In ancient times, the sword was the spiritual representative of justice. Since ancient times, gentlemen have loved swords, and literati and writers have an indissoluble bond with swords. From martial arts**, we can also learn that many chivalrous people are proud to wear swords. Speaking of which, many martial arts ** are also named after swordsFor example, "Heaven and Dragon Slayer", "Blue Blood Sword", "Xuanyuan Sword" and so on. The sword has been present throughout the long history of ancient history, and in the Bronze Age and Iron Age, it existed mainly as a weapon, as the saying goes"The ancient words of the soldier must speak the sword"., which shows that the role of the sword in war should not be underestimated. With the progress of the times, especially the invention of gunpowder, the role of the sword in combat decreased, and the functional nature of the sword also changed. Since the Qin Dynasty, the spiritual temperament characteristics represented by the sword have become more and more obvious, and the sword has gradually become a symbol of spiritual temperament.
As the functional nature of the sword shifted, its compatibility became more apparent. SwordHis achievements in the field of culture are very high, and he is closely related to traditional Chinese culture. The first is that the combination of sword and traditional Chinese dance contributed to the emergence of sword danceIt was very brilliant in the Tang Dynasty. Pick upThe sword is also related to traditional Chinese calligraphy and traditional opera. ** The four famous opera artists of the period all used swords to entertain and perform theatrical performances. Judging from the shape of the sword, the craft culture involved is even richer, and the sword made by good craftsmanship is the sword. Finally, there is the relationship between the sword and the literati, the gentleman loves the sword, and so does the literati, especially in the Tang Dynasty, where cultural development was extremely prosperous, there was also a poet Li Bai who was a representative of those who loved swords. It can be said that the sword culture developed most dazzlingly in the Tang Dynasty and had a deep relationship with the literati of the Tang Dynasty.
It is said that the sword has been produced in ancient times, and through the ancient book "Yellow Emperor Benji", I learned that the Yellow Emperor in ancient times took the copper of the first mountain to cast a sword, and engraved it with words, and the TV series "Xuanyuan Sword" is about the history of ancient times. There are not many records about the shape design of swords in this period, but it is certain that the sword culture of this period has had a preliminary prototype, and people have known to use ancient texts to shape swords. It is recorded in "Huainanzi Bian": "The ancient soldiers, the bow and sword are only, the groove spear has no hit, and the halberd has no thorns." ”It can be seen that the sword of this period is a short weapon, and people will use it as a tool for self-defense. In short, the sword has a long history, and the sword culture has existed since the development of Chinese history, showing tenacious vitality, proving that China's 5,000-year-old culture has a long history.
By the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the scope of the sword's use expanded, and its shape was fixed. First of all, the sword is more widely used in the military, and then many people will be equipped with short swords as self-defense weapons, and some swords are used as decorations and displayed in the house. The sword weapons used in the military should be divided into equal systems, according to the length of the sword for soldiers to choose, and there is a distinction between the length of the sword body is five, four times, and three times the length of the hilt. A strong soldier can choose a sword with a slightly longer blade and a certain weight, while a weaker soldier can choose a sword with a slightly shorter blade and a lighter weight. In addition, the swords of the Shang and Zhou dynasties were basically cast in bronze, and you must know that the bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties also enjoyed a certain reputation.
The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were a period of social upheavalPolitically, there are many countries, first there are "Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons", and then there are "Warring States Seven Heroes".Economically, the small-scale peasant economy has developed greatlyCulturally, there is also a "hundred schools of thought". In such a social environment, "war" is the main topic. The long war has made various countries attach great importance to the production of weapons. With the advancement of smelting technology, the production of swords has become more refined. The sword used in the military should be resistant to combat and wear, and the dagger used for self-defense is small and delicate, and the very delicate sword weapon is used for collection. The famous swords include Yue Wang Goujian Sword, Wu Wangfu Poor Sword, especially Yue Wang Goujian Sword production process is even more superior. It is recorded in "Zhou Li, Examination of Work": "Wu Yue's gold and tin, the beauty of this material." Not only that, the Yue Wang Goujian sword also has the function of bending and automatically straightening, and it will not rust. This shows that in the Spring and Autumn Period, people's sword-casting technology has been quite developed. In the late Warring States period, this technique was still carried forwardDuring this period, iron swords also became popular, and a number of famous swordsmiths appeared.
