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real description of the functions of this position is lacking, nor is it certain whether there were one or four persons holding this ministerial position; however, he goes on to say that the evidence suggests the existence of four of them, and that they were charged with keeping themselves knowledgeable about what was going on throughout Yao's domain and advising him upon request. The importance of Four
Mountains can be seen in the key role of selecting Gun to be the first to be put in charge of controlling the flood, then, later, in nominating Shun to be Yao's co-emperor, and later successor. Anne Birrell says that Four Peaks (alternate term for Four Mountains) is a "synonym for ruling nobility of the four quarters of the world in the archaic era; also four mountains" (Birrell 1993, 300).
81:
Mythologist Yang Lihui sees Four
Mountains as four gods of a set of four mountains, with Four Mountains referring to the actual mountains themselves. K. C. Wu sees Four Mountains as being a ministerial position established by Yao to "oversee the mundane affairs of the empire", but points out that a
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Anthony
Christie relates the figure of Four Mountains to the Chinese cosmological idea of a square earth, with each of the peaks representing one of the four cardinal directions which the ruler would tour, and at which he would perform various imperial rituals, upon taking possession of his realm.
58:
or the most ancient level of
Chinese history as being a person or four persons or four gods, depending upon the specific source. The ambiguous Four Mountains feature prominently in the myth of the
863:
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The person or person(s) of Four
Mountains being afterwards present in court then symbolized the completion of the ruler's having taken possession of his entire realm.
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98:), which refers to a great mountain, or the highest peak of a mountain — in contrast to the usual word for mountain, 山 (
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Four deities, heroes or legendary mountains in
Chinese mythology
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Yang, Lihui; An, Deming; Turner, Jessica
Anderson (2008).
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90:The name "Four Mountains" in Chinese uses 四 (
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128:, a general article on Chinese mythology
66:(in whose reign the Great Flood began),
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132:List of mythological Chinese mountains
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810:Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
412:Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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74:(Yao's successor as emperor), and
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831:What the Master Would Not Discuss
896:The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl
889:Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy
942:Locations in Chinese mythology
857:Records of the Grand Historian
214:. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins).
121:Chinese mythological geography
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824:In Search of the Supernatural
740:Classic of Mountains and Seas
280:Handbook of Chinese Mythology
54:) variously interpreted from
142:Kunlun Mountain (mythology)
62:, and the related myths of
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225:Christie, Anthony (1968).
171:Yang, An & Turner 2008
910:Mulian Rescues His Mother
882:Legend of the White Snake
137:Sacred Mountains of China
782:The Peach Blossom Spring
903:The Magic Lotus Lantern
796:Investiture of the Gods
284:Oxford University Press
947:Mythological mountains
718:Peaches of Immortality
543:Chinese guardian lions
466:Mythological creatures
210:Birrell, Anne (1993).
803:The Sorcerer's Revolt
391:Chinese folk religion
233:. Hamlyn Publishing.
351:Godly world concepts
255:The Chinese Heritage
817:Journey to the West
28:traditional Chinese
838:Heavenly Questions
652:Gate of the Ghosts
407:Gods and immortals
371:Gods and immortals
38:simplified Chinese
932:Asia in mythology
919:
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789:The Four Journeys
332:Chinese mythology
293:978-0-19-533263-6
229:Chinese Mythology
212:Chinese Mythology
126:Chinese mythology
56:Chinese mythology
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874:Other folk tales
604:Nine-headed Bird
599:Peng (mythology)
505:Four Holy Beasts
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483:Azure Dragon
473:Four Symbols
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775:Shenyi Jing
589:Four Perils
488:White Tiger
437:Yan Emperor
147:Xia dynasty
64:Emperor Yao
60:Great Flood
926:Categories
692:Weak River
584:Fox spirit
240:0600006379
158:References
24:Four Peaks
850:Huainanzi
747:Shi Yi Ji
687:Red River
537:Huli jing
515:Fenghuang
356:Astrology
249:Wu, K. C.
106:Cosmology
520:Yinglong
427:Shennong
251:(1982).
115:See also
754:Bowuzhi
682:Penglai
672:Longmen
620:more...
574:Wuzhiqi
550:(Bixie)
447:Chang'e
422:Youchao
361:Dragons
183:Wu 1982
842:Chu Ci
723:Xirang
657:Fusang
637:Buzhou
630:Places
609:Tianma
569:Xiezhi
564:Hundun
559:Horses
452:Hou Yi
442:Chiyou
386:Ghosts
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218:
48:pinyin
706:Items
697:Youdu
579:Yeren
548:Pixiu
510:Qilin
457:Kuafu
381:Pangu
153:Notes
52:Sìyuè
642:Diyu
554:Nian
532:Bixi
376:Tian
288:ISBN
265:ISBN
235:ISBN
216:ISBN
100:shān
86:Name
72:Shun
96:yuè
68:Gun
22:or
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713:Gu
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259:.
92:sì
70:,
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43:四岳
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33:四嶽
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324:e
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310:v
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26:(
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