The most interesting folklore

Chapter 21 The Most Interesting Worship Belief (1)
1. Why do people worship God of Fuku

Fu, is happiness, as the saying goes: Fu Yun, Fu Fu.In ancient times, Jupiter was called the star of the year, and it was said that it was blessed, so it was also called "Fu Xing".In the old days, astrologers said: "The stars illuminated by the year can bring blessings to the people."

The god of good fortune originally originated from the lucky star, and was gradually personified later, and various gods of good fortune appeared.The Tianguan in the folk New Year painting "Blessings of Heavenly Officials" is the most common god of good fortune. Tianguan is one of the "three officials" of Taoism.The typical image of the heavenly officials in the New Year paintings is that they are dressed in red robes of court officials, embroidered dragon jade belts, holding a big wishful thinking, kind eyebrows and pleasing eyes, five long beards, and a pair of elegant and luxurious images.The "blessing" bestowed by the heavenly official also contains wealth, so some New Year pictures also use the heavenly official as the god of wealth.

In common sayings, happiness and goodness are always linked together: a good place is called "blessed place", good news is called "gospel", a rich body is called "lucky face"; seeing a good scene is called "eye blessing", and eating good food is called "blessing". "Koufu", even "Shan [Flower Luck"" is also jokingly called "Yanfu is not shallow"; those who can always catch up with good things without much effort, and those who turn bad luck into good luck are called "Fu Jiang"; People who bring benefits and hope are called "lucky stars".In short, people hope that the lucky stars will shine brightly, and the God of Fortune will come into being.

Why do folks especially love "birthday stars"

Longevity is life. "Historical Records Fengchan Book" Sima Zhen's "Suoyin" says: "The birthday star covers the Antarctic old man. Seeing it will make the world peaceful, so the temple is built to pray for longevity."

Shou, since ancient times, there has been a saying that "five blessings and longevity come first". The five blessings refer to longevity, wealth, nobility, peace and happiness, and having many children and grandchildren. It can be seen that people attach great importance to longevity.The God of Shou is the birthday star, also known as the Antarctic Canopus, and it is the corner and height of the 28 constellations.Legend has it that it can only be seen when the world is in peace, and without it, there will be chaos.Whenever it appears, people rush to pray to it for happiness and longevity.Since the beginning of Zhou Dynasty and Qin Dynasty, all the dynasties of the dynasties have listed the sacrifice of the birthday star as a national sacrificial ceremony until the Ming Dynasty.In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the state also combined offering sacrifices to old people and respecting the elderly, and awarded jade sticks decorated with doves and birds to the elderly who had entered their [-]s.

Longevity, in folk art, is often symbolized by fresh peaches.New Year pictures and folk handicraft crystals representing birthdays are used as gifts to celebrate the birthday of the elderly;

3. Why do folks love "birthday stars"

According to folklore, Shou Xing is the God of Longevity, and he is painted as a senile old man with a white beard, holding a dragon's head and a cane, and his head is long and bulging.It is called "Shouxingtou" among the people. He is a kind and kind old man who is deeply loved by people.

Why is the birthday star an old man with a big brain?There is also an interesting legend that Shou Xing has been pregnant for nine years and has not yet been born. His mother was very anxious and asked him, "My son, why are you not born yet?" I was born." Unexpectedly, the butcher next door found out about it, so he painted the eyes of the stone lion with pig blood.When his mother saw it, she told her son.Shou Xing hurriedly got out from his mother's armpit.Because the year has not yet arrived, his head becomes longer.Because ordinary people conceive in October, it is said that birthday stars will conceive in ten years.Of course, this is just a story.

3. Who are the "four spirits" worshiped by people?
The four spirits refer to the four animals of lin, wind, turtle and dragon.In ancient times, people believed that these animals were gods, so they were called "four spirits".As early as the Zhou Dynasty in my country more than 2000 years ago, there was a folk custom of this kind of belief, the so-called "Xiangwu". "Zhou Li·Chunguan·Da Si Le": "Six transformations lead to images and gods." Zheng Xuan said: "Elephants, there are images in the sky... Lin, phoenix, tortoise, and dragon are called the four spirits."

These four animals, except for the tortoise, are all gods in ancient myths and legends, and do not exist in real life.The shapes of these animals are very magical, such as wind, which is composed of chicken head, snake neck, swallow jaw and fish tail, etc.; A crane with a palm like a tiger".Qilin is shaped like a deer, with one horn, horns all over its body, feet like horseshoes, and tail like a cow.