After the Qin Dynasty unified the Six Kingdoms, the need for swords on the battlefield decreased. In particular, the appearance of cavalry made up for the shortcomings of swords, and they could deter the enemy in terms of ranks and formations, and swords began to withdraw from the battlefield stage. Even so, the art of forging swords is still improving. EastDuring the Han Dynasty, there was a "hundred steel", and the sword weapons cast in this way were like divine weapons. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, although the craftsmanship level of the sword itself did not make great progress, with the development of culture, the sword casting sword became a spiritual symbol, and the same is true in later generations. So to speakSince the Eastern Han Dynasty's "100 steel" method became famous all over the world, there has been no substantial progress in the casting technology of the sword, but the sword has become more and more prosperous as a new culture.
First of all, the development of sword culture in the Tang Dynasty was mainly in the field of culture, not that the sword production of the Tang Dynasty had epoch-making progress, but that the sword culture of the Tang Dynasty was different from before, and the sword existed as a spiritual culture。Why is the sword culture of the Tang Dynasty the most dazzling? First, there were two prosperous situations in the Tang Dynasty, "the rule of Zhenguan" and "the prosperity of Kaiyuan".During this time period, the cultural thought of the Tang Dynasty flourished extremely well, including countless poems with the theme of "sword". Second, there was a sword dance in the Tang Dynasty, and the sword dance of Gongsun Auntie was famous all over the world. Third, the sword and calligraphy complement each other, the calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty are good at the study of various text forms, and there is Zhang Xu's ** that makes people crazy, and his calligraphy is strong and powerful, but also rigid and soft. Based on this, Zhang Xu and Gongsun Lady had a deep sense of sword culture and created their own unique style of dance and calligraphy. In general,The development of sword culture in the Tang Dynasty is not limited to the fine polishing of the shape of the sword itself, but the creation of the spiritual conception of the sword, which is why the development of sword culture in the Tang Dynasty is the most dazzling.
So, why did the sword culture of the Tang Dynasty develop so well? This has to talk about the social state of the Tang Dynasty. First of all, politically, the Tang Dynasty was stable for a long time, and there were two prosperous times successively。And then there isEconomicallyAgriculture, commerce, and handicrafts all made some progress. The most important thing isCultural policy of the Tang Dynastyto encourage culture internallyDiverse and inclusive of ideas, and actively accepting foreign cultures, including Buddhist thoughts. The Tang Dynasty's diplomatic scope was very extensive, from Korea and Japan in the east, to Rome, Persia, Arabia and other countries in the west, Vietnam in the south, and to strengthen ties with ethnic minorities in the north, so it can be said that it was open to the outside world in all directions. Under such political, economic, and cultural conditions, the development of culture is bound to be very splendid.
Finally, if we want to talk about the sword culture of the Tang Dynasty, we have to mention the literati class of the Tang Dynasty. The sword culture accumulated in the previous generations took root in the Tang Dynasty, and the literati of the Tang Dynasty provided nourishment for the development of sword culture. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the spiritual meaning of the sword has been refined, and the sword is the standard for a gentleman, and a sword is necessary for those who are chivalrous and righteous。Therefore, the sword is generally a symbol of justice, nobility, and might. In the Tang Dynasty, this spirit was sung by poets. The poet immortal Li Bai is also a swordsman, and in all his poems, there is a lot of space to describe the sword. There are also some literati who like to depict swordsmenSuch as "Zhao Keman Hu Ying, Wu Hook Shuang Xueming." The silver saddle shines on the white horse, like a shooting star". In the poems of the Tang Dynasty, there are many descriptions of swords, most of which are lyrical through swords, so in the Tang Dynasty, sword culture has become an indispensable part of poetry.
Not only does it say that the sword is the pursuit of a gentleman, but also talk about how the sword became the pursuit of a gentleman. First of all, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the disadvantages of sword warfare have been revealed. The sword weapon is relatively thin, and when it encounters a strong shield, it is helpless。Swords require melee combat, and holding a sword is not enough damage to enemies on horseback. In particular, if you want to improve the toughness of the sword, it will take too much time and work, and you will be even more overwhelmed in the face of sudden battles. With the change of dynasties, society as a whole tended to be stable, and there were fewer places where the sword was used, so the use of the sword in military affairs was eliminated. At first, the spirit preached by the sword has always existed, and in the Qin and Han dynasties, princes and nobles had the habit of wearing swordsFirst, it shows the dignity of status, and second, it plays the role of self-defense. The shape of the sword is exquisite, straight and tenacious, and the main role is self-defense, symbolizing integrity, courage, not provoking right and wrong, the gentleman has always had the best beauty, doing moral things, so the symbolism of the sword coincides with the pursuit of the gentleman.
