A collection of legends about the Dragon Boat Festival

Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival has been a traditional habit of the Chinese people for more than 2,000 years. Due to the vast territory and numerous ethnic groups, many legends and stories have been produced. Do you know what the legends and stories about the Dragon Boat Festival are? Below This is a collection of legends and stories about the traditional festival Dragon Boat Festival that I have compiled for you. I hope it can help you!

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The legend of the Dragon Boat Festival

Originated from commemorating Qu Yuan

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is our country’s traditional Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanyang, Chongwu, Dragon Boat Festival. As early as the Zhou Dynasty, there was a custom of "gathering orchids and taking a bath on May 5th". But many of today's Dragon Boat Festival activities are related to commemorating our country's great writer Qu Yuan.

During the Warring States Period, Chu and Qin were competing for hegemony. The poet Qu Yuan was highly regarded by the King of Chu. However, Qu Yuan's ideas were opposed by the conservative faction headed by Shangguan official Jin Shang, who constantly slandered Qu Yuan in front of King Huai of Chu. King Huai of Chu gradually alienated Qu Yuan, and Qu Yuan, who had great ambitions, felt sad. With uncontrollable melancholy and anger, he wrote immortal poems such as "Li Sao" and "Tianxiang". In 229 BC, the State of Qin captured eight cities of the State of Chu, and then sent envoys to invite King Huai of Chu to negotiate peace with the State of Qin. Qu Yuan saw through King Qin's conspiracy and risked his life to go to the palace to state his interests. King Huai of Chu not only refused to listen, but expelled Qu Yuan from the capital of Ying. King Huai of Chu went to the meeting as scheduled, but was imprisoned as soon as he arrived in Qin. King Huai of Chu was filled with regrets and became depressed and became ill. He died in Qin three years later. Not long after King Qingsei of Chu came to the throne, King Qin sent troops to attack Chu. King Qingsei of Chu fled the capital in panic, and Qin soldiers captured Yingcheng. While in exile, Qu Yuan heard the bad news one after another about the death of King Huai of Chu and the attack on Ying City. He lost all hope, sighed up to the sky, and threw himself into the roaring Miluo River.

When the fishermen on the river and the people on the shore heard that Dr. Qu Yuan had committed suicide by throwing himself into the river, they all came to the river and tried their best to salvage Qu Yuan's body. (This custom later evolved into dragon boat racing.) People took out their belongings from their homes. Zongzi and eggs were thrown into the river so that the fish could eat them and not bite Doctor Qu's body. There was also a doctor who poured realgar wine into the river to stun dragons and water animals and protect Dr. Qu Yuan's body from harm. Not long after, a faint dragon floated on the water, with a piece of Dr. Qu's clothes still on the dragon's beard. People pulled the evil dragon ashore, cramped it, and then wrapped the dragon's tendons around the children's hands. On the neck, realgar wine is applied to the seven orifices, and some even write the word "king" on the child's forehead so that poisonous snakes and pests will not dare to harm them. From then on, every year in early May - the day when Qu Yuan was martyred by throwing himself into the river - people of the Chu state would go to the river to row dragon boats, throw rice dumplings and drink realgar wine to commemorate the poet. The custom of the Dragon Boat Festival has been passed down like this.

Originated from and related to Huang Chao

Another legend is that during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao led troops to rebel. Wherever he went, millions of people were killed and blood flowed into rivers. When the people heard that Huang Chao was coming, they fled one after another, fearing that they would not be able to escape. In May of this year, Huang Chao's army invaded Henan and arrived at the city of Dengzhou. Huang Chao rode outside the city to survey the terrain. He saw a woman carrying a bag and a boy in her arms as if she was fleeing. He felt strange. Just stepped forward and asked. The woman said, "I heard that Huang Chao kills people without blinking an eye and will attack Dengzhou soon. All the men in the city have been drafted to defend the city, so I had no choice but to take my children and escape." After hearing this, Huang Chao responded. The woman felt compassion and said, "Go back and put the calamus and mugwort at the door, so that Huang Chao's army will not harm your family." The woman was dubious after hearing this, but she still returned to the city and told her father and fellow villagers the news. The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival in May. Huang Chao's army entered the city and saw calamus and mugwort hanging on the door of every house. In order to keep his promise to the woman, Huang Chao had no choice but to lead his troops and leave, and the whole city was spared.

