam Di Jabatan Muzium Malaysia

This writing is a report on the study of niello’s collection motif that has been carried out in five locations, namely the National Museum, the Perak Museum, the Malay World Ethnology Museum, the National Textile Museum and the repository of the Collection Management Division, Department of Museums Malaysia. Niello is a decorative art technique applied to gold, silver and copper carpentry. Niello is a black alloy that is used to fill in carved decorations with the aim of giving attractiveness and a contrasting color to silver items. The community recognizes the niello technique or translated into English as niello or nielloware based on the blue and dark blue colors that result on the surface of gold, silver and copper carpentry carvings. This study of motifs of decorative art was carried out in order to identify the motifs found in niello’s collection. As a result, a total of 127 of niello’s collections in the five locations have been identified and categorized into 18 types of material culture. From the 18 types of cultural equipment, the researcher has made observations and classified the samples into four motif themes, namely plant motifs, animal motifs, Hindu-Buddhist figure motifs and Arabic inscription motifs. The researcher's observations of each sample are made with references from book sources, field studies, journals and also interviews with the respondents. The results of the study show that motifs with Hindu-Buddhist influence such as mythical animal motifs (garuda, kinnari and kinnara, kochasri and others), 12 zodiac animal motifs, lotus-based plant motifs (kranok, dao klip bua and lai dok bua , lai bai bua, dok lai and kan bai bua), jasmine flowers and cotton flowers as well as 3 Hindu Buddhist religious figures (Rama, Hanuman and the deity Theppanom) were found in the collection of cutam at the five locations of the study. Also found is three niello pending with Arabic number inscription motif.

Animal Imagery in Eastern Han Tomb Reliefs from Shanbei 陝北

Wild and fantastical animals climb, fly, scamper, and prance across pictorial stone carvings decorating Eastern Han tomb doors in northern Shaanxi. Alongside dragons and other mythical animals, bears felicitously dance, tigers grin opening their mouths to roar, and other wild animals frolic in swirling cloudscapes. While the same animals can be found in Eastern Han tomb reliefs and mortuary art in other regions, their frequency, emphasis on plasticity and movement, and combination with the yunqi 雲氣 motif are unique to the region. Originating in a hybrid style of art that was created during the Mid-Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE), their significance was dependent not so much on any individual creature but on their display as an assemblage of shared forms, behaviors, and habitats. This paper explores how Eastern Han patrons and artists in Shanbei reinvigorated such imagery. It argues that on tomb doors through the region, these same wild and fantastical animals have become a key element of compositions meant to pacify the potentially dangerous realms that awaited the deceased in their postmortem ascension to Heaven (tian 天).

Bestiary of Pskov Chronicles Of XV–XVII Centuries: Images of People, Enemies, Wealth and Favorite Curses of Pskov Chroniclers

The article deals with the meanings and contexts of animal name mentions in the allegorical way in the text of Pskov chronicles and narratives. Allegorical mentions of domestic, wild, and exotic animals, as well as the use of epithets associated with animals are analyzed. The sources of literary borrowings referring to exotic and mythical animals such as asp, crocodile, camel, are investigated. The author concludes that chronicles and literary texts are not sufficiently informative to identify historical realities of everyday life associated with animals. At the same time, the sources provide rich ground for the study of expressive expressions in Pskov political rhetoric, historical and moral literature, and vividly characterize the worldview and figurative world of the inhabitants of the borderlands.

Reconnecting to the Great Civilisation: The Strategy of Revitalising the Hakka Unicorn Dance in Hong Kong’s Hang Hau through the Intangible Cultural Heritage System

The Hakka unicorn dance, with reference to mythical animals in the great Chinese tradition, was developed by the Hakka people in Guangdong for religious and societal purposes. This dancing tradition was brought by Hakka migrants to Hong Kong in the eighteenth century. Most Hakka villages established their own unicorn dance troupes to serve the needs of their local village communities. Since the 1960s, however, this local tradition has been under the threat of vanishing due to the loss of young players and the rapid urbanisation process. With the Hakka unicorn dance in Hang Hau, Hong Kong, being named as an item on the Chinese national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2014, an opportunity to conserve the unicorn dance became available to the villagers. In the process of revitalisation, the Hakka villagers emphasised the authentic cultural meanings of their unicorn dance and defined their tradition as an inherently Chinese one that aligned with the national framework.

