Land-related myths and legends, local folk customs, idioms and proverbs

One: the land god.

Origin of the Land God: There was a custom of offering sacrifices to the earth in ancient China. This institution is the smallest administrative unit in this place. In the Book of Rites, it is noted that "Bao Qunju, who is below the doctor, has more than a hundred people, so he can set up a society" and "Records of the Five Elements of Han Dynasty" is also called "the old system, and the twenty-five societies are one society". The ancients respected heaven and earth. "The land is vast and it is impossible to worship the world, so the fief is a country and a memorial to the country." In order to repay the gift of the earth, the social gods were called social public or land in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and even worse. The social god didn't have a name at the beginning. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, people regarded officials who did good deeds or were upright during their lifetime as land gods, so they had personalities and surnames. The book "Social Gods" in the Taoist classic "Taoism only rewards ghosts and gods" once quoted the Catalogue of Ghosts and Gods in Laozi's "Heaven and Earth" as saying: "Shi Jing is a social god, and his surname is Huang Mingchong. This is from Liyang, Jiujiang, Yangzhou. Shiwan is listed as a master of famous mountains and gods in the world, and all social ministers follow it. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many people took celebrities as their places.

Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, with the gradual improvement of the feudal system from the central to the grass-roots level, the land god has also evolved into the lowest-level small god who can only manage the local area in the Taoist order. Jiang, a native of Guangling, died of chasing thieves in Searching for the Gods in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. After Sun Quan came to power in Soochow, Jiang appeared and said, "I want to be a land god for this and take my blessing for the people." .

Second, supplement the landowner.

The god of the earth is called the earth among the people in later generations, and the altar (social altar) that sacrifices to the earth has evolved into a land temple. In China, among many sacred families, the land god is the most popular god. In the ancient countryside of China, it is impossible to have other temples, but it is also impossible to have land temples. The land Lord lives in the land temple. If the temple is spacious and the food is good, he will also move his grandmother to live with him. The landlord is the parent, and he has to take care of everything on the land, big or small. Ghosts, monsters and evil spirits have also been registered on the land, so even the Monkey King, the Monkey King who made havoc in heaven, sometimes looks for him. The Monkey King promised the monks of the Tang Dynasty to go to the West to learn from the scriptures. Wherever he goes, he always calls out the local land and asks what happened. Origin and formation in general folk beliefs, most gods have a clear origin, but there are many sources of land gods and countless legends, two of which are examples.

One theory is that Zhang Fude, an official of the Zhou Dynasty, was born in Zhou Wuwang on February 2, 2002. He has been clever and filial since childhood. At the age of 36, he was the chief tax collector of the government, honest and diligent, and loved the people. He died in Zhou Muwang for three years at the age of 102. A poor family was worshipped by four big stones. Soon, he became rich from poverty, and the people believed in God's blessing. He jointly built a temple and made a golden statue.

Another way of saying it is: Zhang Mingde (or Zhang Fude), the servant of the Zhou doctor, whose master went to other places to be an official, leaving his little daughter at home. Zhang Mingde took his daughter to find his father. In a snowstorm, he took off his clothes to protect his master. As a result, he froze to death on the road. At the end of his life, the word "The Great Immortal in Nantianmen is a God" appeared in the air, and he was named loyal minister. When he went to the doctor to study loyalty and build a temple to worship, Zhou Wuwang said, "If so, the heart can be described as a doctor." Therefore, the land belongs to the person who wears the hat of the prime minister.

Third, Ju Mang.

(or famous sentence dragon) is a descendant of Yes, whose name is heavy, and he is Fu. After death, he became a wood god (spring god), in charge of the germination and growth of trees.

The sun rises from Fusang every morning. The holy tree Fusang belongs to Ju Mang, and the place where the sun rises also belongs to Ju Mang. Ju Mang was very important in ancient times, and the Spring Festival was held every year. His true colors are a bird-a bird with a face, riding two dragons, and then he has no influence at all. But we can see him in sacrificial ceremonies and New Year pictures: in spring, he became a shepherd boy riding an ox, with a double bun on his head and a wicker whip in his hand, also known as a headstrong boy.

