Indo-European influences in Taiwan's folklore

Dear Reader,

Geographically, Taiwan sits squarely in East and Southeast Asia. While mainstream Taiwanese culture is shaped by Han (Sinitic) settlers, shaped by Japanese (Japonic) colonization, and built on a substrate of indigenous (Austronesian) heritage.

That does not, however, mean that the influences that shaped Taiwanese traditions all originate in the Far East.

Indo-European influences in religion, folk stories, and customs have long permeated Taiwanese folk life. These influences didn't just arrive in recent decades, but since the early modern era.

Check out some of these influences below!

Enjoy!

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Mahayana Buddhism and Taoist folk beliefs (and, indeed, hybrids of the two) dominate Taiwanese religious life. One figure central to both religious traditions in Taiwan is a bodhisattva known in Taiwanese as Koan-Im. Most western Buddhists will recognize the bodhisattva through the Mandarin rendering of her name—Guānyīn. She is often referred to as the Goddess of Mercy.

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Island Folklore: Taiwanese Tales & Traditions, an online repository of Taiwan's folktales, history, legends, myths and traditions, is published and managed by the Island Folklore Club.

Our mission:

• To collect and preserve Taiwanese folk traditions for future generations.
• To explore and showcase Taiwan's diverse and unique blend of cultures.
• To educate and enable Taiwanese communities worldwide to take pride in the shared Taiwanese heritage.