Fujian's folk beliefs are very developed, palaces and temples can be seen everywhere, there are countless gods, and the number of believers is huge, forming a unique cultural landscape. While deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, the emergence and development of Fujian folk beliefs are inseparable from the local natural, social, historical, and cultural conditions. Among the many local deity worships, the Mazu faith has the greatest influence. Mazu's evolution from a witch to a local deity, and then to China's most influential sea god, is quite representative, reflecting the history of social changes in China after the Song Dynasty. After hundreds of years of inheritance, the Mazu belief has developed into the Mazu culture, which has been continuously enriched in connotation and expanded in influence, and has become a spiritual bond that maintains the Chinese at home and abroad.
Mazu belief is the most influential folk belief in Fujian, which has been around for more than 1,000 years since the Song Dynasty. The temples dedicated to Mazu are all over the coast of China, and with the footsteps of the Chinese, the Mazu faith has gone beyond the country and into the world. Some people say that there are five "best" in Mazu belief: one is the most honorific titles, the second is the most titles, the third is the most palaces and temples, the fourth is the most believers, and the fifth is the most prosperous celebration. So, where is Mazu sacred and why does she enjoy such glory? Why are there so many believers? What are the cultural connotations of Mazu beliefs?
Mazu is indeed a person in history. Her surname is Lin, a native of Meizhou Island, Putian, and her original name is unknown, and she is generally known as "Meizhou Lin's Daughter". According to records, Mazu "did not hear the cry from the beginning to the full moon, because of the name". According to local customs, the word "Niang" is added after the girl's name to show the honorific title, so it is also called "Lin Mo Niang".
The appearance of the title "Mazu" was about after the Ming Dynasty. In the Xinghua dialect, "Ma" is the highest honorific title for female elders, reflecting the infinite devotion and respect of the villagers for her. As for the honorific titles such as "Madame", "Heavenly Concubine" and "Queen of Heaven", they were sealed by the emperors of previous dynasties.
There are many theories about the birth and death year of Mazu in history, and it is generally believed that Mazu was born on the third day of March in the first year of Song Jianlong (960) and died on the ninth day of September in the fourth year of Yongxi (987). There are many folk legends about the birth of Mazu, most of which are related to Guanyin's giving of children, reflecting the influence of Buddhism on Mazu's beliefs. As for the death of Mazu, legend has it that when she was 28 years old, she said to her family: "Tomorrow Chongyang, I want to climb high, temporarily away from the hustle and bustle of the world, and say goodbye first." The next day, Mo Niang dressed up to say goodbye to her family. The sister wanted to go together, but she refused, saying, "Climb higher than the next time, the clouds are thousands of miles, and you sisters should not go together." "After climbing the Mei Peak, he walked on the ground and rose into the clouds in the blink of an eye. In fact, Lin Mo Niang is young and dead is true, mountaineering ** is just a myth and legend, on the stone cliff behind the ancestral temple of Meizhou Island, engraved with the four big characters of "** historic site", there are still countless pilgrims to worship here.
According to early documents, Mazu was a witch during her lifetime, that is, the so-called "witch", "witch", "witch", "witch", has a certain psychic ability, "can say that people are to blame", "know people's fortunes and misfortunes", and the locals call it "Tongxian goddess". Since ancient times, Fujian has been "heavy on witches and ghosts", and almost every village has witches. Some witches are more intelligent, have certain knowledge of medicine, meteorology, psychology, etc., can help people solve problems, and are often worshiped as gods by people after death.
After Mazu was "feathered", the local villagers set up temples to worship. At the beginning of its creation, the scale of the temple was very small, and its influence was limited to the area of Meizhou Island, which was not yet noticed. The main function of Mazu has been related to the protection of navigation safety from the beginning, "The Holy Concubine Temple, on the island, the boat people are respectful." "With the continuous development of the navigation industry, during the Song and Yuanyou periods, the Mazu faith spread to the area of the Sanjiangkou of the Hanjiang River in Putian. The locals "pray for the flood and drought, pray for the plague, pray for the seafarers, and pray for it, and it should be like a sound." Therefore, the merchant ship is especially used as a guide, and the good fortune is good, although the waves are turbulent, the boat is also unharmed. ”
Located on the seashore and with developed shipping, the Hanjiang River is an important commercial town in Xinghua, and the locals often travel north and south, which promotes the further spread of the Mazu faith. After the Northern Song Dynasty, with the continuous upgrading of the praise of the emperors of the past dynasties, the influence of Mazu gradually expanded. In the fifth year of Xuanhe (1123), Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty gave the "Shunji" temple of Ninghai Shengdun Temple in Putian, which was the first Mazu temple to be given by the imperial court. According to the earliest Mazu document "Shengdun Zu Temple Rebuilding Shunji Temple" records, in the fourth year of Xuanhe, Lu Yundi was sent to the Goryeo Kingdom, and encountered raging waves on the way. Lu Yundi asked everyone who the goddess was. There is Li Zhen, a native of Putian, who has always believed in Mazu and told him that it was the manifestation of Mazu in Shengdun Temple. After they returned to China, they reported the matter to the imperial court, and Song Huizong gave them the "Shunji Temple." This donation marks the official recognition of Mazu, which is of great significance to the development of Mazu faith. Since then, successive generations of Mazu literature have regarded this event as the beginning of official recognition of the Mazu faith.
