Chinese Mythology, Folklore, and Novel. Selected Works. Volume 2.

The second volume includes the fundamental study by B.L. Rifkin from 1970, "Historical Epic and Folklore Tradition in China (Oral and Written Versions of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms')." It is supplemented by the first-time published work in Russian, "Legends of Guan Yu and His Cult," with texts recorded by B.L. Rifkin in China in the 1990s. Through the analysis of the text of the famous epic by Luo Guanzhong (14th century), "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and oral narratives about the Three Kingdoms (3rd century AD), the author revealed the complex nature of the interrelationship between written literature and folklore, and also highlighted the influence of folk creativity on literary monuments in the Middle Ages and later periods.