Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 7, 2025

Re-Examining the Theories of Myth Differentiation and Imperial Lineage Integration

(Abstract)

Chen Minzhen

The Chu Manuscripts from the Warring States period—including the Baoshan, Wangshan, and Xincai bamboo slips, the “Chu Residences” (Chuju) chapter in the bamboo slips collected by Tsinghua University, and the “Chu History” from the bamboo slips collected by Anhui University—indicate that during the Warring States era, the Chu people had already developed relatively unified ancestral narratives. However, early sources such as the “Lineage of Monarchs” (Dixi) in the Records of Rites Compiled by Dai the Elder (Dadai Liji) and the “Hereditary House of Chu” (Chu Shijia) in Records of the Historian (Shiji) misrepresented these lineages—often by conflating multiple figures into one, splitting one figure into several, or inserting extraneous names. These distortions shed light on the need to re-evaluate the theories of myth differentiation and imperial lineage integration. The Chu genealogies preserved in the Warring States manuscripts confirm that legendary histories did undergo evolutionary differentiation, and that the various clan surnames originally stemmed from a single imperial lineage later consolidated by subsequent generations. In practical application, certain aspects of the theories of myth differentiation and imperial lineage integration require refinement. A comprehensive understanding of how ancient myths were both differentiated and recombined will enhance our ability to evaluate the value of early historical narratives, deepen insight into the formation of Huaxia identity and interethnic integration, and contribute meaningfully to research on early Chinese civilization.