Mythologizing of characters: Chinese character archaeology evidence of ancient Chinese totems related to “Yi ( 一 )” cognate

Abstract

This article endeavors to elucidate the mechanisms by which vestiges of mythology become embedded in the morphology of Chinese characters. It represents a foundational study aimed at explicating how oral mythological traditions and archaic mythical cognitions manifest themselves through the concrete graphemic structures of Chinese characters. The research focuses on the analysis of the characters “Yi (一),” “Yi (壹),” “Yi (羽/能),” and “Yi (鳦),” which are cognates. Through this examination, the study demonstrates that these graphemes are reflective of ancient Chinese veneration of the gourd, as well as bear and bird totemic traditions. To substantiate these claims, the methodology of “Chinese character archaeology” is employed, which integrates etymological analysis of the characters themselves with traditional textual sources, archaeological findings, and anthropological data. This approach can be extended to encompass a diverse array of totems, including plants, dragons, tigers, and horses. The ancient Chinese characters that encapsulate these totemic traditions are of particular significance as they offer insights into primordial modes of thought that predate the genesis of philosophical literature. Furthermore, this research potentially elucidates, through graphemics, the hypothesis that Chinese ancient civilization originated simultaneously in various regions with distinct totemic traditions, gradually converging into a predominant civilization.