What things in ancient Chinese legends can ward off evil spirits?

Fourth: Chicken heads and dog blood

Chickens and dogs are all domesticated livestock, but in the ancient people's concept, their origins are extraordinary and comparable to ordinary animals. Wei Shu's "Chun Qiu Yun Dou Shu" states that "the scattered stars of Yuheng are chickens", while "Chun Qiu Kao Yi Ji" states that "dogs are born from fighting spirits". Such talent is directly related to people using certain parts of their bodies as magic weapons

. Dog blood has been recorded in "Historical Records" as a magic weapon to ward off evil and destroy demons. Qin Shihuang's four dog-killing courses to ward off disasters is an example. Since then, killing dogs and smearing their blood on doors has been one of the basic ways for people to ward off bad luck or resist evil. Popular belief also believes that chicken heads with dog blood are the easiest way to resolve evil spirits, especially rooster heads, and black dog blood is more effective. If you encounter a "demon" who uses magic, such as cutting paper to turn into a horse or scattering beans to form an army, you can also pour the dog's blood to break his magic. In folk customs, it is also common to use chicken blood and dog blood together to repel evil spirits.

Third: Adzuki Bean

The ancients called Dou Ji, but according to further analysis in "Guang Ya", "Bo Ya" and other books, there are also soybeans called Ji and adzuki beans Mingda. The difference is that all black beans, soybeans, green beans, etc. are all soybeans, such as adzuki beans, mung beans, white beans, peas, etc., are adzuki beans. In traditional Chinese folk customs, the beans that are regarded as having magical powers and efficacious effects are all adzuki beans. In addition, in local Buddhist beliefs and customs, soybeans are also used for the purpose of "Sa Yuan Dou".

Adzuki Dou’s magical power is first of all to ward off plagues. For example, "Miscellaneous Five Elements Book" says: "It is often used on the first day of the first lunar month, which is also very effective in preventing epidemic diseases. On the seventh day of the first lunar month and the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, if men swallow seven red beans and women swallow fourteen, they will have no disease and will not be infected by the disease." "Obviously, this kind of adzuki bean technique, which sometimes pays attention to conditions such as distinguishing between men and women, is not a medical concept. Another example is "Sui Guang Ji" which says: "On the first day of autumn, swallow ten red beans with autumn water to stop red and white dysentery." The reason is the same. There is also a saying that red bean is a disgusting ghost thing. "Miscellaneous Notes of the Years" says: "There was an untalented man of the Gong family who died on the winter solstice as a plague ghost. He was afraid of red beans, so he made bean porridge every day and hated them." Previously, we It is known that taking red beans is limited to the winter solstice. It is also effective in warding off epidemics on the New Year's Day, Lantern Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day and the Beginning of Autumn. It turns out that it is. What the "epidemic ghost" fears most. This legend is not only popular in China, but has also spread to the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago. Even today, the behavior of "throwing beans to drive away ghosts" is widely used in the folk customs there, but the ghosts driven out vary.

Second: Peach wood

Peach wood is also called "fairy wood". It is the most widely used material for destroying evil spirits and controlling ghosts. The reason why peach trees have such magical power is rooted in the ancient people's mysterious concept that peach trees are feared by all ghosts. In the records and explanations of ancient documents, there are roughly three categories of basis for this concept. Since it has nothing to do with the topic, I won’t go into details. This paragraph mainly talks about the ways to exert the function of peach wood in cutting down evil spirits and suppressing ghosts:

1) Peach board. Also known as "peach version", "peach charm",. "Peach Talisman Board" and so on are made of peach wood. Use in pairs. Paint the image of Brother Shentu (the legendary god of expelling ghosts) on the board to suppress evil spirits. Of course, as everyone knows, it gradually evolved into the current "Spring Festival Couplets" and "Couplets".

2) Peach seal. Also known as "Peach Seal Talisman", it is a seal button carved from peach wood and painted with red, blue and yellow. It is white and black with spells written on it to ward off evil spirits, and the buttons are perforated. During the Dragon Boat Festival, it is used alone. The method is to tie the peach seal with Caijue on the door or between the tent screens, which plays the role of driving away evil spirits.

3) Peach service. It is a decorative object made of peach wood. It is melon-shaped and multi-ridged. It is engraved with inscriptions and contains many prayers for blessings and disasters. The method of use is to wear it on the body during the first month of the lunar calendar. It can be seen from the records in "Han Shi Wai Zhuan" that this custom was already popular in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the later peach-wooden Gangmao was its legacy.