In order to commemorate this event, every Dragon Boat Festival since then, people will put calamus and mugwort on their doors. This custom has been passed down to this day.

Another legend is that during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao led his troops to rebel. Wherever he went, millions of people were killed and rivers of blood flowed. As soon as the people heard that Huang Chao was coming, they fled in a hurry.

In May of this year, Huang Chao's army invaded Henan and approached the city of Dengzhou. Huang Chao rode outside the city to survey the terrain. He saw a woman carrying a bag and holding a young man with one hand. boy, but the other hand was holding the older boy. Huang Chao felt strange, so he dismounted and asked, "Sister-in-law, where are you going in such a hurry?" The woman replied, "I heard that Huang Chao is a murderous villain and will attack Dengzhou soon. All the men in the city have been drafted to defend the city. We, old and young, might as well escape for our lives as soon as possible."

After Huang Chao heard this, he said to the woman: "Sister-in-law, go back quickly and put calamus and mugwort at the door so that Huang Chao's army will not hurt you." The woman listened. She was still doubtful, but she still returned to the city and spread the news. The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival in May. Huang Chao's army invaded the city and saw that every house was hung with calamus and mugwort. In order to keep his promise to the woman, Huang Chao had no choice but to lead his troops and leave, and the whole city was spared.

In order to commemorate this event, every Dragon Boat Festival since then, people will put calamus and mugwort on their doors. This custom has been passed down to this day.

Originated from commemorating Wu Zixu

The second legend of the Dragon Boat Festival is widely circulated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It commemorates Wu Zixu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC). Wu Zixu was a member of the Chu State, and his father and brother were both killed by the King of Chu. Later, Zixu abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side, and rushed to the State of Wu to help Wu attack Chu. After five battles, he entered Yingcheng, the capital of Chu. At that time, King Ping of Chu was dead, so Zixu dug up the grave and whipped the corpse three hundred times to avenge the death of his father and brother. After the death of King Helu of Wu, his son Fucha succeeded to the throne. The Wu army had high morale and won every battle. The country of Yue was defeated. King Goujian of Yue asked for peace, and Fucha agreed to it. Zixu suggested that the Yue Kingdom should be completely wiped out, but Fu Chai refused to listen, and the Wu State slaughtered him. He was bribed by the Yue Kingdom and framed Zixu with slanderous words. Fu Chai believed it and gave Zixu a sword, and Zixu died with it. Zixu was a loyal man and regarded death as home. Before he died, he said to his neighbors: "After I die, dig out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of Wu Jing to watch the Yue army enter the city and destroy Wu." Then he committed suicide and died. After hearing this, he was furious and ordered Zixu's body to be packed in leather and thrown into the river on May 5th. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate Wu Zixu.

Originated from the memory of the filial daughter Cao E

The third legend of the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E who threw herself into the river to save her father in the Eastern Han Dynasty (23-220 AD). Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and her body was not seen for several days. At that time, her filial daughter Cao E was only fourteen years old and cried along the river day and night. Seventeen days later, he also threw himself into the river on May 5th. Five days later, he took out his father's body. This was passed down as a myth, and then passed down to the county governor, who ordered Du Shang to erect a stele for it and his disciple Handan Chun to write a memorial in praise of it.

The tomb of the filial daughter Cao E is located in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province today. It is later said that the monument to Cao E was written by King Yi of the Jin Dynasty. In order to commemorate Cao E's filial piety, later generations built the Cao E temple where Cao E threw herself into the river. The village and town where she lived was renamed Cao E town, and the place where Cao E died for her father was named Cao E river.