In the twenty-sixth year of Shaoxing (1156), Chen Junqing, a native of Putian who believed in Mazu, became the prime minister, and he invited the imperial court to entitle Mazu as "Mrs. Linghui". At this point, Mazu completed the identity transformation and was upgraded from a folk witch to a "lady", laying the foundation for the further spread of Mazu beliefs. In the last years of Shaoxing, Ningbo, Hangzhou and other places built Linghui Lady Temple, indicating that the Mazu faith has begun to spread to the outside world. In the first year of Shaoxi (1190), the imperial court enshrined Mazu as "Concubine Linghui". Concubine is the highest title of the goddess of the Song Dynasty, after Jin was named "concubine", Mazu became famous, and was gradually worshiped as a guardian saint by navigators, and Mazu temples were built in various places. In the second year of Shaoding (1229), "the shrine of the gods is not only prosperous in Pu, but also in Fujian, Guangzhou, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Huaidian." In this way, the influence of the Mazu faith expanded rapidly.
In the Yuan Dynasty, the belief in Mazu spread rapidly, developing from a regional sea god to the most influential sea god in the country. Dadu (present-day Beijing) relied on Jiangnan for a large amount of grain, and every year it was necessary to transport grain from the south by ship. At that time, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was in disrepair, the river was blocked, and the boats were impassable, which directly endangered the safety of the capital. In the first year, after the successful sea trial, Caoyun was changed to sea transportation. But transporting grain by sea was extremely risky, and in the first few years, shipwrecks were frequent, causing heavy losses and panic. In order to ensure the safety of Caoyun and boost morale, Yuan ** ordered to promote the belief in Mazu. In the eighteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1281), Yuan Shizu named Mazu as "the concubine who protects the country". In the second year of Tianli (1329), the imperial court sent a special envoy to worship the Mazu Temple in the world. On the first day of August, starting from the Mazu Temple in Zhigu, Tianjin, the end point of Caoyun, from north to south, the Mazu Temple along the coast of Caoyun was sacrificed one by one, which lasted several months, traveled thousands of miles, and finally arrived in Quanzhou. This unprecedented sacrifice reflects Yuan **'s high hopes for Mazu's son, and Mazu became the protector of Caoyun.
Perhaps it is a coincidence, and it is more likely that the accumulation of Caoyun experience in the previous years was that in the second year after the large-scale sacrifice of Mazu in the Yuan Dynasty, the number of shipwrecks was greatly reduced. At that time, there were many stories of the Heavenly Concubine's protection. Since then, Yuan ** has repeatedly sacrificed Mazu on a large scale, and also built a number of Mazu temples, such as Taicang and Liujiagang in Jiangsu, the starting point of Haicao, built Tianfei Lingci Palace, and built Tianfei Lingci Palace (i.e., Tianjin Tianhou Palace) in Dazhigu, Hebei, the end point of Haicao.
These Mazu temples, facing each other from north to south, echo each other from afar, ensuring that the grain fleet can always be blessed by the concubine Niangniang during the long journey. Under the strong support of the Yuan Dynasty, new Mazu temples were built in coastal areas, and the influence of Mazu belief became greater and greater, and Mazu gradually became the most influential sea god in the country. In addition to Caoyun, the prosperity of the Yuan Dynasty's overseas ** also played a great role in the spread of Mazu beliefs. Yuan has always been open to the sea. Quanzhou was one of the largest ports in the world at that time, providing a large amount of tax revenue for Yuan. In the Yuan Dynasty, Mazu was known as the "goddess of Quanzhou", and her godhead rose from "concubine" to "heavenly concubine", all thanks to the vigorous promotion of Quanzhou local **.
In the Ming Dynasty, Mazu was awarded two edicts, namely in the fifth year of Hongwu (1372), and was awarded the title of "Zhaoxiao Pure Fuji Induction Holy Concubine", and in the seventh year of Yongle (1409), Ming Chengzu restored the title of "Heavenly Concubine" of Mazu. The reason why Ming Chengzu admired Mazu again was directly related to the fact that he moved the capital to Beijing and resumed shipping, especially sending Zheng He to the West to develop friendly relations with overseas countries. He issued an edict to rescue Mazu as "protecting the country and protecting the people, Miao Ling Zhaoying Hongren Puji Heavenly Concubine", and gave the temple the title of "Hongren Puji Heavenly Concubine", stipulating that the official will be sent to pay tribute on the fifteenth day of the first month and the third day of March every year. Ming Chengzu also personally wrote an inscription to clarify the purpose of Zheng He's trip to the West and also express his respect for Mazu.
