MEPX
Chapter 7 of 10All chapters
  1. 1What myths are
  2. 2Greek mythology
  3. 3Roman mythology
  4. 4Norse mythology
  5. 5Egyptian mythology
  6. 6Mesopotamian myth
  7. 7Myths of Asia
  8. 8Africa, the Americas and Oceania
  9. 9Patterns across cultures
  10. 10Myth in the modern world

Chapter 7 of 10

Myths of Asia

Vast and layered.

South Asia

The Mahabharata and Ramayana are epics of enormous length and continuing religious significance, with the Bhagavad Gita sitting inside the former.

  • These remain living traditions, not closed ancient texts.
  • Puranic stories account for gods, cycles and cosmic ages.

East Asia

Chinese myth includes Pangu separating heaven and earth and Nuwa repairing the sky. Japanese Shinto tradition centres on Amaterasu, the sun deity.