十二生肖
"Zodiac Culture" originated from ancient simple materialism, was created during the formation and development of the Chinese nation. In ancient times, the ancients used heavenly stems and earthly branches as carriers , "Xiao" is similar to Xiao, so "Zodiac" is also called "Zodiac", "Xiang" means face, "Zodiac" means what is the face, The sign or belonging refers to twelve animal species.
Zodiac signs were used in different fields in ancient times, especially in the Tang Dynasty. The society was relatively stable, and people began to develop various cultures. The zodiac culture was related to marriage and Agriculture, handicrafts...
male and female zodiac marriage pairing
1, eight-character divination decision marriage
Using birth date to calculate destiny is a kind of ancient astrology. This has been invented as early as the Tang Dynasty. In the eyes of the people of the Tang Dynasty, twelve heavenly stems and twelve earth branches are matched with the characteristics of animals living on the ground. With the advent of the zodiac worship, people The zodiac culture is added to the new content, uses yin and yang to combine human attributes with the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, earth, and is the fortune teller with a set of very cumbersome reasoning to infer the future good and bad luck. .
唐朝婚
The Tang Dynasty followed the marriage form of the Northern Dynasty. Therefore, in the inference of marriage, if two people want to get married, they must take the birthdates of both men and women. , Find someone to estimate the fate of the two after marriage, This practice is called "joint eight characters", also called "joint marriage". Although there is no scientific basis for marrying eight-character divination.
However, there are still some old sayings about the Chinese zodiac that are not completely based in the folk, such as "Snake and tiger are like swords and frustrations, rabbits and dragons exchange tears." ”
These zodiac signs are conflicting, and they cannot grow old. In the Tang Dynasty, relying on this method of "combining the eight characters" determined the fate of marriages between men and women, and this method destroyed many beautiful marriages. .
2. Asking the name of Najib is a necessary step for marriage
If the man and woman in the Tang Dynasty want to form a marriage relationship, specific procedures are indispensable, which is the so-called Six rituals, are Nacai, Wenming, Najib, Nazheng, Appointment, and Welcome. Among them, Wenming and Najib both want to calculate the fate of two people. Asking for the name means that the man asks the matchmaker to ask the woman’s name and birth date at the woman’s home, and then calculates whether the two people’s numerology is consistent.
唐朝女
Najib is to say hello to the birthday character. After the calculation, he informs the wife of the good omen, so that the other party can feel at ease, and then agrees the time for the engagement and gift, in the "Book of Rites" There is a record: "Anyone who is recruited will pay for hire. If you hire for hire, you will succeed. First pay for hire and then get married."
Once unearthed in Dunhuang a "Divorce Agreement" of the Tang Dynasty, 这It also shows that the Tang Dynasty’s regulations on marriage are actually the ultimate goal of maintaining the ethics and morals within the family and maintaining social stability. Regarding the relationship between husband and wife, the "Law of Tang Dynasty" stipulates: “If the husband and wife are not in harmony, it means that they are not in love with each other. Those who agree and leave, do not sit.” From this point of view, Tang Dynasty divorce said that although men dominate, women also enjoy some autonomy.
长安十二时辰
1. The Chinese zodiac has an important connection with ancient agricultural civilization.
The Chinese zodiac uses each animal as the zodiac sign of the person who was born in that year. In the second zodiac, has six animals of "cow, horse, sheep, chicken, dog, and pig" which are the "six animals" raised by ancient farmers, This shows that the zodiac has an important connection with ancient civilization. Someone had previously suspected that the usage of the Zodiac came from the Tang Dynasty from the West through the Western Regions.
Because our country is a farming society, the Chinese zodiac is led by rats that endanger agriculture. However, in 1957, the unearthed Qin Bamboo Slips at Sleeping Tiger Land proved that the Chinese zodiac had been born very early in China, and there are documents that can prove that has already had the Chinese zodiac at least in the Western Zhou Dynasty. , but it is different from the Chinese zodiac that we ancient people are familiar with.
From the Chinese zodiac, we can see the animals of the Chinese zodiac, which can be roughly divided into three categories. is the six domesticated animals, They are an important concept in agricultural culture , Has a long history. In the Chinese concept, Liuhu represents the prosperity and good fortune.
The second category is wild animals. They are tigers, rabbits, monkeys, rats, and snakes. They are also closely related to human society. The third category is the traditional Chinese symbol mascot dragon, 龙是The spiritual creatures people imagine represent wealth and auspiciousness, Therefore, we can see that the selection of animals in the Chinese zodiac has a certain connotation and a certain meaning.
The usage of the Chinese zodiac has changed at any time in the long history of history. The relationship with agriculture is sparse and close. It is difficult to generalize based on the knowledge and understanding of people at that time, as well as the habits and usage of the time. In fact, the main reason is that the ancient people of did not have enough knowledge, culture, and popularity. They were simplified into animals that are easy to read and understand, which is easy to understand and spread.
地支
2, the earthly branch corresponds to the zodiac
The twelve earthly branches correspond to the time, from Zi Shi to Hai Shi, It represents twelve hours, and Earthly Branches and Zodiac are also corresponding. The ancients found that the time when rodents appeared most frequently was Zishi, so Zishi was convenient for rats to connect together; every time when it was ugly, farmers would get up and feed cows , So the cow is linked with Choushi; the tiger in Yinshi is the most ferocious, so becomes "Yinhu".