What is the image of Ju Mang? According to the materials, the original image of Ju Mang, the goddess of spring, is a bird with a human face. "Shan Hai Jing Overseas East longitude" said: "In Ju Mang, a bird has a face and rides two dragons." Ju Mang's bird face shows that Dabaigao tribe living in the east was originally a tribe with bird as its totem belief, and Ju Mang God may be the totem god of this tribe. Is Ju Mang a woman or a man? There is no material to explain. But the mythical Dabaigao tribe is already a patriarchal tribal society. It is also reported that the face of God Ju Mang is square. Influenced by historical myths and patriarchal society, the map of Ju Mang in later generations has almost completely become the image of an ancient courtier, except for a few hairs called "mans" on the top of the head.

Fourth, Houtu

The early land god was Houtu, whose original meaning was Chang Jun, so Houtu meant the length of the land and the king of the land. In fact, it is not the name of the land god, but just the general name of the land god. It is said that the first person to take the post of Been Earth or Land God is the son of * * * worker, who is a dragon, and naturally a dragon is also a land god. Yu also served as an official, controlling water and pacifying Kyushu. In fact, Yu is the foundation of the earth, and his position as a god of nature is well deserved.

At first, it was just a general term for the land god, and later it gradually evolved into the name of the land god, while some gods such as Dragon and Yu were forgotten and evolved into specific gods. Because in the concept of the ancients, the sky belongs to Yang, the earth belongs to Yin, Yang is male and Yin is female, so Houtu gradually became a female, and was called the Queen of Houtu by the people, and the gods in Houtu Temple were also female.

Because people are buried in the earth after death, the land god is in charge of the underworld. Therefore, Hou Di has been in charge of the management of the underworld since ancient times. Later, landowners and landlords all over the country still inherited this function. Therefore, people should report to the land temple first after death, because the undead are allowed to report to the land Lord and the land Lord.

Empress Chengtian imitates the earth, which is the fourth god among the "Four Emperors" in Taoism. Paired with the jade emperor who presided over the heaven, she is the goddess who dominates the mountains and rivers of the earth.

The belief in thick soil originated from the land worship in ancient China. "Book of Rites Special Sacrifice" says: "The earth carries everything, and the sky hangs like an elephant. Borrowing materials from the earth and taking the method of heaven is a respect for the sky and a kiss to the earth. So the people in the church have good news. " In ancient times, people were born on the ground, so they were "near the ground" and "admired and worshipped", so the worship of "Houtu" began in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Empress Chengtian imitates the earth, which is the fourth god among the "Four Emperors" in Taoism. Paired with the jade emperor who presided over the heaven, she is the goddess who dominates the mountains and rivers of the earth.

The belief in thick soil originated from the land worship in ancient China. "Book of Rites Special Sacrifice" says: "The earth carries everything, and the sky hangs like an elephant. Borrowing materials from the earth and taking the method of heaven is a respect for the sky and a kiss to the earth. So the people in the church have good news. " In ancient times, people were born on the ground, so they were "near the ground" and "admired and worshipped", so the worship of "Houtu" began in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Five, the city god (this should be classified as related)

China folk and Taoism believe in "explaining words by writing", which is the god who guards the city.

"City, and people also", "yellow, city also. There is water to say pond, but no water to say patent. There is also a saying in the Book of Changes that "the city can be restored to the imperial court, and teachers cannot be used". The use of the word "city god" was first seen in Ban Gu's Preface to the Fu of the Two Capitals: "The Imperial Capital plows the palace and plows the city god". History can be found in the biography of Murong Yanyan in the Northern and Southern Dynasties: In the sixth year of Tianbao in the Northern Qi Dynasty (555), Murong Yanyan was guarding Yongcheng, surrounded by the Liang army in the Southern Dynasty, and the situation was critical.

"There is a shrine in the city first, and the common name is the city god. Every public and private prayer. Therefore, to follow the foot soldiers' heart is to ask for help at the same time, hoping to get the blessing of ghosts. In a short time, the wind suddenly blew, the waves were rough and the flood burst its banks. " This is the earliest record of the emergence of the city god to protect the city.

