Book Description

Lending support to the search for the roots of the Altaic language family and pushing forward the field of Altaic mythologies and related topics, this comprehensive study of the early beliefs of China’s Altaic peoples is the first thorough, systematic academic treatment in this, as yet, underdeveloped research field. While discussing nine types of Altaic mythologies, A Comparative Study of Altaic Mythologies in China uses primary sources in several languages to explore Altaic myths’ origins, development over centuries, lineage relationships, and external influences. For this purpose, it compares the mythologies of various ethnic groups within the Altaic language family, Altaic mythologies with those of other cross-language and cross-cultural ethnic groups having direct, indirect or even no cultural exchanges with them in history, as well as Altaic mythologies with folklore, religion and other interdisciplinary domains of Altaic Studies by applying the theories and methods of comparative literature studies, comparative folklore studies and comparative mythology to a vast collection of mythological materials. As wide-ranging as it is deeply researched, this serious exploration of Altaic Studies breaks the boundaries of the previously closed research model, expands theoretical horizons, broadens the research scope, introduces a new mechanism for understanding myths and co-cultures of the Altaic language family, and offers insight toward the reconstruction of Proto-Altaic Mythology.