Originated from the ancient Yue national totem sacrifice

A large number of unearthed cultural relics and archaeological research in modern times have confirmed that in the vast areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, in the Neolithic Age, there was a culture characterized by geometrically printed pottery. remains. Experts infer that the tribe that remains is a tribe that worships the dragon totem - known as the Baiyue tribe in history. The patterns on the unearthed pottery and historical legends indicate that they had the custom of breaking their hair and getting tattoos, lived in water towns, and compared themselves to being descendants of dragons. The tools they produce include a large number of stone tools, as well as small bronze tools such as shovels and chisels. Among the pots and jars used as daily necessities, the printed pottery tripods for cooking food are unique to them and are one of the symbols of their ethnic group. Until the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were still Baiyue people, and the Dragon Boat Festival was a festival created by them to worship their ancestors.

In the course of thousands of years of historical development, most of the Baiyue people have integrated into the Han nationality, and the rest have evolved into many ethnic minorities in the south. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival has become a festival for the entire Chinese nation.

Folklore of the Dragon Boat Festival

1. Commemorating Qu Yuan

Legend has it that the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan, a poet of Chu State during the Warring States Period. He celebrated on the fifth day of May. He threw himself into the Miluo River and died for his country. Qu Ping, courtesy name Yuan, usually called Qu Yuan, also named Zhengze from Yun, nicknamed Lingjun, Han nationality, a native of Danyang (now Zigui, Hubei) of the Chu State at the end of the Warring States Period, a descendant of Qu Xia, the son of Xiong Tong, King Wu of Chu. Although Qu Yuan was loyal to King Huai of Chu, he was repeatedly ostracized. After King Huai's death, he was exiled because King Qingxiang believed in slander, and eventually threw himself into the Miluo River and died.

This theory first came from "Xu Qi Xie Ji" by Wu Jun of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty and "Jingchu Sui Sui Ji" by Zong Mao of the Southern Dynasty. It is said that after Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River, local people immediately rowed boats to rescue him after hearing the news. They went all the way to Dongting Lake, but never saw Qu Yuan's body. At that time, it happened to be a rainy day, and the boats on the lake gathered together at the pavilion on the shore. When people learned that the purpose was to salvage the virtuous minister Qu, they set out again in the rain and rushed into the vast Dongting Lake. In order to express their grief, people went boating on the rivers, and then it gradually developed into dragon boat racing. The people were afraid that the fish in the river would eat his body, so they went home and brought rice balls and threw them into the river to prevent the fish and shrimp from destroying Qu Yuan's body. Later, it became a custom to eat rice dumplings. It seems that eating rice dumplings and racing dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival are related to the commemoration of Qu Yuan. There is a poem "Dragon Boat Festival" by Wenxiu of the Tang Dynasty as evidence: "Who said that the festival is divided into Dragon Boat Festival? It has been said that it is Qu Yuan. It is ridiculous that the Chu River is so vague that it cannot be washed straight. "I am wronged."

2. Welcome Wu Zixu

Some theories are related to Wu Zixu, a doctor of the state of Wu, rather than Qu Yuan.

"The Chronicles of Jingchu" written by Zong Mao during the Xiaoliang period of the Southern Dynasties is a collection of stories introducing the seasonal events and customs of the Jingchu region in ancient China. In the thirty-third section of the book, it is recorded: "According to the race on May 5th, it is customary for Qu Yuan to throw himself into Miluo and injure the place where he died, so he ordered a boat to rescue him... Handan Chun Cao'e's stele says, May 5th On the day, the time is right to welcome Wu Jun... This is also the custom of Soochow. It is about Zixu, not Qu Ping. "It is believed that the Dragon Boat Festival race in Soochow is to welcome Wu Zixu, who was regarded as the river god by people at that time, and has nothing to do with Qu Yuan. . Regarding rice dumplings, there is a local record: "It is a local custom to serve rice dumplings to the doctor at noon, not Qu Yuan."

