Now, basically every household uses convenient tap water, but in ancient times there was no tap water. Except for mountain spring water, wells were drilled and well water was used in most places. But there is a strange phenomenon, that is, after the ancients dug the well, they would put two turtles in the well. So, what exactly is going on? What is the secret? Today, let’s find out together!
Digging wells is not easy
0 The ancients wanted to dig a good well, but it was really not easy. First of all, you have to choose a location. A good place directly determines the quality and service life of the well. The ancients had the following three considerations for the selection of a site: First, the terrain was low-lying, which was a place where groundwater gathered. This not only was the construction difficult, and groundwater could be seen without digging too deep, but the groundwater was abundant, which could ensure that the well water was not easily exhausted and used for a long time; second, the surrounding vegetation was lush, which was also used to judge whether the groundwater was abundant; third, it was judged by rainwater. Generally, after rainwater fell, it was directly submerged into the ground, which meant that the groundwater was insufficient. On the contrary, the rainwater gathered and formed a puddle, which meant that the groundwater was sufficient.
After selecting the address, the ancients carried out construction. In ancient times, there were no mechanical equipment, so they could only use humans to work. The ancients used a tool called the butterfly cone to dig downwards, and transported the excavated soil bit by bit, digging downwards until the water source was dug out.
Turtle shows its power
After the ancients dug the well, the most important step was to put two turtles in the well. The reason why the ancients did this was mainly to give the following three considerations: First, turtles were used to detect water quality. The well water in ancient times was not like our current tap water, not only passed layers of disinfection and filtration, but also carried out water quality testing before use to ensure the safety of the water source.
In ancient times, there was no such technology. The ancients could only use turtles to detect water sources. The reason for choosing turtles was that not only had high requirements for water quality and were more sensitive, but also had a long lifespan of turtles, which ensured that turtles would detect well water for a long time and would not have wrong judgment problems because of short lifespan like fish. If you use a turtle like this, if you are a male and a female, you will achieve the goal of one and all. It is a great choice!
2 is a good wish. In ancient times, there were four major beasts of , , Qinglong , White Tiger , Vermilion Bird , and Xuanwu . The prototype of Xuanwu is a turtle and a snake. Xuanwu belongs to water. He places turtles in the well. There are ancient people's wishes to pray for the water well to never run out. There is also the short lifespan of the ancients. As the saying goes, a thousand-year-old turtle is 80,000-year-old turtle. The lifespan of the turtle is self-evident. The ancients put the divine turtle in the well, and there is also the beautiful vision of expecting health and longevity.
The third is to guard the water source and ensure the safety of the water source. The ancients believed that Xuanwu, as a divine beast, could avoid some "dirty things", such as infectious diseases such as plagues entering the water source, ensuring the safety of the water source and protecting the safety of the people's lives. At the same time, turtles can also prevent some bad people from poisoning the well. Once the well is poisonous or there are some unclean things, the turtles inside will have warnings, thereby preventing people from drinking unclean water.
Conclusion
After the ancients finished digging the well, they put two turtles into the well. This not only can detect the quality of the water source, but also prevent the water source from being contaminated and ensure drinking safety. I really have to admire the wisdom of the ancients. Using these two turtles solved so many problems, which is amazing! Everyone, what do you think?