In the Tang dynasty, offering sacrifices to the god of the city god became more popular. The article "Hu Si in Xuanzhou" in the book "Tai Ping Guang Ji" quoted Moon Hee as saying that in the Tang Dynasty, "Wu customs were afraid of ghosts, and there must be gods of town gods in every state and county." ⑤ In the Tang Dynasty, many local butlers wrote articles to offer sacrifices to the God of the Town God. In the fifth year of Kaiyuan (7 17), Zhang Shuo first wrote "Sacrifice to the City God", followed by Zhang Jiuling, Xu Yuan, Han Yu, Du Mu and Li Shangyin. Li, Duan Quanwei, Lu Shu and others wrote The Story of the Town God Temple, while Du Fu wrote The Poetry of the Town God Temple.

In the Tang Dynasty, it became a custom to believe in the city god, so that "floods, droughts, diseases and epidemics must be sought" ⑤ During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the city god had a title. According to volume 34, Worship of Emperor Yuan Gui, in the first year of Qing Dynasty in the late Tang Dynasty (934), the emperor wrote a letter to Hangzhou Huguo Temple, changed it to worship King De, and the city god changed it to King Baoning in Shunyi, and made it King Fupu in Huzhou and King Debao in Yuezhou. In 950, in the third year of Yin Di's reign, pirates attacked Mengzhou, and the citizens prayed to God. The city god was not trapped, and he was named the king of inspiration.

The belief in the God of the City God in Song Dynasty has been included in the national sacrificial ceremony. According to "Book of Rites VIII", since Kaibao and the Emperor blessed, all people in the world have been famous for their contributions, such as temples, famous mountains and rivers, and those who can make clouds and rain, and they have been decorated and sacrificed, praying for induction, which cannot be recorded. During the Song and Zhao Dynasties, "the soldiers pushed Lu" refers to the city god of the Song Dynasty: "Today, there have been several worships in the world, and the temple name has been given to the clan, or knighted. Those who did not receive orders or attacked neighboring counties, or those who passed from county to county. " ⑦ Zhao and Shi also heard about it, and listed dozens of city god gods with temple names.

Legend has it that a long time ago, the ancient Yellow River was a wild horse that was difficult to tame. It runs as it pleases, like a grinning monster, growling day and night, devouring thousands of fertile fields. Bite Chung Shan Man, the Hui people on both sides of the Yellow River can only live a slash-and-burn life at the top of the mountain and at the bottom of the ditch.

At that time, Ningxia was not a plain bordered by Ma Pingchuan, but green mountains and valleys. There is no flat field, and no field can be irrigated with Yellow River water.

Legend has it that there are several families living in Niushou Mountain who return to the Han family. They carry water at the foot of the mountain and farm at the top of the mountain for generations. All ages are busy, but they don't have enough to eat and don't wear warm clothes. For a long time, no one could stand this torture.

One year, a 70-year-old Hui Hui man named Del opened a melon garden on the mountain and planted some cucumbers. He gets up early every day and goes to the Yellow River to fetch water and water cucumbers. His shoulders are swollen and his feet are skinned. He carefully cultivated cucumbers, and the yellow ones looked tender and sweet.

On this day, the old man was tired and fell asleep at the gate of the vegetable garden.

As soon as he fell asleep, he dreamed that there was a white cloud floating in the sky. Gradually, Baiyun became an imam with a white beard, shook his silver beard and said to the old man, "There are two strong winds today, so you should pay attention. There is a yellow wind at noon, which can make cucumbers wither; There is a black wind in the afternoon, which can make cucumber stems fall off. No matter how windy it is, don't pick cucumbers.

When the old man woke up, he saw that the white-bearded imam had disappeared, but he saw that the yellow wind in the north was overwhelming and suddenly blew to Niushou Mountain. The old man looked at the cucumbers carefully, and sure enough, they faded one by one. He was very sad. A year's efforts were in vain, but the thought of the white-bearded imam stopped him.

In the afternoon, a black wind blew, shaking the earth and shaking the leaves layer by layer. When the old man saw that the cucumber was about to fall to the ground, he was very angry. He picked a cucumber and threw it into the Yellow River. The Yellow River immediately broke a line. As if he had been cut by a fairy with a knife, he clearly saw the bottom of the river. When the old man Gerd swooped down, the river suddenly joined again. The old man was tired and hungry, sitting on the river bank, blinking, and the golden flower danced wildly and was dizzy.