These miraculous animals with various images of birds and beasts are the remnants of our country's primitive totem worship, and they are also a kind of comprehensive spiritual creatures imagined and created by our ancestors.The ancients used a natural animal, plant, or creature as a symbol to represent the lineage of a clan or group, respecting it as a protective god, worshiping it, and calling it a "totem". Swallows (also considered to be wind birds) are used as totems, and some ethnic groups in the Dongyi nationality use turtles as totems.Later, as the tribes joined or annexed each other through wars, various totems were further compounded many times, thus producing totems with strange images such as dragons and winds.Some are fetishes produced by people's associations.

The ancients also explained the divinity of the "four spirits". They believed that "the body of the lin is thicker, the phoenix knows chaos, the tortoise has good or bad omens, and the dragon can change." ("Book of Rites · Li Yun")
Due to the long history of "Four Spirits" worship, colorful folk customs have gradually formed among the people:

5. Does the unicorn really exist?
As early as the Zhou Dynasty, there was a legend of Kirin in our country.At that time, kylin, wind, dragon, and tortoise were called "Four Spirits" together, and they were also the first of "Four Spirits".Its specific artistic image may have originated from the stone carvings in Qin Shihuang's tomb at the earliest, but it is no longer visible.The image of the unicorn in the Han Dynasty is similar to the current deer, except that there is a single horn on the head, and a fleshy ball grows on the horn.The most detailed record is "Mao Shi Zhengyi", which says: "Lin, slender body, horse feet, oxtail yellow hair, garden hooves, and meat at the end of the horns..." The folks are commonly known as "four different images".

In fact, the unicorn does not exist. It is just a "spiritual creature" imagined, deified and beautified by people. It is mainly for the management and political needs of the rulers of the past dynasties.The legendary unicorn has a gentle personality, "does not walk on (step on) insects, does not break grass", has horns on its head, and raw meat on the horns. It is a virtuous "benevolent beast" that "sets up weapons but does not use them".Therefore, the emperors of all dynasties love Lin, and regard its appearance as the Chery of the country, to show their imperial prestige and to make the world clear. "Linxian" is proclaimed as the "Jiarui Zhenxiang" of the holy king, and it is a symbol of the coming of a peaceful and prosperous age.

5. How did the belief in door gods come about?
The door god is one of the most popular gods among the people in our country. The emergence of the door god is related to the worship of ghosts and gods by the ancients.The original door gods were two "peach men" - statues carved from peach wood and hung on the door.They are actually the incarnations of two generals: Shen Tu and Yu Lei.Legend has it that the two of them were ordered by the Yellow Emperor to guard the "Ghost Gate". When they found the evil spirits that harmed people, they immediately tied them up and threw them behind the mountain to feed the tigers.People carve two gods out of peach wood and hang them on the door during the Spring Festival to prevent evil spirits from entering and protect the family for a year.

The most famous gate gods of military generals who appeared after the Tang Dynasty are Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong.Qin Qiong and Yu Chigong were famous military generals in the early Tang Dynasty. They helped Li Shimin conquer the world of Li Tang. They were the founding fathers of the Tang Dynasty.In addition to Qin and Yuchi, there are Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Xue Rengui, Gai Suwen, Sun Bin, Pang Lei, Huang Santai, Yang Xiangwu, Randeng Taoist, Zhao Gongming, Ma Wu, Yao Qi, Xiao He, Han Xin, and even Huo Ha. Wait.

Later, door gods with only the function of exorcising ghosts and suppressing demons could no longer meet people's various needs, so civil servant door gods and blessing door gods appeared again, entrusting people's desire and mentality to hope for promotion, fortune, and longevity.Civilian door gods mostly bless heavenly officials, and most of them are posted on the doors of halls in the courtyard, so they are different from the warrior door gods who exorcise ghosts and suppress evil on the street, and contain the meaning of welcoming blessings and making money.Civilian door gods are mostly related to promotion and wealth, but blessing door gods are linked to having more children, more blessings, and longevity.The two are sometimes matched in pairs, such as Tianguan (or No. [-] Scholar) door god, often matched with Songzi Niangniang.In addition, there are God of Joy, Hehe Erxian, Liu Hai, Lucky Boy and so on.