The Mazu faith had a positive effect on Zheng He's navigational career. In the fifth year of Xuande (1430), Zheng He went to the West for the last time, he personally wrote an inscription and carved the stele, standing in the Liujiagang Tianfei Palace, that is, "Loudong Liujiagang Tianfei Palace Stone Carving Tongfan Deeds Tablet"; In the spring of the following year, when the fleet was stationed in Changle and waiting for the monsoon, Zheng He built the Tianhou Temple and erected the monument of "The Record of the Heavenly Concubine Lingying". The two inscriptions summarize Zheng He's seven voyages to the West and his deeds related to Mazu.
According to the inscription of "The Record of the Heavenly Concubine Lingying", Zheng He went to the West seven times, six of which were blessed by Mazu. Obviously, as the spiritual pillar of Zheng He's fleet, the Mazu faith has a role that cannot be underestimated in stabilizing the morale of the army, soothing the soul, boosting morale, and establishing the belief in victory in overcoming hardships and dangers. The success of Zheng He's seven voyages to the West promoted the upsurge of Chinese immigrants overseas. The spread of immigrants spread the Mazu faith to all parts of the world. During the Qing Dynasty, the influence of the Mazu faith was further expanded. The emperor of the Qing Dynasty praised Mazu as many as 15 times, and the title also rose to the supreme "Heavenly Virgin" (19th year of Kangxi) and "Queen of Heaven" (23rd year of Kangxi).
February**Dynamic Incentive Plan In line with the admiration of the rulers, the Mazu festival is more complete. In the fifty-eighth year of Kangxi (1719), Mazu, Confucius, Emperor Guan, etc., were listed as the highest memorial in the place. The Qing Dynasty stipulates that the local government must personally preside over the Spring and Autumn Festival, and perform the ceremony of kneeling three times and bowing nine times, making it a "goddess of the sea" admired by all people. In the Qing Dynasty, Mazu's functions were further expanded, in addition to continuing to serve as the protector of the sea, such as praying for rain and praying for sunshine, sending children to help with education, curing diseases and eliminating disasters, subduing demons and subduing demons, helping to fight against enemies, protecting the country and protecting the people, etc., children were almost omnipotent, meeting the needs of all classes, and the influence of Mazu belief in various places was more extensive.
According to records, Zheng He went to the West seven times, and six of them were blessed by Mazu. Obviously, as the spiritual pillar of Zheng He's fleet, the Mazu faith has a role that cannot be underestimated in stabilizing the morale of the army, soothing the soul, boosting morale, and establishing the belief in victory in overcoming hardships and dangers. Zheng He's seven successful trips to the West promoted the upsurge of Chinese immigrants overseas, and the spread of immigrants spread the Mazu faith to all parts of the world.
During the Qing Dynasty, the influence of the Mazu faith was further expanded. The emperor of the Qing Dynasty praised Mazu as many as 15 times, and the title also rose to the supreme "Heavenly Mother" and "Queen of Heaven". In line with the reverence of the rulers, the Mazu festival is more complete. In the fifty-eighth year of Kangxi (1719), Mazu, Confucius, Emperor Guan, etc., were listed as the highest memorial in the place. The Qing Dynasty stipulates that the local government must personally preside over the Spring and Autumn Festival, and perform the ceremony of kneeling three times and bowing nine times, making it a "goddess of the sea" admired by all people.
At the same time, Mazu's functions were further expanded, in addition to continuing to serve as the protector of the sea, such as praying for rain and praying for sunshine, sending children to help with education, curing diseases and eliminating disasters, subduing demons and subduing demons, helping to fight against enemies, protecting the country and protecting the people, etc., the children were almost omnipotent, meeting the needs of all classes, and the influence of Mazu faith in various places was more extensive.
The extension of Mazu culture covers history, literature, art, etiquette and folk customs, cultural relics and relics. Historically, the formation and development of Mazu culture reflects to a certain extent the development of maritime culture in Fujian and even China after the Song Dynasty, and reflects the history of Fujianese immigrants overseas. From the perspective of literary history, legends, prose poems, folk songs and proverbs about Mazu are all important materials for Chinese folk literature. From the perspective of art history, the pictures and murals depicting the life and legend of Mazu, the sculpture of the statue of Mazu, and the architectural art of Mazu Temple have certain artistic value. As far as folk etiquette is concerned, Mazu's sacrificial rituals and beliefs and customs are rich in content, and it is a colorful picture of customs. The cultural relics and relics related to Mazu culture distributed throughout the country are also important heritage of Chinese culture.
Chinese Regional Culture Series".Mazu, I would like to make a study excerpt, invade and delete.
*From the web.