Chapter 10 Section 4 Monkey and Man

The conclusion that humans evolved from ancient apes is a major achievement of modern anatomy, embryology, archaeology, and physical anthropology.Why do primitive people also have the concept of a monkey turning into a human?Perhaps it is because of the wisdom and dexterity of monkeys that they are worshiped.The mythical monkey turning into a human is a product of belief, not science.Some of these factors may objectively inspire future generations. The myth of the Lhoba people, "Why Are Humans Different from Monkeys", not only mentions that monkeys can transform into humans, but also that not all monkeys can transform into humans, and only those monkeys that eat cooked food have the possibility of transforming into humans.They said that there are two different kinds of monkeys in the world, one is white-haired and short-tailed, and it has not changed into a human.The other kind is red-haired and short-tailed. Because they discovered that hitting rocks can make fire, they no longer eat raw food, and their body no longer grows hair. The tail gradually disappeared from short to short, and then turned into a human.Tibetans have the myth of macaques turning into humans, but they have been transformed by Buddhist culture.Legend has it that the macaque is an apprentice of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and it is said that this male monkey married a female rock orangutan who is the incarnation of Tara in the Buddha and God, and became the ancestor of human beings.Some also said that the monkey was lured into marriage by a Rakshasa girl (witch), but the monkey was unwilling, and the Rakshasa girl threatened, "If you don't marry me, I will commit suicide." its marriage.After marriage, six baby monkeys were born, and the number increased to 500 in three years.Because the monkeys ate the grains that were born and cooked by the earth, soon their tails became short, they could talk, and they even knew how to wear leaf clothes.Then there are humans.Both the Yi and Buyi epics mention monkeys as the ancestors of human beings.

These, and the discoveries of later generations of science, are just unconscious coincidences.However, it can also explain the curiosity, exploration, and explanation of the origin of the primitive ancestors. The basic feature is that under the cloak of absurdity, it contains some reasonable cores.The root of the macaque myth still belongs to the category of totem worship.