6. How did the belief in the Kitchen God come about?
The folk custom of worshiping the Kitchen God has a long history and wide influence.In the old days, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month (in some places it was the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month), people put delicious food on the tablet of the Kitchen God early in the morning, and then kept chanting, to the effect that the Kitchen God would go to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor, saying He (she) has received preferential treatment for a year, and asked the Jade Emperor to bless the family.Afterwards, they had to take out the sticky candy and let everyone eat it instead of the kitchen god, which meant that even if they couldn't say good things to heaven, they must never say bad things, so they simply sealed their mouths.

According to "Huainanzi Si Lun": "Emperor Yan made fire and died as a stove." And "Taiping Yulan" 186 volumes quoted "Huainanzi" lost article said: "The Yellow Emperor made a stove, and died as a stove god." The stove god suddenly became Yandi, and suddenly Huangdi, are still quite high in rank.Some people say that the Kitchen God was originally a beautiful woman.According to the "Classic Explanation", Sima Biao said: "The bun, the kitchen god, wears red clothes, and looks like a beautiful woman." These are just legends.

7. How did the belief in Guandi come about?
In folklore, Guan Yu is a hero with great loyalty, loyalty and courage, and has become the embodiment of bravery and loyalty in the hearts of the people.Guan Yu was originally a historical figure, how did he become "emperor" and "god" later?

Guan Yu was a general of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period.As early as the Tang Dynasty, people began to spread his stories.In the Song Dynasty, Song Zhezong named him "Xianlie King", and Song Huizong named him "Yiyong Wu'an King". At this time, he has been upgraded to "King".In the Yuan Dynasty, he was also granted the title of "King of Anyingji, the King of Manifestation, Righteousness, and Valor".At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the appearance of the long historical novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" made Guan Yu even more famous.In the Ming Dynasty, Guan Gong was also conferred, and Ming Shenzong conferred the title of "Xietian Huguo Loyalty Emperor", and in the Qing Dynasty, he was also conferred the title of "Guansheng Emperor". Emperor", and even "Great Emperor".In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Guan Yu's status reached its peak, and people ranked him together with Confucius, the "sage of literature", and called him the "sage of martial arts".

Guan Yu's reputation was growing day by day, and even Buddhism and Taoism were vying to recruit him to teach him to strengthen his prestige.Various Buddhist monasteries listed Guan Yu as the Dharma protector of the temple one after another. Taoism respected him as "Guan Sheng Di Jun", "True Monarch Slaying Demons", "Emperor Subduing Demons", and even Lamaism also enshrined Guan Yu.

Guan Yu was finally deified and became a god widely worshiped by people.The folks regard Guandi as the omnipotent god. He can not only give people blessings, bless the imperial examinations, but also cure diseases and eliminate disasters, exorcise evil spirits, punish treason, and even attract wealth and treasure, and protect people who do business. .Guandi's supernatural powers are getting stronger and stronger, and he is regarded as a protector by more than 20 industries.These industries include leather industry, tobacco industry, silk merchants, kitchen industry, salt industry, sauce garden industry, tofu industry, slaughtering industry, pastry industry, hairdressing industry, money industry, pawn industry, etc.

Guan Yu has changed from a human being to an "emperor" and a "god", mainly due to the admiration of successive feudal emperors.Another important reason is that Guan Yu's bravery, loyalty and other qualities are in line with the traditional moral concepts of the Chinese people. People regard him as a hero with iron bones and a chivalrous spirit.

8. What is the symbolic meaning of Samsung in "Samsung Glory"

The so-called "three-star high photo" in the folks usually refers to the three stars of Fu, Lu and Shou. "Fu Lu Shou in the world, three auspicious stars in the sky." In folk New Year pictures, the three gods of Fu, Lu and Shou are often put together, collectively called Fu Lu Shou.They respectively represent good luck, official salary and longevity, and are very popular among people.Especially during the Spring Festival, the walls of many people's houses are replaced with beaming "Samsung" New Year pictures.

The three stars of Fu, Lu and Shou have been passed down in our country for a long time and are well known to every household.For thousands of years, Chinese people have always regarded the three stars of Fu, Lu and Shou as symbols of happiness, auspiciousness and longevity in communication etiquette and daily life.As praised in the Jiangnan folk song:

The lucky star sits high and gives blessings, and the lucky star sends his son to Xiangyun.

The birthday star rides a deer to send flat peaches, and the three stars are shining brightly.