3. Welcome the God of Waves

Wu Zixu, a loyal minister of the state of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period After he died unjustly, he turned into a god of waves, and people mourned him and offered sacrifices to him, hence the Dragon Boat Festival. This legend is widely circulated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Wu Zixu was a member of the Chu State. His father and brother were both killed by the King of Chu. Later, Zixu defected to the State of Wu and led Wu to attack Chu. He won five out of five battles and captured Ying City, the capital of Chu. At that time, King Ping of Chu was dead, so Zixu dug up the grave and whipped the corpse three hundred times to avenge the death of his father and brother. After King Helu of Wu died, his grandson Fucha succeeded to the throne. The Wu army had high morale and was victorious in every battle. The country of Yue was defeated. King Goujian of Yue asked for peace, and Fucha agreed to it. Wu Zixu suggested that the Yue Kingdom should be completely eliminated, but Fu Chai refused to listen. The prefect of Wu State was bribed by the Yue Kingdom and framed Zixu with slanderous words. Fu Chai believed it and gave Zixu a sword, and Zixu died with it. Zixu was a loyal man and looked forward to death. Before he died, he said to his neighbors: "After I die, dig out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of Wu capital to watch the Yue army enter the city and destroy Wu." Then he committed suicide. Fu Chai was furious when he heard this and ordered Zixu's body to be packed in leather and thrown into the river on May 5th. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate Wu Zixu.

4. Dragon Festival

This statement comes from Wen Yiduo's "Dragon Boat Test" and "Dragon Boat Festival History Education". He believes that the fifth day of May is the day when the "dragon" tribe in the ancient Wuyue area held totem sacrifices. The main reasons are:

(1) The two most important activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, eating rice dumplings and racing boats, are both related to dragons. Zongzi thrown into the water are often stolen by dragons, while dragon boats are used for the ferry races.

(2) The ferry race is particularly closely related to the ancient Wuyue region, and the people of Wuyue also have the custom of cutting off their hair and getting a tattoo "to resemble a dragon son".

(3) In ancient times, there was a folk custom of "tying arms with colorful silk" on the fifth day of May. This should be a relic of the "dragon son-like" tattoo custom.

5. Summer Solstice

Liu Deqian, who holds this view, put forward three main reasons in "Another Story of the Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival" and "Interesting Talks about Traditional Chinese Festivals":

(1) The authoritative book "The Chronicles of Jingchu" does not mention the festival custom of eating rice dumplings on the fifth day of May, but writes that eating rice dumplings is included in the Summer Solstice Festival. As for the boat race, the "Jade Candle Book" written by Du Taiqing of the Sui Dynasty listed it as an entertainment activity on the summer solstice, which shows that it was not necessarily to salvage the great poet Qu Yuan who threw himself into the river.

(2) Some contents in the Dragon Boat Festival customs, such as "stepping on hundreds of herbs", "fighting on hundreds of herbs", "collecting miscellaneous herbs", etc., actually have nothing to do with Qu Yuan.

(3) The first explanation of the Dragon Boat Festival in "The Scenery of the Year" is: "The sun and leaves are in the sun, and the Dragon Boat Festival is in the middle of summer, so the Dragon Boat Festival can also be called Tianzhong Festival. Therefore, the earliest origin of the Dragon Boat Festival is the summer solstice. Among the many theories, commemorating Qu Yuan has the most widespread influence. Because of Qu Yuan's outstanding personality and art, people are also willing to commemorate this day. Attributed to him

Dragon Boat Festival legend

1: Commemorating the filial daughter Cao E of the Eastern Han Dynasty

In Shaoxing, Zhejiang, the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Father drowned in the river. Legend has it that Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and her body was not found for several days. At that time, her filial daughter Cao E was only 14 years old. She cried along the river day and night to find her father. After 17 days, on May 5th, her father drowned in the river. She also threw herself into the river and died. Five days later, she took her father's body out of the river, which became a legend. According to historical records, since the Song Dynasty, emperors of all dynasties have praised Cao E for her great deeds.