Origin of Symmetrical Composition in Decorative Art of the Viking Age

For the first time, a symmetrical composition with figures of a deity standing on the godsof carnivorous animals appeared in the Middle Eastern art of the III–II millennium B.C. In the Mycenaean era, this composition became known to adherents of Hellenic art, who realized it both in painting and sculpture. This composition realizes the idea of their authors striving to convey to recipients the concept of the power of the depicted deity and his power over the animal world. A symmetrical composition with standing predatory animals, which is a clear
 oriental innovation in the art of ancient Europe, was not represented on our continent in ancient and Hellenistic times. As a result of the gradual increase in the eastern influence on the art of late Rome, symmetry again became known to Europeans in
 the products of provincial-Roman masters of the 5th century A.D. In late antiquity, goldsmiths in the Roman provinces used this composition on the parts of military belt sets. These images became models for the ancient German masters who represented
 the God Wotan / Odin surrounded by mythical animals and birds dedicated to him.
 The decorative art of the Viking Age, alien to symmetry, retains it only in the plot of the pagan canon «Odin and the Crows». Variants of this «pagan icon», realized in the decorative art of the Viking Age, came to an end in the Germanic world of a
 composition with symmetrically located predators, which began in the Ancient East
 in Akkadian time. In this case, we have a unique example of the multi-thousand-year existence of the pictorial motive, used by jewelers and stonecutters to make impressive images of mystical creatures. The predators surrounding them were intended to
 symbolize the unearthly power of the deities.In Byzantium, a symmetrical composition remained relevant until the XIV
 century. Modern and contemporary historypreserves paired images of predators in heraldic and architectural compositions. However, their genetic relationship with Ancient Eastern images requires additional study.

Note from the Editor

Note from the Editor Sem Vermeersch, Editor-in-chief This issue of the Seoul Journal of Korean Studies opens with a theme issue on "Hallyu Storytelling in the Americas." It is the outcome of a panel organized by Wonjung MIN for the fourteenth Kyujanggak International Symposium on Korean Studies (Nov. 4–6, 2021). Together with Dal Yong JIN, Professor Min introduces the fruits of this panel in a guest editors' introduction, so I do not need to add anything here on the contents of the four articles from the panel that made it to publication. It is exciting to see the development of critical Hallyu studies as a distinct field within Korean Studies, and I look forward to the future results of Symposium panels in these pages. This issue also includes four other articles. The first of these is by Maurizio RIOTTO, who has carved out his own niche in Korean Studies: Namely, the exploration of ancient connections between Korea and the West. Earlier, in Volume 33, no. 1 (2020) he explored the similarities between the legend of King Gyeongmun's donkey ears and the famous King Midas. Here he turns his attention to the legend of Aryeong, the consort of Pak Hyeokgeose, one of the progenitors of Silla. According to the Samguk yusa version of her legend, she was born from the left side of a dragon and had the beak of a hen rather than a mouth—hence the term "hen-dragon" (gyeryong). However, the author shows that this element of the legend may have derived from stories about the basilisk, a mythical animal already found in Greco-Roman sources with possible earlier antecedents, that somehow made their way to Silla. The second article, by Dylan MOTIN, questions traditional explanations of Korea's loss of sovereignty in the early twentieth century. Rather than blaming this on the failure to modernize, the author uses international relations theory to explain how a weak state such as Joseon Korea sought to shift the burden of its protection to a foreign ally. This strategy, which the author refers to as "buck passing," was successful for much of the initial period of the forced opening of Korea in the second half of the nineteenth century. However, after the defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, there was no one left to pass the buck to. The [End Page v] author points to the shifting geopolitical situation of early twentieth-century Europe, where the rise of Germany preoccupied all the other Western powers, as a reason for the eventual failure of this strategy. The third article also seeks new methodologies to explain a long-standing point of debate, namely, how was it possible that Hahoe alone managed to preserve its traditional buildings and environment where the rest of Korea's traditional villages were erased? The authors, Chong Min KIM, Tae Gyun PARK, and Ju YIM, turn to game theory to explain how and why the actors involved make decisions in the debate over whether or not to preserve the village. The authors divide the people concerned into market-oriented and tradition-oriented agents, and postulate a theoretical framework that explains the crucial tipping points in favor of preservation during the transition period from traditional to modern society. Finally, Eunhee PARK looks at the way the Vietnam War impacted the "home front." While the horrors and trauma of the war were not openly discussed in media or literature, the underlying tensions were projected onto the women who stayed behind. While the men who return from the war reveal little of the psychological impact of the war, they return to find their partners had not been faithful. This stereotypical image of the unfaithful wife offers them a chance at redemption, yet it obliterates the agency and subjectivity of women in their media and literary representations. This will be the last "Note from the Editor" I write. From the next issue, Professor John DiMoia (History Department, Seoul National University) will take over as editor-in-chief. I started writing these notes when assuming editorship for Volume 30 (2017). I am not certain why, but, perhaps inspired by the example of the Journal of Asian Studies, it...

