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I've been wanting to read De Groot's books on the Religion of China for several years now. Unfortunately you could never find them for sale for less than a few hundred dollars each and regular libraries won't let you check them out. So I was very happy to find them at SOAS. The first book is all about Burial customs, which I do want to read but I skipped first to book 2 which is all about belief about the soul.
The books were written in the 19th Century, and De Groot has spent a years in China collecting folktales and studying classical Chinese. So these books are a fascinating look at what can be considered, folk tales, superstitions, and supernatural tales. Most of the book is direct translations from written sources, which he references, and then includes the classical Chinese for everything he quotes! I wish more modern authors were so diligent.
Unfortunately he does say in the introduction how most of his notes on tales told to him ended up in the bin, as they were only here say and not to be relied on as actual sources! A belief that has since changed and oral sources and now acceptable, it's sad to think about what was lost then.
His basic premise for the book is that Chinese religion is purely animistic and goes about translating a bunch of different stories in support of his theory. His theory is rather weak and he makes no differentiation between WHEN something was written, where, who the author was, what the intention was or anything really. If it's a written source he accepts it as something all Chinese people have always believed. A bad way to prove a point but in a way it doesn't matter as it's still an astounding collection of tales.
Book 2 Volume 1 has some fascinating material, werewolves, and all sorts of animal/human transformations, Stories about tree spirits and plant spirits, Horrible ingredients used in medicine and lastly he starts to talk about ghosts and spirits.
The book is a lot of fun. I've since found that it has finally been reprinted and each volume is only about 15 pounds each. I think I shall have to make that investment when I have money again. I just hope I can fit the rest of the volumes in as well as my "More Serious" reading for my program.
The books were written in the 19th Century, and De Groot has spent a years in China collecting folktales and studying classical Chinese. So these books are a fascinating look at what can be considered, folk tales, superstitions, and supernatural tales. Most of the book is direct translations from written sources, which he references, and then includes the classical Chinese for everything he quotes! I wish more modern authors were so diligent.
Unfortunately he does say in the introduction how most of his notes on tales told to him ended up in the bin, as they were only here say and not to be relied on as actual sources! A belief that has since changed and oral sources and now acceptable, it's sad to think about what was lost then.
His basic premise for the book is that Chinese religion is purely animistic and goes about translating a bunch of different stories in support of his theory. His theory is rather weak and he makes no differentiation between WHEN something was written, where, who the author was, what the intention was or anything really. If it's a written source he accepts it as something all Chinese people have always believed. A bad way to prove a point but in a way it doesn't matter as it's still an astounding collection of tales.
Book 2 Volume 1 has some fascinating material, werewolves, and all sorts of animal/human transformations, Stories about tree spirits and plant spirits, Horrible ingredients used in medicine and lastly he starts to talk about ghosts and spirits.
The book is a lot of fun. I've since found that it has finally been reprinted and each volume is only about 15 pounds each. I think I shall have to make that investment when I have money again. I just hope I can fit the rest of the volumes in as well as my "More Serious" reading for my program.