Shun is one of the ancient Five Emperors. The first reference to the records of Shun is “Classic of History: The Canon of Yao”. Later, through the Scholars of Pre-Qin Period and “Records of the Grand Historian”, it became a well-known legend during Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty and was conserved in the text of folklore Chiang-Chang literature in Dunhuang area. Although it is not difficult to identify that the story of Shun in Dunhuang manuscript “Shuntzu Bianwen” used “Records of the Grand Historian” as the blueprint, the contents were deviated from it as a result of being presented in oral style. This dissertation thus explores the transition of the story of Shun based on Dunhuang manuscript “Shuntzu Bianwen”.
There are seven chapters. The first chapter is introduction. Chapter two depicts the legend of Shun from the documents in Pre-Qin Period and before Tang Dynasty. Chapter three starts with the background of Dunhuang Mogao Caves, the discovery of repository of Buddhist manuscripts and the lost of Dunhuang relics to the discovery of “Shuntzu Bianwen” , the revised edition of “Shuntzu Bianwen” and the discussion about “Commentary of Hsiao-Tzu”. Chapter four investigates the main plots and the differences, similarities and implications of the storylines in both of “Shuntzu Bianwen “and “Annals of Shun”. Chapter five analyzes Shun, father Kusou, mother, stepmother, brother Hsiang, sister and his two wives Ehuang and Nüying. Through characterization, the relationships between Shun and his family and the role each family member played could be elucidated from “Shuntzu Bianwen”. Chapter six discusses different interpretations of “Shuntzu Bianwen”. Chapter seven gives the conclusion. This dissertation aims to deduce a direction to explicate the transitions of the plots and the storylines in Dunhuang manuscript “Shuntzu Bianwen” by means of investigations and discussions.