4) Peach man. Also known as "peach stem" and "peach puppet", it is an object carved from peach tree stems. It is shaped like a human being and can be of any size. The way to use it is to stand on the side of the door on New Year's Eve or the first day of the lunar calendar to ward off evil spirits. It can be seen from the descriptions in Zhuangzi, Warring States Policy and other books that this custom was already popular during the Warring States Period.

In the folk house building customs in some areas, peach figures are also used. The method is to make a small hole in the door wall or between the beams and pillars, and place a small group of people. In the past, if it was sealed again, it was believed that it could ward off evil spirits and ensure the stability of the residence.

5) Peach core. Just cut off the branches from the peach tree, no need to process them, it is a ready-made ghost suppressant. "Zhuangzi" says that if you put sticks at the door of your home, children will not be afraid when entering, but ghosts will be frightened and deterred. In addition, the ancients also used peach branches to bathe, thinking that they could ward off evil spirits.

6) Peach bow. Also known as "Peach Arc", it is a bow-shaped object made of peach wood and used in conjunction with an arrow-shaped object made of thorns. "Zuo Zhuan? The Fourth Year of Zhaogong" records the ritual of "peach arcs and thorn arrows to eliminate disasters". The meaning of "disaster" seems to be broader than the concept of ghosts.

7) Peach □. A magic weapon made of peach wood sticks and grains of rice, shaped like a broom. Books such as "Zuo Zhuan", "Book of Rites" and "Book of Zhou" all have records of using peach heat to remove bad luck. There are two main occasions when Taoqian is used: expressing condolences in times of mourning and killing animals to obtain blood. The ancients believed that the affairs of the dead were always related to ghosts and the like. Before hanging a dead person, it was necessary to use a counterweight to ensure that the living person would not be harmed, and Taoqian had the power to suppress ghosts. The blood of animals was killed for the oath of alliance, but there was also fear of bad luck, so Tao Qian played the role of being eliminated. In ancient times, most of the people who held peach peach pulling out work were officials such as Wu Shi. However, later on, peach Qian gradually became a Taoist magic weapon, which is the predecessor of the whisk.

8) Peach wood sword. This should be the most familiar magic weapon for "catching ghosts" or "killing ghosts" made from peach wood. It is used in conjunction with "peach seal talisman", reed rope, etc. It is already in the hands of "Niubi Taoist" and the like. It’s a thing, but its meaning comes from the ancient people’s belief that peach wood has the power to suppress ghosts.

9) Peach soup. "The Records of the Years of Jingchu" contains a description of drinking peach on the first day of the first lunar month to ward off evil spirits. Whether the drink was made with peaches or peach gum or peach wood has not yet been determined. In addition, among the folk witchcraft and forbidden methods, there is also a method of taking a bath in Taochang to solve the mystery of ghosts.

First: Bronze Mirror

Among the many magic weapons, the bronze mirror has the strongest ability to exorcise evil.

The ancient Chinese have used bronze mirrors for a long time. Bronze mirrors are not only utensils and handicrafts for looking at the face, but also a magic weapon with multiple functions. Where does the magic power of bronze mirrors come from? Various explanations given by the ancients are mostly related to their makers.

The magical function of the bronze mirror lies first in its ability to "see the true form of the demon king". As Ge Hong said in "Baopuzi", all things in the world that have been refined for a long time have the ability to pretend to be human in order to confuse people, "but they cannot change the true shape in the mirror." When they see the bronze mirror, they also reveal their true nature. Face, so quickly slipped away. Based on this principle, when engaging in activities such as catching ghosts and demons, all witches and wizards must first use a mirror as a magic weapon to see through monsters. When the mirror appears, the monsters will run away. Along this line of thinking, demon mirrors have become a widely used forbidden object. For example, the back or front chest of ancient warrior armors often has a "heart mirror" embedded in it. On the one hand, the copper of the mirror itself has the ability to resist sword arrows. On the other hand, they can also play the role of frightening many ghosts and monsters; for another example, the residential building custom of setting a small round mirror in the middle of the top of the door is popular in many areas of China, and even To this day, this ancient forbidden object, which has the significance of exorcising evil spirits and exorcising monsters, often appears on modern-style buildings, but the material of the mirror has changed from wrought copper to glass.

For another example, in traditional wedding customs, bronze mirrors are the most commonly used tool to dispel evil spirits. The bride wears new clothes with bronze mirrors and gets on the sedan to go to her husband’s house; before the sedan enters the gate of her husband’s house, , full-time personnel must use bronze mirrors to carefully "search" up, down, left and right in the car; for Hejin's bridal chamber, a large bronze mirror is an absolutely indispensable item. In addition, bronze mirrors are also used in folk funeral activities. People place them on the top of the tomb or at the four corners of the coffin bed. These arrangements are probably due to the need to ward off evil spirits.