At this time, the old man in Del heard the white-bearded imam say, "This cucumber is the key to conquering the Yellow River. You can cut off the Yellow River and make it listen to people. But now the Yellow River is called Yellow Wind and Black Wind, and these two Iberians are suffering. Don't be impatient, be patient and work harder. Next year, you plant another cucumber garden. When the cucumber is ripe, you pick the biggest one and throw it into the Yellow River. At that time, you walked into the cave at the bottom of the river, took off your jewels, took away the seeds of grains, and had a sword to cut dragons and demons and tame the Yellow River. Wherever it is referred to, the Yellow River water will flow. "

The next year, the hardworking old man Gerd planted another cucumber garden. He is not afraid of the long journey, and he does not hesitate to sweat like rain, carrying water from the Yellow River to water melons. Everything comes to him who waits. Finally, a three-foot cucumber grows in the garden, which looks like a key. The old man happily slept in the melon garden for a day and a night until the melon was ripe.

On this day, the weather was fine, without a cloud. Old man Wilder picked a three-foot cucumber, read "Taismi" and threw it into the Yellow River. At this time, I only heard the roar of the Yellow River, and I opened a long crack. All the stones at the bottom of the river are clearly visible. When the old man went down to the bottom of the river, he saw a hole near the river bank, where pearls and agates were everywhere. The old man took some and just left, he heard the storm whistling. At that time, the waves on the river rolled and the waves became higher and higher. The old man Gerd picked up his sword and cut dozens of swords on the left and right sides of the black whirlwind and the yellow whirlwind. After a while, black wind and yellow wind blew in the sky.

At this time, the faults of the Yellow River gradually tightened. Del's old man remembered the command of the white-bearded imam, and this sword could conquer the Yellow River. He knew very well, and he thought, I want the Yellow River to fill ditches and level mountains. Holding two swords, the old man plunged into the Yellow River, and the water in the Yellow River stopped flowing at once, as if a Great Wall had been blocked in front, but it was still rising steadily, which was really scary from a distance.

Three days later, from Liupanshan in the south to Helan Mountain in the west, there was water everywhere, leaving only a few mountain tips. Only then, the old man, Gerd, drew his sword and told the Yellow River to flow forward.

Since then, Ningxia, a deep mountain valley, has become Ma Pingchuan, and the Hui people living on both sides of the Yellow River have dug ditches for farmland with hard-working hands and lived a happy life.

Myths and legends:

Dayu had three treasures when he governed the Yellow River. One is the river map; The second is a mountain axe; The third is to avoid water swords. Legend has it that the river map was given to Dayu by Hebo, the water god of the Yellow River.

In ancient times, there was a man named Feng Yi in Huayin General Township. He feels uncomfortable farming, but he is bent on becoming an immortal. He heard that people can become immortals after drinking the juice of daffodils for one hundred days. So I looked everywhere for daffodils.

Before Dayu harnessed water, the Yellow River flowed to the Central Plains. There is no fixed channel, it flows everywhere and is often flooded. There are seven strands and eight roads on the ground, and the branches in the ditch are all yellow river water. Feng Yi ran around looking for daffodils, often crossing, crossing and dealing with the Yellow River. Ninety-nine days passed in the blink of an eye, and then I found a daffodil and sucked the juice of the daffodil for a day, so I could become an immortal. Feng Yi was so proud that he crossed the Yellow River and went to a small village to look for daffodils. The water here is not deep. Feng Yi waded across the river and reached the middle of it. Suddenly, the river rose. He panicked, slipped, fell into the Yellow River and was drowned alive.

After Feng Yi's death, she was full of grievances and resentments and hated the Yellow River, so she went to the Jade Emperor to sue the Yellow River. The Jade Emperor was also annoyed when he heard that the Yellow River was undisciplined and wandering around, endangering the people. Seeing that Feng Yi had been sucking the juice of daffodils for ninety-nine days, it was time to become an immortal. He asked Feng Yi if he would be the water god of the Yellow River and govern it. Feng Yi was overjoyed. Full of promises. Now I can realize my dream of becoming an immortal, and secondly I can avenge my drowning.

