The historical shadow left by myth
The myths and legends in Shan Hai Jing are not only myths and legends, but also history to some extent. Although their authenticity is greatly reduced because of their strong mythical color, they have left a shadow of history after all. Comparing several similar materials, we can sometimes see the true face of history. For example, the record of the battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou in the Wild Classic can show us a cruel war between ancient tribes by removing its mythical color.
The Relationship between Myth and Literature
Myth is the mother of literature. The relationship between myth and literature is just like the relationship between Pangu and the sun, the moon, the river and the sea as seen in the myth of Shan Hai Jing. According to the myth, after Pangu's death, his head turned into four mountains, his eyes turned into the sun and the moon, his fat turned into rivers and seas, and his hair turned into vegetation. Although Pangu is dead, there is a shadow of Pangu in the sun, the moon, the rivers and the sea, and everything in the world. After myth is transformed into other literary forms, although it often disappears its own mythological significance, it is active in literature as an artistic impact. For example, the Book of Songs and Songs of the South, two representatives of pre-Qin literature, all have traces of ancient myths, especially Songs of the South, which have preserved a large number of ancient myths. Taoism in Laozi, Zhuangzi and Huainanzi also absorbed a lot of ancient myths and philosophized them.
Summary: The Classic of Mountains and Seas has extraordinary documentary value, which can be used for reference in the study of China's ancient history, geography, culture, Chinese and foreign transportation, folk customs and myths. The fairy tales recorded in it truly reflect the ancient ancestors' cognition of what happened in nature beyond their own knowledge.