What folk customs are hidden in poems to prevent plague? Who invented them?

Throughout the ages, wars, famines and plagues have always threatened mankind.

Only everyone can see and feel wars and famines, and they know how to prevent such things as much as possible.

Only the plague, due to the backwardness of medical technology, ancient people did not know that it was an infectious disease, the root of which was viruses and bacteria.

I don't know, but I want to find out. What should I do?

So it is associated with ghosts and monsters, and thinks that the plague is caused by "ghosts and diseases". There is a monster called "plague ghost", which specializes in spreading these diseases.

Of course, the ancients didn't just wander among ghosts and gods.

After many plagues, the ancients actually found some ways to prevent the plague.

For example, when winter goes and spring comes, drink Tu Su wine.

On New Year's Eve, drink Tu Su wine, the last glass of Tu Su wine every year.

I don't think I'm over 70.

……

These are the first two sentences in Su Zhe's poems except Japan.

It can be seen that in the Northern Song Dynasty, people had the custom of drinking Tu Su wine on New Year's Eve.

How is the custom of drinking Tu Su wine on New Year's Eve formed?

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a terrible plague broke out and the world was in chaos.

To this end, the famous doctor Hua Tuo specially prepared a medicine and soaked it in wine for everyone to drink.

In the Tang Dynasty, in the twelfth lunar month, Sun Simiao, an imperial doctor, prepared this medicine bag and distributed it to all the villagers for them to soak in wine until New Year's Eve.

Thus, the custom of vigil on New Year's Eve, gathering men, women and children to drink Tu Su wine was formed.

Fumigating families in Ai Xiang by hanging mugwort leaves has many benefits.

It is impossible to appreciate orchids.

……

These are two poems in Qu Yuan's Li Sao.

Between the lines, although there is Qu Fu's dissatisfaction with people wrapping mugwort around their waist but not wearing bluegrass. However, it also reflects from the side that people especially preferred hanging mugwort leaves at that time.

The reason for this is related to a folklore.

It is said that during the beheading period, a doctor named Wang used lighted wormwood to treat the plague, and as a result, the soldier's condition improved.

This is also the earliest record of "moxibustion".

Only people at that time thought that the plague was caused by the invasion of evil spirits.

Thus, wormwood has the function of expelling poison and evil spirits.

Slowly, the custom of hanging wormwood and fumigating Ai Xiang was formed.

For us now, some ideas and practices of the ancients may seem ridiculous.

How can plague be imagined as evil spirits deliberately spreading diseases?

However, it is these customs that reflect the primitive awe of the unknown nature and the cognition that all things are mutually reinforcing.

Isn't that what we need most now?