New Year's Memory
Detail of Chen Rong's "Nine Dragons" in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Yi Jianzhi is a collection compiled by Hong Mai in the Song Dynasty, which integrates stories of gods and monsters, folklore and historical events, revealing the profound heritage of Song Dynasty culture. In the book, the dragon is given auspicious, mysterious, and majestic meanings as a cultural symbol, which is widely reflected in all levels of Song Dynasty society. Royal sacrifices, folk beliefs, and literary and artistic creations can all see the figure of the dragon. At the same time, the dragon images depicted in the book are also colorful, from the heavenly dragon to the earth dragon and the water dragon, showing the comprehensive cognition and rich imagination of the Song Dynasty people on the dragon. It's the Year of the Dragon soon, let's go back to the Song Dynasty and see how the Song people loved the dragon deeply.
1. The social background of dragon worship in the Song Dynasty.
In the Song Dynasty, dragon worship was like a turbulent undercurrent, deeply rooted in all corners of society, which involved multiple levels such as imperial power, religion, and culture, forming a unique and rich social phenomenon.
Folk Tale: Nuwa slaying the black dragon illustration.
First of all, the combination of imperial power and dragon seems to be a mysterious and solemn wedding. Eager to clothe their rule in a sacred garment, the emperors called themselves "True Dragon Sons", as if they were dragons descending from the sky, holding indisputable power and divinity. This ingenious combination not only added a touch of mystery to the imperial power, but also established the supremacy of the emperor in the hearts of the people. As the pace of the deification of imperial power accelerated, the dragon became more and more popular as a symbol of royalty. Whether it is a majestic palace, a gorgeous costume, or a delicate vessel, dragons can be seen everywhere. The dragon pattern decoration is not only pleasing to the eye, but also silently conveys the political signal of the supremacy of imperial power.
Mussel dragon site.
In the halls of religious belief, dragons also occupy a place. Buddhism and Taoism, two major religious schools, have developed unique interpretations and transmissions of the image of the dragon. The dragon in Buddhism is like a divine existence with strong power, guarding the solemnity and sacredness of Buddhism; The dragon king in Taoism is the god in charge of the waters, which is closely related to people's production and life. These religious beliefs not only injected new connotations into the image of the dragon, but also provided a more solid social foundation for dragon worship.
In the folk soil, dragon worship takes root and grows strongly. Farmers and fishermen see the dragon as a deity that brings rain and a good harvest, and they sincerely pray for the dragon's protection and protection, hoping that life will be smooth and prosperous. This profound folk belief not only reflects people's ardent yearning for a better life, but also promotes the widespread spread and in-depth development of dragon worship among the people.
The first dragon of China".
2. The image and story of the dragon in "Yi Jianzhi".
In the fantasy "Yi Jianzhi", the image of the dragon is ever-changing, and the story is rich and colorful. The images and stories of dragons demonstrate the deep feelings of the people of the Song Dynasty for dragons, and reflect their unique insights and infinite imagination on nature, society and morality.
There are many types of dragons in Yi Jian Zhi, including the sky dragon that soars in the sky, the earth dragon that lurks underground, and the water dragon that swims in rivers, lakes and seas. Dragons are endowed with unique traits and abilities based on their environment and attributes. For example, the Celestial Dragon is able to harness thunder and lightning and storms, the Earth Dragon is in charge of ** and minerals, and the Water Dragon is in charge of rain and floods. The vivid image of the dragon not only shows the rich imagination and interpretation of natural phenomena of the people of the Song Dynasty, but also expresses their ardent yearning and prayer for a better life.
Song Ding kiln white glaze dragon head cup.
In addition to these basic types of dragons, Yi Jian Zhi also depicts many wonderful combinations of dragons with gods and ghosts. Interestingly, their images often have more complex and fascinating qualities and abilities, such as the dragon's head and body, and the wings of a bird. The intriguing combination showcases the remarkable imagination and creativity of the Song people, as well as their reverence and reverence for dragons and other gods.