Russian Translation of the Quran, Printed in 1716: Problems of Studying

The paper deals with key issues related to the study of the Russian translation of the Quran, printed in St. Petersburg in 1716. The article provides information about the French and Dutch editions of the Du Ryer translation of 1647. Their structure is compared with the structure of the Russian translation. The possibility of obtaining a French edition from both France and the Netherlands is considered. The question is raised about the possibility of the Russian translator acquaintance with the Dutch version made by J.H. Glazenmaker. However the presence of chapter numbering and correct transmission of the description of the mythical animal Burak in the Dutch translation show that the Dutch translation was not used by the Russian translator. Three stages of working on the Russian translation are differentiated. This raises the problem of identifying the nature of the original Russian translation and the method of work of an anonymous translator on the French text.

Centaury Andrieja Biełego

Andrei Bely, like most Russian symbolists, absorbed and transposed mythical characters and stories into his work, especially those born in the ancient times. Centaurs derive their origins from Greek mythology and are most often presented as hybrid creatures (half man, half animal). In Bely’s view, they become a symbol of the dual nature of man who struggles with suffering resulting from the simultaneous belonging to two worlds: humans and animals, matter and senses, spirituality and dark urges. In Bely’s works, the image of these mythical animals serves as an element of an artistic game with the recipient (by analogy to the “games of centaurs”), in the course of which it becomes possible to read the artist’s attitude to the myth about these animals, to the surrounding reality, and finally – to oneself. The myth itself reveals its philosophical, psychological and hermeneutical potential. That is why in Bely’s works the presence of centaurs has a multidimensional character, built on the interpenetration of the tame and the alien, tempered and wild, real and cosmic. All this determines the transgressive quality of the myth of centaurs in the work of the Russian symbolist.

Asbestos and Salamander in India

Abstract The present paper, an homage to B. Laufer’s “Asbestos and Salamander” (1915), adds South Asia to the story of a remarkable Eurasian cultural meme meant to explain the presence of fire-proof cloth after its manufacturing technology was forgotten, namely that asbestos was the fur of a mythical animal. I argue that none of our Sanskrit dictionaries contain the correct meaning of the term agniśauca, which does indeed mean asbestos. The widely shared motif explains why in Sanskrit literature too we have animals (a nondescript mṛga) by the same name. I examine textual passages from kāvya, purāṇas, as well as Buddhist sūtras and śāstras, to elucidate this topic. I also cite some evidence that in the period between the 9th and the 11th c. some areas of India still possessed knowledge of asbestos manufacturing. However, as for where and when the correlation was first made, I must leave the question open.

Why the Kanak Don't Fear Sharks: Myths as a Coherent but Dangerous Mirror of Nature

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the important role of sharks in the Melanesian mythology. Based on unpublished stories essentially originating from New Caledonia, we show how strong the links are between myths and the physical environment in which Kanak live. As prevalent mythical animals, sharks can indifferently play the role of avengers and righters of wrongs, or vehicles for the spirits of living or dead people. They can be either allies or enemies in wars, and their role as potential man‐killers is never overlooked. However, when humans are attacked and killed by a shark, it is always for a material reason: the victim broke a rule or a tabu, the shark was an enemy, the sharks withdrew protection, the event allowed a pregnant woman to reach a new territory, etc. Beyond arbitrary metaphysical justifications, such perceptions reflect respect for social and natural order. For Kanak ni‐Vanuatu and other Pacific Islander peoples, sharks are part of a coherent Nature that includes natural and social hazards. In the quest for sustainable development of the planet, more in harmony with Nature, so‐called ‘developed societies’ might draw inspiration from such perceptions. Indigenous understandings could also help change the globally negative perception of sharks, and support shark conservation efforts in Oceania and worldwide.