9. What are the five blessings in the Five Blessings?

The saying of five blessings comes from "Shangshu·Hong Fan".The first blessing is "longevity", the second blessing is "wealth and honor", the third blessing is "kangning", the fourth blessing is "good virtue", and the fifth blessing is "good death".That is, longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and final life.Longevity means that life will not die young and life will last forever; wealth means wealth and wealth and high status; Kangning means good health and peace of mind; virtue means being kind and generous and peaceful; good death means that when life is about to end, there will be no misfortune and no physical pain. , with no worries and troubles in my heart, I left the world peacefully and freely.

According to the general understanding, only the combination of all the five blessings can be called happiness, and the lack of any one of them may lead to serious problems.In traditional culture, the most important thing is the fourth blessing - good virtue.With the virtue of benevolence, generosity and tranquility, this is the best blessing.The ancient Chinese believed that virtue was the cause and root of happiness, and that happiness was the result and manifestation of virtue, and that giving and doing good at any time,

Only by accumulating yin virtues can the other four blessings be cultivated so that they can continue to grow.

10. Can Lu Xing bring high eunuchs and generous salary?

Lu refers to the official position of Lu.The feudal rulers of the past dynasties often used imperial examinations to win over scholars all over the world with high officials and generous salaries, and served to consolidate his rule.In the feudal society, the only way out for scholars is to study and become an official in the ten-year cold window.Therefore, in the past, scholars often regarded the "gold list title" as one of the four great pleasures in life.As far as the influence is concerned, the folk custom of worshiping "Lu Xing" has been formed. "Historical Records Tianguan Shu" records that the sixth star of Wenchang Palace is the Lu star who is in charge of Si Lu.

There are several folk theories about Lu Xing: one is that Zhang Xian, surnamed Zhang and named Yuanxiao, was born in Meishan of the Five Dynasties, who lived in Qingcheng Mountain, learned Taoism and became immortal (see "Su Laoquan Collection").One said that Zhang Xian, surnamed Zhang and named Ezhi, was born in Yuesong, from the late Jin and later Qin (see Zhu Yizun's "Rebuilding Zhang Xian Temple").Another said that Zhang Xian was Meng Chang, the ruler of Shu in the later Song Dynasty. He was originally the third son of Meng Zhixiang, and later he rose to the top and became the emperor.He once painted "Zhang Gong Holding a Bullet" for himself.Later, when Song pacified Shu, Mrs. Huarui brought this picture to the Song Palace, and entrusted the person in the picture with the name Zhang Xian, saying that she could make people have children, so she worshiped him.According to folklore, he is regarded as the god of praying for children, and it is called "Zhang Xian Songzi", which is also sung in traditional operas, "Lu Xing descends to the mortal world with a son in his arms".

In folk art, deer is a symbol of "Lu".

11. Why do we sacrifice to the God of Wealth during the Spring Festival?

Every Spring Festival, the God of Wealth is worshipped all over the country in different ways.During the Spring Festival in the northern region, every family invites the God of Wealth to worship the statue of the God of Wealth, burn incense and offer crystals.In the early morning of the second day of the first lunar month, the statue of the God of Wealth is sacrificed and burned.During the sacrifice, he saluted and recited congratulations: "The incense and red lights are bright, and the gods come to visit, experience the suffering, and bestow wealth on the people. The poor and the devil stay away, the wealth is prosperous, and the accumulation of time and money will make the family full of gold."

The popular song of the Qing Dynasty said: "On the second day of the New Year's Eve, the God of Wealth is sacrificed, incense candles are lit, wine is poured, and a rooster, pig's head and live carp are offered. After the whole family salutes, the firecrackers blast the world." The sacrificial scene is very grand.

The content of offering crystals to worship the God of Wealth in the south is particularly particular. There are three tables for offering crystals: the first table is for fruit crystals, with oranges, indicating a broad business; There are holly branches, which means evergreen pines and cypresses; the third table is the main table, with pig heads, whole chickens, whole ducks, whole fish, etc., which have the auspicious meaning of attracting wealth and treasure and jumping fish.During the sacrifice, the host lights incense candles, and everyone pays homage to them.Everyone is full of hope of getting rich, wishing to get rich in the new year.All over the country, there are traces of offering sacrifices to the God of Wealth, which shows the status of the God of Wealth in people's minds.