In the world of "Yi Jianzhi", the types of dragon stories are also endless. Among them, the story of the interaction between dragons and humans is particularly fascinating. In these stories, dragons either take human form or reveal their true bodies, creating a wonderful intersection with the human protagonist. Sometimes they help people do good deeds, such as helping farmers to relieve droughts and fishermen to catch fish. Sometimes punish evil and promote good, such as punishing greedy businessmen and defeating ** monsters.
Song Cizhou kiln dragon pattern large jar.
In addition, the dragons in Yi Jian Zhi are also closely connected to natural phenomena. They control natural forces such as rain and drought, which profoundly affect human production and life. The dragon in the story always appears in a mysterious way, bringing timely rain or relieving drought to people, and becoming a star of hope and salvation for mankind. These stories embody the Song Dynasty people's awe and understanding of natural phenomena, and their beautiful vision of good weather and abundant grains.
Finally, Yi Jianzhi also depicts a number of mysterious events related to dragons. These events include dragon appearances, dragon visions, etc., and are often closely related to paranormal phenomena or mysterious forces. These stories add a strong sense of fantasy and appeal to the work, while also reflecting the Song Dynasty people's exploration and imagination of the unknown world. Through these vivid and interesting stories, we can deeply feel the deep love and unique understanding of dragons by the people of the Song Dynasty, as well as their infinite yearning and pursuit of the mysterious world.
Detail of Song Huizong's "Xianglong Stone Map".
3. The Song Dynasty's love for dragons and their embodiment in "Yi Jianzhi".
In the Song Dynasty, dragons were endowed with extraordinary worship and affection, an emotion that stemmed from an endless awe and deep yearning for the dragon's mysterious power. In the minds of the Song people, the image of the dragon went far beyond the boundaries of a powerful divine beast, incarnating as a divine being who wields the power of nature and spreads good fortune and well-being. Therefore, the dragon was endowed with multiple symbolic meanings such as majesty, mystery and auspiciousness in the Song Dynasty, and its image was extremely beautified and deified in culture and art.
This unique emotion and worship of the dragon has been vividly demonstrated in the important Song Dynasty notebook episode "Yi Jianzhi". The book brings together a dazzling array of dragon stories with twists and turns, each of which is like a bright pearl, flashing with the Song people's endless yearning and awe for the mysterious power of dragons. In these stories, dragons often appear in otherworldly forms, harnessing the forces of nature such as thunder and lightning, wind and clouds, and rain, bringing auspiciousness and blessings to the world. At the same time, the dragon also carries the sacred mission of punishing evil and promoting good, protecting the common people, and becoming the embodiment of justice and strength in people's hearts.
The dragon story in Yi Jianzhi was widely circulated in Song Dynasty society and was loved by people from all walks of life. Both the literati and the common people were deeply attracted by these fantastical stories. In the process of spreading the story, people constantly processed and polished it, making it an indispensable part of the culture of the Song Dynasty. These stories not only enrich people's spiritual world, but also convey people's deep understanding and imagination of nature, society and morality.
Robes. Wen Shijun said.
The dragon image and dragon story in Yi Jianzhi are a vivid embodiment of the love and worship of the people of the Song Dynasty for dragons. We can get a glimpse of the Song Dynasty people's comprehensive cognition and rich imagination of dragons, and feel their deep emotions and unique understanding of dragons. The dragon was not only a mysterious and powerful mythical beast in the Song Dynasty, but also a cultural symbol, which carried the Song Dynasty people's yearning and pursuit of nature, society and morality.
References. Hong Mai: Yi Jianzhi, Zhonghua Book Company, 2006.
Zhang Yujie, "The Multiple Forms and Multiple Connotations of "Dragon" in Yi Jianzhi", Journal of Puyang Vocational and Technical College, No. 2, 2023.
Chu Guiyan, "The Image of the Dragon in Yi Jianzhi", Journal of Puyang Vocational and Technical College, No. 4, 2016.
Author: Haoran Wenshi Shi is a confidant).
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