<p>As the character "神" shows, "神话" usually involves some kind of "神".</p>

<p>But "传说" does not require that.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T11:03:03.997Z
2020-02-19T11:03:03.997Z
fefe
<p>传说 : Legend (legendary tales. Some have reality base. Some don't.  Dragons exist is a legend, Bruce Lee in his prime was defeated by an unknown elderly man is also a legend)</p>

<p>神话 : myth (mystical tales involve gods and spiritual world)</p>

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2020-02-19T12:36:18.510Z
2020-02-19T12:36:18.510Z
Tang Ho
<p>传说 :Word of mouth turns into a story
神话 : Especially the story of fairy and demon</p>

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2020-02-20T01:04:28.423Z
2020-02-20T01:04:28.423Z
fu zhijing
<p>Is there a difference between "神话" and "传说"?</p>

<p>Is there a difference between "myths" and "legends"?</p>

<p>In the Chinese context, the former, 神话, like Greek mythology, involves stories of the fantastical exploits of gods and supernatural beings, like the Eight Immortals which may not have a grain of truth at all.</p>

<p>However, legends, 传说, as the 传 implies, involves generational transmission by word-of-mouth, (eventually written down), of stories which may have some truth at its core but with so much peripheral fantasy embellishment that the core of truth got carried away with the fantasy part and became myths, 神话, like the Monkey, Piggy, Sandy and Xuanzang in 西游记.</p>

<p>So here, in 西游记, we have a legend, (core of truth), of a real monk, Xuanzang, going to India to seek out Buddhist scriptures, but morphed into mythology by being accompanied by a Monkey god-king and two sidekicks.       </p>

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2020-02-20T06:50:50.247Z
Not sure I'd call 西游记 传说. I think 牛郎织女 would probably be a more accurate example.
zypA13510
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-20T09:01:03.317Z
In 西游记, we have a legendary character, Xuanzang the monk who actually existed historically. The fantastical stories in 西游记 may be fiction but still based around a real historical person. But in the story of 牛郎织女, there is no historical evidence that the two central characters actually existed. So I would categorize 牛郎织女 as 神话, myths, rather than legends, 传说. I suppose it is actually not easy to distinguish between myths and legends as these terms are often used interchangeably.
Wayne Cheah
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2020-02-20T09:27:06.917Z
But 西游记 is a piece of literary work, it's written by 吴承恩. As you said, _as the 传 implies, involves generational transmission **by word-of-mouth**_. Most recountings of the 西游记 are based on the textual work, not word-of-mouth. When you have conflicting information, you can look it up on the "canon" version. Whereas for 牛郎织女, although recorded in several literary work, does not have a canon version, it spreads primarily through word-of-mouth, that makes it a 传说 imho.
zypA13510
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-05T16:23:28.283Z
Thanks all for your help - that has made it really clear
Hashamyim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-25T05:35:11.140Z
I agree with @zypA13510's comments on 传说 vs. 神话 in general, and in particular, I also feel that 牛郎织女 is a 传说 and 西游记 is not. Another example is 孟姜女的故事: it's not clear whether the woman actually existed, but still it's considered as 传说。
ALife
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T14:34:58.223Z
2020-02-19T14:34:58.223Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>The internet doesn't give much advice on this one. They both seem to be nouns meaning myth, legend, folklore. Not sure if natives make a distinction between the two...?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T19:53:58.630Z
传说 is more like a legend or saga, typically not written down, not widely agreed upon, word-of-mouth stories, e.g. "urban legend". 神话 is like myth, widely agreed upon, written stories.
user3528438
<vocabulary>
Is there a difference between 传说 and 神话
# Is there a difference between 传说 and 神话

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-19)

The internet doesn't give much advice on this one. They both seem to be nouns meaning myth, legend, folklore. Not sure if natives make a distinction between the two...?

**Tags:** vocabulary

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 传说 is more like a legend or saga, typically not written down, not widely agreed upon, word-of-mouth stories, e.g. "urban legend". 神话 is like myth, widely agreed upon, written stories.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-02-19. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

Is there a difference between "神话" and "传说"?

Is there a difference between "myths" and "legends"?

In the Chinese context, the former, 神话, like Greek mythology, involves stories of the fantastical exploits of gods and supernatural beings, like the Eight Immortals which may not have a grain of truth at all.

However, legends, 传说, as the 传 implies, involves generational transmission by word-of-mouth, (eventually written down), of stories which may have some truth at its core but with so much peripheral fantasy embellishment that the core of truth got carried away with the fantasy part and became myths, 神话, like the Monkey, Piggy, Sandy and Xuanzang in 西游记.

So here, in 西游记, we have a legend, (core of truth), of a real monk, Xuanzang, going to India to seek out Buddhist scriptures, but morphed into mythology by being accompanied by a Monkey god-king and two sidekicks.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Not sure I'd call 西游记 传说. I think 牛郎织女 would probably be a more accurate example.  
> **username_5**: In 西游记, we have a legendary character, Xuanzang the monk who actually existed historically. The fantastical stories in 西游记 may be fiction but still based around a real historical person. But in the story of 牛郎织女, there is no historical evidence that the two central characters actually existed. So I would categorize 牛郎织女 as 神话, myths, rather than legends, 传说. I suppose it is actually not easy to distinguish between myths and legends as these terms are often used interchangeably.  
> **username_6**: But 西游记 is a piece of literary work, it's written by 吴承恩. As you said, _as the 传 implies, involves generational transmission **by word-of-mouth**_. Most recountings of the 西游记 are based on the textual work, not word-of-mouth. When you have conflicting information, you can look it up on the "canon" version. Whereas for 牛郎织女, although recorded in several literary work, does not have a canon version, it spreads primarily through word-of-mouth, that makes it a 传说 imho.  
> **username_0**: Thanks all for your help - that has made it really clear  
> **username_7**: I agree with @username_6's comments on 传说 vs. 神话 in general, and in particular, I also feel that 牛郎织女 is a 传说 and 西游记 is not. Another example is 孟姜女的故事: it's not clear whether the woman actually existed, but still it's considered as 传说。  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-02-19. Score: 6

传说 : Legend (legendary tales. Some have reality base. Some don't. Dragons exist is a legend, Bruce Lee in his prime was defeated by an unknown elderly man is also a legend)

神话 : myth (mystical tales involve gods and spiritual world)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-19. Score: 5

As the character "神" shows, "神话" usually involves some kind of "神".

But "传说" does not require that.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-02-20. Score: 0

传说 :Word of mouth turns into a story
神话 : Especially the story of fairy and demon


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