I'm sure many people have heard such a proverb:"Cats come to be poor, dogs come to be rich, and old pigs come in and turn over their white bellies".
In ancient times,People often place good meanings on animals, for example"The magpie enters the door - good things come to the door, the swallow builds a nest - the people are prosperous".
Nowadays, people have long forgotten those special meanings, and the old people often advise the young:Don't kill these four animals, although they are ugly, but it means that your "blessing" has arrived.
What are these animals with profound meanings?What are the meanings of each of them?
Swallows
Legend has it that swallows are incarnated by gods and bring happiness and good luck. So, a long time agoThe swallow is regarded as a folk auspicious rui
And because swallows have the Xi of nesting in private houses, many people thinkThe swallow symbolizes good luck and prosperity, often brings good luck to the owner's family when building a nest, soEvery spring, people pray that the swallows will build a nest in their homes
However, swallows rarely build nests in people's homes, because swallows usually have a fixed nest, and even if they migrate south when winter comes, they will fly back to their old nest the following year. Unless the old nest is destroyed, the swallow will rarely raise a new nest again, soWhen a swallow builds a nest in someone's house, it is considered a rare and lucky thing
In fact, in ancient times, the families of swallows who settled down often prospered, and all this also stemmed from the help of swallows. At that time, the countryside often lived a life of male farmers and female weavers, and the only income of the family was that one acre and three points of land.
According to scientific statistics, swallows can eat nearly 200,000 pests during their breeding period, which can be described as a free "pest control weapon" for farmers. ThereforeWhen autumn comes, the fields near the bird's nest can often usher in a bumper harvest, so there is a saying that swallows prosper wealth
And the swallows breed two litters every year, and each litter will have 2 or 4 young swallows, in the opinion of the peopleThe large number of heirs of the swallow means that there are many children and many blessings, which means that the people are prosperous。Therefore, during the period when the swallows are feeding the nests, adults often prohibit children from approaching the bird's nest to prevent disturbing the swallows and cutting off the "blessing" of the family.
That's all,People have reached a peculiar mutually beneficial relationship with the swallow, and the swallow has become a symbol of luck in the eyes of the older generation.
Gecko
I believe that in many people's childhood memories, there are often geckos. These little creatures who often lie on the wall may not be so cute on the outsideBut do you believe it?In ancient times, the gecko turned out to be a symbol of "blessing, luck and longevity".
Gecko is pronounced "shelter", and in ancient times, people often used the name of the animal to place good expectations, so the older generation thinksGeckos have the meaning of seeking good fortune and avoiding evil, as ifThere is a gecko in the home, which shows that the family is harmonious and peaceful
Therefore, in ancient mythology, geckos also have an extraordinary status. The gecko in ancient books has the title of "heavenly dragon" and "little dragon", and legend has it that the gecko was originally a divine beast in the sky, and then fled from the sky to the mortal world in order to escape the disaster.
Therefore, in the hearts of the ancients, the gecko has a charm, and because of its name "gecko".It is the same as "to avoid disaster" and "to be blessed".Therefore, the ancients would also use the utensils carved with geckos as wedding giftsIt means that the newlyweds are happy and happy under the protection of the "gecko", and the family is harmonious.
Because of this, we can often see geckos on many ancient utensils or carvings, and the ancients even knew how to do it in familiesA gecko is specially carved on the wall, wishing the family happiness and safety
In fact, the fundamental reason for the various mythical colors of the gecko is its benefits. As beneficial insects, geckos in summer hunt an average of 6 flies and 20 mosquitoes per dayWithout mosquito harassment, people's emotions will be very calm, and families will naturally be harmonious.
And geckos will also prey on certain pests, which solves the health problem to a certain extent and prevents people from getting sick due to mosquitoes, so to speakGeckos are indeed silently "sheltering" a familyIt's no wonder that people call it "Rui Beast".
Snakes
Perhaps many people's first impression of snakes is not friendly, and the slender body and deadly snake venom make countless people daunted. But actually,The ancient "snake" is a veritable auspicious place, just looking at its sixth ranking on the zodiac list, you know that it is not ordinary, in the north in ancient times,The snake is even called the "willow fairy", which represents good luck and peace.
Since ancient times, the status of the "snake" has been extraordinary, the candle dragon, Teng snake and other mythical beasts in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" are all based on snakes, and even the image of Nuwa recorded in ancient mythology is also a snake body in the lower body, so it can be seenThe snake was highly revered in the hearts of the ancients
In the minds of the ancients, the shape of the snake was very similar to the mythical "dragon".The snake is also known as the "earth dragon", and in some myths the snake is also called the righteous son of the dragon, or the dragon is cultivated from the snake.
So, the older generation thinksThe snake entering the house means that wealth and treasure are enriched, the family is prosperous, and it can also ward off evil spirits and protect the family from other intrusions, which is why the killing of snakes is traditionally forbidden in many places.
The reason why the ancients thought that snakes were auspicious was actually the best insect of snakes, because most snakes fed on mice or insects, so many snakes were able to keep the ancients from getting rid of rats, and without the trouble of mice, food would not be lost, and family members would not be so easy to get sickIn a sense, it is indeed regarded as attracting wealth and blessing others.
But now that time has passed, the snake in people's eyes has become more and more hideous, and whenever people talk about snakes, people often have a chill down their spines, and the impression of snakes is only fear.
Bats
What?The bat is still a symbol of auspiciousness?Yes, maybe the first impression of a bat these days is"Plague God", "Poison King"., but thousands of years ago,The bat is an authentic "Rui Beast".
"Cheap fireflies, the window is bright and the bats fly" can often be seen in ancient poetryBecause "bat" is pronounced "all over the blessing", people compare the bat to a symbol of "blessing".
Although the bat rat has bird wings, it is still pitch black, like a big mouse that can fly, butBats not only hunt all kinds of insect pests, but also pollinate plants, so it was symbolized as auspicious by the ancients.
During the Yuan Dynasty, bats were highly respected, and bats were seen in many cultural carvings, evenThe ancients would also carve bats and ancient coins on the walls, symbolizing the abundance of wealth。Sometimes the ancients would reserve doors and windows for bats before going to bed, hoping that the bats would come to their homes to rest.
There was once a myth and legend about bats, the legend is that a candidate who rushed to take the exam was in the hotel at night to prepare for tomorrow's exam, and it happened that a bat flew in, and the candidate was upset and wanted to drive away the bat.
Who would have thought that the bat would suddenly scold and accuse the candidates"Don't even be blessed when you get it."Only then did the examinee know that the bat was here to send blessings to himself, and with the help of the bat, the examinee was lucky to gain fame. And so there it is"Bats bring blessings".Some people will still have legendsCarve a space in your own wall for bats to rest.
Nowadays, many people find bats in their homes, and their first reaction is to kill, butIn general, bats do not actively attack humansWhen they have rested enough, they will leave on their own.
Conclusion
In this way, animals that were regarded as "auspicious" by the ancients are often beneficial to people. And through these animals,It expresses a kind of sustenance of the ancients for the future, implying the yearning and pursuit of a better life for the ancients
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