12. Why did Zhao Gongming become the God of Wealth again?
The god of wealth enshrined by the world is Zhao Gongming who has the greatest influence.According to "The Encyclopedia of Searching Gods of the Three Religions", Zhao Gongming is supernatural and versatile, with infinite changes. He can drive away thunder and lightning, call rain and wind.Buying and selling for money, as long as you pray to Zhao Gongming, you will be satisfied, so the people regard him as the God of Wealth.In the old New Year paintings, Zhao Gongming's image is mostly wearing an iron crown, holding a treasure whip, black face and thick beard, straddling a black tiger, with a ferocious face, so people also call him the God of Wealth.

In "Fengshen Yanyi", Jiang Taigong was ordered by Yuanshi Tianzun to enshrine the gods according to the jade talisman gold book, and Zhao Gongming was named "the true king of the golden dragon and the dragon and tiger Xuantan".From then on, Zhao Gongming began to take charge of the world's wealth and became the God of Wealth.Zhao Gongming's management of wealth can make people happy and harmonious, and make a fortune. This is in line with the world's desire for wealth, so Zhao Gongming is widely worshiped by the people.Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth worshiped by the people, wears a helmet and armor, wears a war robe, holds a whip, has a black face and thick beard, and has a mighty image.Cornucopias, large ingots, orbs, corals, etc. are often attached around, which further strengthen the effect of prosperous financial resources.

13. Who are the partial gods of wealth and wealth?
The Civil and Military God of Wealth is the so-called positive God of Wealth among the people. In addition to the Right God of Wealth, there is also the Partial God of Wealth, which is in terms of the position of the statue where the God of Wealth is located.The folk partial God of Wealth often refers to the God of Wealth known as the "Five-way God".In "Fengshen Yanyi", the Five Gods of Wealth refer to Zhao Gongshuai, Zhaobao Tianzun Xiao Sheng, Nazhen Tianzun Cao Bao, Fortune Envoy Chen Jiugong and Lishi Xianguan Yao Shaosi.The five gods of wealth are gods of auspiciousness, and they are also common images in folk auspicious New Year pictures. They are deeply loved and worshiped by the people.The fifth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Five Gods of Wealth.

Among the Gods of Wealth worshiped by the people, whether it is Marshal Zhao Gong or the God of Blessing, there is always a Lishi Xianguan (one of the five gods) by his side. Therefore, the Lishi Xianguan can be said to be an out-and-out partial god of wealth.The origin of Lishi Xianguan is recorded in "Fengshen Yanyi": Lishi Xianguan, whose real name is Yao Shaosi, is the apprentice of Zhao Gongming, the great god of wealth, and was later named the god of welcoming prosperity and happiness by Jiang Ziya.The so-called "profit market" has three meanings: first, it refers to the profit obtained when doing business; second, it refers to auspiciousness and luck;People believe in him, hoping that the God of Wealth of Deli City will bless their lives with happiness and success.In modern times, when the New Year comes, some people, especially businessmen, even paste pictures of Lishi fairy officials on their doors, and match them with lucky boys, which is a metaphor for wealth and good luck.

Among the many Gods of Wealth in Chinese folk beliefs, there is one that can only be regarded as a quasi-God of Wealth, which means that it has not been titled the God of Wealth, but because this God can bring people a certain amount of wealth and undertake part of the responsibilities of the God of Wealth, people will It is regarded as the god of wealth.Liu Haichan is one of the most representative quasi-God of Wealth.

Liu Haichan, formerly known as Liu Hai, was a native of Yanshan (now Beijing) during the Five Dynasties. He was a Jinshi in the Liao Dynasty and an assistant to the prime minister Liu Zongguang, the Lord of Yan.Later, he went to Xiangyin and changed his name to Liu Xuanying. Lv Dongbin, the Taoist name "Haichanzi", was his teacher.

Liu Hai's becoming the God of Wealth may be due to his Taoist name - Hai Chan Yu.Toad, namely toad, is listed as one of the five poisons (scorpion, snake, centipede, gecko, toad) because of its ugly appearance and highly toxic secretions, which are harmful to human body.Because the toad's secretion, toad venom, has the effects of strengthening the heart, analgesia, and stopping bleeding, it is also worshiped by people. "Taiping Yulan" quoted "Xuanzhong Ji" as saying: "Toad has horns on its head. If you get it and eat it, you can live a thousand years, and you can eat mountain spirits." At that time, people regarded toad as a way to avoid five diseases, suppress evil spirits and promote longevity , the mascot of wealth and wealth, is a spiritual fetish.Liu Hai is famous for his Taoist title of "Toad", and was lifted to the throne of the God of Wealth with the legend of "Liu Hai plays Jin Chan".

(End of this chapter)