The tomb of Cao E is located in today's Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. It is later said that Cao E's monument was written by King Yi of Jin Dynasty. To commemorate Cao E's filial piety, later generations built a Cao E temple at the place where Cao E threw herself into the river. The village and town where she lived was renamed. In Cao'e Town, the place where Cao E died for his father was named Cao Ejiang.

2: The theory of poisonous moon and evil sun driving away

In the pre-Qin period, people generally believed that May was a poisonous month. The fifth day is an evil day. The chapter "Zhongxia Ji" in "Lu Shi Chun Qiu" stipulates that people should abstain from sex and fast in May.

The famous Mengchang Jun in history recorded in "Historical Records: Biography of Mengchang Jun". Born on May 5th. His father asked his wife not to give birth to him, thinking that the child would harm his parents.

Throughout history, there are many records of such events. Wang Zhene, a general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was born on the fifth day of May. His grandfather named him "Zhen evil". Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and was fostered outside the palace since he was a child. It can be seen that it was a common phenomenon in ancient times to regard the fifth day of the fifth lunar month as an evil day. p> Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, this day has been considered an unlucky day. In order to seek good luck and avoid evil, people often plant calamus and mugwort leaves on this day to drive away ghosts, smoke atractylodes and angelica and drink realgar wine.

Three: In memory of the female poet Qiu Jin

The female poet Qiu Jin was an advocate of Chinese women’s rights and women’s studies, and one of the first revolutionary pioneers to sacrifice herself for overthrowing thousands of years of feudal rule. She was a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He was good at poetry, lyrics, songs, and poems when he was young, and he also liked horse riding and fencing. He was known as "Hua Mulan and Qin Liangyu alive". He participated in the revolution at the age of 28 and had a great impact. He was arrested by the Qing soldiers when he was planning an uprising, and he died. Unyielding, she died heroically in Xuanhengkou, Shaoxing on June 5, the 33rd year of Guangxu. Later generations admired her poems and mourned her heroic deeds, so they merged with the Poet's Day to commemorate her, and the Poet's Day was commemorated to commemorate patriotism. The poet Qu Yuan designated it as the Dragon Boat Festival

Four: The theory of the Wuyue National Totem Festival

This statement comes from the "Dragon Boat Festival" and "The History of the Dragon Boat Festival" by the poet and scholar Wen Yiduo. Education". Wen Yiduo believes that the fifth day of May is the day when the "dragon" tribe in the ancient Wuyue area held totem sacrifices. Because the two most important activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, eating rice dumplings and racing boats, are both related to dragons. Zongzi thrown into the water are often stolen by mosquito dragons, while dragon boats are used for the ferry races. Moreover, in ancient times, people in Wuyue had the custom of cutting off their hair and getting tattoos "to resemble a dragon son". In addition, in ancient times, there was a folk custom of "tying arms with colorful silk" on the fifth day of May. Wen Yiduo believed that this should be a relic of the "dragon son-like" tattoo custom.

Wen Yiduo has a deep understanding of ancient myths and legends. In his writings "Historical Education of the Dragon Boat Festival" and "Dragon Boat Test", he verified the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. He pointed out that the Dragon Boat Festival was originally a festival in which a dragon totem group of the Wuyue ethnic minority in southern China held Tu tribe sacrifices in ancient my country. It has a history of at least four to five thousand years. At that time, the Wuyue people living in the Jiangnan area were constantly threatened by floods, droughts, plagues and insect pests, so they took the "dragon" as their national totem, hoping that the "dragon could protect themselves" and "cut their hair tattoos" to decorate themselves. Jackie Chan's appearance.

Every May 5th during the summer season, they hold a grand totem sacrifice, placing various foods in bamboo tubes or wrapping them in leaves and placing them in water as offerings to the totem gods. , and also eat it yourself. In order to please the totem god, they also made dragon-shaped wooden boats, competed with each other on the water, and played drum games to worship and entertain the gods.

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