English translations of the Japanese folkloremes in the English-language translations: cultural-cognitive asymmetry

The subject of this research is the linguocultural and cognitive aspects of the original Japanese folkloremes (names of fairy characters, mythical objects, and mythical animals) and their English correlates. The authors refer to folklore as a source of profound understanding of cultural connotation, cultural beliefs, cultural distinctness, traditions and customs. The methodological equivalence of linguistic and cultural-cognitive aspects of folkloremes is underlined. The goal of this work consists in determination of the formal and conceptual transformations of Japanese folkloremes in English translation of a Japanese tale. Folkloremes of a Japanese tale have not previously been an object of special research. Comparison of the text of Japanese folk tale and its English analogue demonstrates the cultural-cognitive asymmetry between Japanese folkloremes and their English correlates. Three types of Japanese folkloremes (unique; possessing distinct characteristics; and having cultural-specific associations) determine different techniques of their translation into the English language and various types of transformations of their conceptual content. Cognitive asymmetry of Japanese and Anglo-Saxon cultures substantiate the insufficient understanding and accentuation in English texts of the Japanese important cultural dominant – social and age hierarchism, as well as the enduring significance of image of the emperor and imperial power associated with this dominant.

Seals from Argishtikhinili-Armavir

Seals were unearthed in the eastern and western fortresses of Argishtikhinili, as well as in sarcophagus, urn, and pithos burials of the necropolis adjacent to the western fortress. Argishtikhinili (western fortress) is the only place where half-made seals of various stones have been found. The discovered Urartian seals belong to the cone-shaped, bell-shaped, truncated cone and truncated pyramid types. There are also single samples made of bone; these are seals in the shape of a lion’s paw, in the form of a narrowing pole and a piece of a horn with samples of five sculpted impresses. There were also Assyrian glazed faience cylinder seals found with images of an archer, dragon and standard with a crescent. The Urartian seals are made of various types of stone and bone. On the base of the cone-/bell-shaped types of seals there were depictions of a horse, goat, the winged disc of the Sun and a griffon. Rituals at the Tree of Life and a procession of mythical animals are pictured on the samples with scenery composition. Stamps on the various ceramic vessels testify to the use of numerous other seals. The presented seals most probably were used concurrently and have been dated to the 8th-6th centuries BC.

SOUTHERN SHAOLIN DRAGON FIST: EVOLVING FIGHTING SKILLS AND METHODOLOGY FROM THE MYTHICAL TO ACTUAL REALITY

Chinese Kung Fu has a long history, dating back to ancient times of China. Shaolin tradition is very connected to Chan Buddhism, its philosophy and way of living. Early ancestors of Shaolin Temple did many observations on nature and developed some Wushu forms imitating animals (leopard, praying mantis, tiger, eagle, snake, Etc.) Although their most animal forms are based on real, physically available animals they did not hesitate to create forms on mythical creatures as well, such as dragon. The dragon form studied in this article is considered as a part of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu. However, there are many dragon forms in the North and South and it is better to realize this plurality while conducting research. This form is a sample of these various forms, even styles are named after the mythical animal of dragon. The form is comprehensively explained with enough visuals and this is an easy to follow instructional narration for each level of martial arts practitioners. Article visualizations:

A Study of the Application of Chinese Four Mythical Animals in Stationery Design

A Study of the Application of Chinese Four Mythical Animals in Stationery Design

Basilisk (cockatrice) and its symbolism in the general and south Slavic context

The paper deals with the genesis of the image and the symbolism of one of the most striking figures in the imagined medieval bestiary - basilisk, and its related mythical animals - cockatrice, serpent's king, abraxas, both in the general and South Slavic context. An analysis of written sources, from antiquity to medieval and early modern epoch, the folk tradition, as well as artistic representations, show that basilisk and its related forms, emerged through joining the elements of the snake / dragon and the cock / bird. Although essentially ambivalent, they had essentially positive symbolism by representing the driving force and activity, the overcoming of opposites, the establishment of integrity, and the complexity of human nature and cosmic synthesis.