The Epic of Darkness (traditional Chinese: 黑暗傳; simplified Chinese: 黑暗传; pinyin: Hēi Àn Zhuàn) is a collection of tales and legends of primeval China in epic poetry, preserved by the inhabitants of the Shennongjia mountain area in Hubei. It is composed of numerous Chinese myths relating to the creation of the world, containing accounts from the birth of Pangu till the historical era. It dates back to the Tang Dynasty of China. It was translated and published by Hu Chongjun after the discovery of a manuscript in 1982.
Like the Homeric epics, the written poem was likely preceded by an oral tradition dating back to at least the Tang Dynasty. Wooden copies of Darkness are said to have survived to the Ming Dynasty but none have been found today.
Source: Epic of Darkness – Wikipedia
Tim B.
“On August 1982, Hu Chongjun was given a songbook by an old local farmer. The booklet, written in brush and ink with about 3,000 lines of seven Chinese characters each. The Book is split into 4 sections; the beginnings of the Universe, the Birth of Pangu, the Great Flood, the birth of mankind till the beginnings of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Hu began to study and gather the manuscripts from accounts of old people living in Shennongjia. “