When it arrives at Mao, the rabbits all run out of the nest, so there is a "Mao Rabbit"; Chenshi is the easiest time to fog, it is said that the dragon can fly through the clouds, more "神龙见首Not seeing the tail ” phenomenon, so there is Chenlong, the time is... At every moment corresponding to the earthly branches, there are the rules of the work and rest of each animal, so the twelve earthly branches correspond to the zodiac signs one by one.
People also weave many moving stories based on the zodiac signs, forming imaginative and interesting allusions. Originally, the zodiac is just a symbol, but people are born according to the zodiac and give out various other cultures. Therefore, Chinese zodiac culture is deeply integrated into the national bones and blood, and has always maintained an inextricably linked relationship with us.
Twelve Zodiac Figurines
Tang Dynasty Twelve Zodiac Figurines
1. Structure of the Zodiac Figurines
as funeral goods The twelve zodiac figurines are important materials for studying the customs of ancient Chinese people. Archaeological studies have found that since the Sui and Tang dynasties, a special kind of pottery figurines appeared in the tombs of high-ranking households. They were all animal-faced figures and dressed in civilian costumes. The value is overwhelming, they are the twelve zodiac figurines, people regard the twelve zodiac figurines as gods to worship, showing the people of the Tang Dynasty awe of the twelve zodiac, the Tang Dynasty people have perfected the development of the twelve zodiac culture .
In the Tang Dynasty, there were more zodiac figurines unearthed from bronze mirrors, gold and silverware and tombs . In the Central Plains tombs before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the zodiac signs are not uncommon. However, archaeologists discovered the twelve zodiac figurines in the form of civil officials. Most of the zodiac figurines in the Sui and Tang dynasties were made of pottery, and some pottery made of iron, stone and porcelain.
Although the body parts of the Chinese zodiac are different, they have a unique style in terms of avatar shaping. Among the zodiac figurines in the funeral, heThey are mostly human heads, which also reflects the worship of the twelve zodiac culture in the Tang Dynasty. Each zodiac figurine reflects the sculptor's careful observation of various animals and the worship of the zodiac. In Chinese culture, the use of twelve zodiac signs is extremely wide. has small and exquisite shapes for the twelve zodiac signs. During the Tang Dynasty, the twelve zodiac patterns were even more widely used.
铜镜
These all show that in the Tang Dynasty, Zodiac signs have always been valued and loved by people in the Tang Dynasty . The bronze mirror of the Tang Dynasty broke through the Han-style mirror in its shape. With the development of history, it gradually merged into the folk belief concept of mutual generation and mutual restraint. is expressed in marriage, life, and year fortune. Each zodiac sign has rich legends.
2. Looking at the aesthetics of the Tang Dynasty from the twelve zodiac figurines
Cultural relics are the best proof of an era. The Tang Dynasty is the most prosperous dynasty in Chinese feudal history, from the Tang Dynasty The twelve zodiac figurines of China all use the animals of the twelve zodiac as the head of an adult. Each is lifelike. However, by observing these unearthed twelve zodiac figurines, can find one thing in common, that is, they Their necks are very long.
It can be seen that the long neck was used as a beauty in the Tang Dynasty. After all, as a funerary item, Twelve Zodiac figurines must be the most beautiful crafts at the time. After all, art comes from life. In the paintings or literature of the Tang Dynasty, we can find that the Tang Dynasty takes fat as its beauty, but with the unearthed twelve zodiac figurines, let us have a new discovery. Tang Dynasty people are better to pursue long necks.
People in the Tang Dynasty believe in gods and can bury the zodiac figurines made of the zodiac. This also shows that the head of the beast in the minds of the Tang Dynasty is the image of the gods of the zodiac. People believe The twelve zodiac signs can ward off evil spirits and pray for auspiciousness. It is probably because people in the Tang Dynasty believed that Zeng Xiaoyong could become a human being and serve the tomb owner, just like the terracotta warriors and horses of Qin Shihuang Mausoleum.
The twelve zodiac figurines are full of artistic flavor, reflecting the prosperity of the culture and art of the Tang Dynasty. It can also be seen that the people of the Tang Dynasty respect the gods and respect the dead. So the "twelve zodiac figurines" are also called "twelve idols".
In "Tang Hui Yao", there is a saying of "four gods and twelve zodiac signs", so the four gods and the twelve zodiac signs together play a role in preventing evil from the tomb.
Summary
Zodiac culture is an important part of Chinese traditional culture , and the Tang Dynasty is the key period for the development of the zodiac culture. The religious culture of the Tang Dynasty is the Tang Dynasty people breaking the restrictions of palaces and roofs. It has enriched the important role and powerful influence of East Asian civilization, mainly Japan and South Korea, and more and more countries have communicated with the Tang, which has enriched the Chinese zodiac culture. In the Tang Dynasty zodiac culture, it can be seen that the Tang Dynasty developed and prospered with the addition of bronze mirrors, murals, etc. as carriers. After continuous dissemination, enrichment and development, has gradually spread to today and formed the familiar zodiac .