With the emergence of various evils and misdeeds in society, the troubles that the sword-wielder needs to solve also increases, and the meaning of the sword in society becomes more extensive. Originally, the sword was displayed in the house as a utensil and became a family heirloom for some families。Some swords are even treasures for the country to promote good and eliminate evil, and kill traitorous officials and rebellious ministers, such as the "Shangfang Sword" of the Ming Dynasty. In the people, the sword has also become an essential tool for chivalrous warriors to fight righteousness. A lot of martial artsThe sword is the general purpose of the famous and decent people, and the sects that use hidden weapons and poisons as the ** are mostly sideways, which also has the distinction between decent and cult. In this process, the meaning of the sword becomes more and more extensiveIn conclusion, the sword represents the moral sentiment of justice and uprightness, and the sword in the eyes of the literati also symbolizes freedom, romance, and is a sacred thing.
The first is sword and dance, as mentioned earlier, the combination of sword and dance was in the Tang Dynasty. The dances of the Tang Dynasty were divided into:"Soft Dance" and "Healthy Dance".There are two categories, and we can understand the difference between these two dances by naming them, which is naturally one rigid and one soft. The sword dance is a typical representative of the "key" dance, especially the sword dance of Gongsun Auntie, which is called a superb, combining the rigidity of the sword with the softness of the dance steps, giving people the overall feeling that it is also rigid and soft, just right. Because Aunt Gongsun knows a certain amount of swordsmanship, she is good at dancing, and the dance steps of the sword dance are fast and light, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people. When swinging the sword, she can retract and release it freely, sometimes as fast as the wind, sometimes as moving as a floating cloud. Equipped with professional costumes, the performance of this dance is even more amazing. In the poems of the poet Du Fu"Guangongsun Aunt ** Sword Dancing Weapon Walk" shows his true feelings as a ** person, "Yao Ruyi shoots nine sunsets, and is like a group of emperors and dragons", such a magnificent scene, how can people not sigh.
Then there is the relationship between the sword and traditional opera. The most well-known opera repertoire "Farewell My Concubine" is a model of the combination of sword and drama, this work comes from the famous dramatist Mei Lanfang. Mei Lanfang has a fanatical pursuit of drama itself, and he is the master of the history of drama development. He performed"Farewell My Concubine".The fragment combines ancient ChineseTai Chi swordsmanship, so the rhythm is soothing, ups and downs, soft and rigid. This work shows Yu Ji's character, and the depiction of her mood is also just right. After the song became famous, the theatrical repertoire presented by the combination of sword and drama was admired, and Mr. Cheng Yanqiu's "Qingshuang Sword" was a sensation, and there were also those that appeared at the same timeMei Lanfang's "A Sword", Shang Xiaoyun's "Emei Sword", and Gou Huisheng's "Mandarin Duck Sword" have their own repertoire and have achieved the heyday of Chinese theater development.
The fusion of sword and calligraphy is most typical of Zhang Xu's cursive script in the Tang Dynasty. There has always been a saying that "books and swords have the same origin"., which is vividly reflected in Zhang Xu's cursive script here. Zhang Xu's ** has the characteristics of flowing water, arrogant and powerful, and the sword itself also has such characteristics, especially the sword weapon in post-production can be stretched and contracted. Zhang Xu's initiative benefited from his understanding of sword culture and how to grasp the essence of calligraphy, which was inspired by the words written by the Qin Dynasty general Meng Tian in sword style。In this way, the idea of combining sword and calligraphy has been around for a long time, but it has not been well displayed.
Finally, there is the connection between the sword and other areas of ancient culture. First of all, from the ancient sword casting technology, in the later stage of historical development, the sword is more and more in pursuit of gorgeous and exquisite appearance, and the corresponding modeling process will naturally be developedThe development of gold-setting techniques includes wrong gold, gilding, gilding, etc., and these methods have been handed down to this day。Again,The sword is inextricably linked to Taoism. We all know that Taoists are mostly chivalrous, punishing evil and promoting good is their belief, and the sword is the only tool they choose. Finally, the sword was a favorite of the ancient literati. Not to mention that the literati have the habit of matching swordsFrom the poems and songs they wrote, we can understand how high their praise for the sword is, and this is the reason why gentlemen love swords since ancient times.