The Formation Pathways, Mechanisms, and Political Functions of the "Sinful Father–Virtuous Son" Narrative in Ancient Chinese Mythology: The Cases of Gun and Yu, and Gonggong and Goulong

The two pairs—Gun and Yu, and Gonggong and Goulong—exhibit a binary "sinful father–virtuous son" narrative pattern. Through layered textual analysis, this paper traces the formation and development of this narrative from the Western Zhou to the Han dynasties, revealing its processes of character differentiation, deification and political functions. The fathers' images were progressively associated with guilt and transgression, while the sons' identities were increasingly associated with merit and sanctity. As these texts were repeatedly reinterpreted over time, the two father–son pairs gradually became contrasting figures with distinct divine statuses. The paper also identifies two narrative mechanisms, which I call "momentum-building" and "context." In both cases, the fathers' negative identities opened up space for the sons' positive identities and gave them a framework of meaning. Together, these mechanisms turned patrilineal relationships into a way of explaining moral succession and political legitimacy. The study shows how rewriting myth could link kinship, moral values, religious status, and political authority in ancient China.