Feng Yi became the water god of the Yellow River and was called Hebo. He has never been involved in water control, and suddenly assumed the responsibility of managing the Yellow River, helpless and worried. What should we do? I have no magic weapon, so I have to ask the Jade Emperor for advice. The Jade Emperor told him that to manage the Yellow River well, we must first find out the water conditions of the Yellow River and draw a river map. Based on the river map of the Yellow River, it will be much easier to control the Yellow River.

Hebo, according to the instructions of the Jade Emperor, was bent on drawing a river map. He went to his hometown first and wanted to ask the villagers for help. Everyone in the village hated his idleness and his work, and no one answered him. He found the old man in the village and expressed his great ambition to govern the Yellow River. When the old man saw that he was now a fairy and wanted to do something good for the people, he promised to help him. From then on, Hebo and later old people came and went in the rain, wading through mountains and rivers to see the Yellow River water regime. After running for several years, the old man was tired. After the old man only went back, the rest of Hebo continued to check the water situation along the Yellow River. When we parted, the old man repeatedly told Hebo that the director should go all the way and not give up halfway. After drawing the map, he began to manage the Yellow River, and there was not enough manpower. He persuaded the villagers to help.

It is a hard job to check the water regime and draw a river map. By the time Hebo finished drawing the river map, he was old and weak. Hebo looked at the river map, where the Yellow River is deep and shallow; Where it is easy to explode, it is easy to explode; Where to dig and where to block; Where the water can be cut off and where the flood can be discharged are clearly drawn. I can only sigh that I have no strength to manage the Yellow River according to the map, which is very sad. Hebo thought that one day someone would come to harness the Yellow River. It will be worthwhile to give him the river map then.

Hebo spent his old age under the Yellow River and never appeared again. Unexpectedly, the Yellow River overflowed again and again. People know that the Jade Emperor sent Hebo to control water, but they didn't see him. They all scold Hebo for not doing his duty, regardless of whether people live or die.

The old man hasn't seen Hebo for several years after waiting for him every day in his hospital bed. He is uneasy about managing the Yellow River and wants to find Hebo. His son's name is Yi, and he shot every shot. No matter what the old man says, Yi won't let him go to Hebo. Later, the old man did not listen to his son's dissuasion. As a result, he met a breach in the Yellow River, was washed away and drowned, and even the body was not found. Hou Yi hated Hebo's guts and gnashed his teeth, saying that Hebo would be shot sooner or later.

Later, Dayu came out to control water, and Hebo decided to give him the map of the Yellow River.

On this day, Hebo heard that Dayu came to the Yellow River with an axe and a sword to avoid water, so he came out from the bottom with a river map to look for Dayu. Hebo and Dayu have never met before, and neither of them knows each other. Hebo walked for a long time and was so tired that he wanted to have a rest. He saw a young man crossing the river. This young man is a hero. He must be Dayu. Hebo shouted and asked, "Hello, who are you?"

The young man on the other side is not Dayu, but Hou Yi. He looked up, and on the other side of the river, a saint-like old man was asking loudly, "Who are you?"

Hebo said loudly, "I'm Hebo. Are you Dayu? "

When Hou Yi heard that it was Hebo, he immediately rushed to his heart and sneered, "I am Dayu." Said the bow and arrow, don't ask, don't indiscriminate, "sou" an arrow, hit Hebo's left eye. Hebo pulled an arrow on his eye, and he was sweating with pain. He cursed in his heart: "Damn prison, how unreasonable!" The more he thought about it, the more angry he became, and he tore up the water map. Just then, there was a loud shout: "Hebo! Don't tear the picture. " Hebo barely looked at it with his right eye. On the other side, a man in a hat stopped Hou Yi. This man is Dayu. He knew that Hebo had painted a picture of the Yellow River and was going to ask Hebo for advice. Hou Yi pushed Dayu away and tried to draw a bow and arrow. Dayu grabbed him desperately and told Hebo about the hardships of painting. Hou Yi regretted his recklessness and shot Hebo in the left eye.

Hou Yi and Dayu crossed the river together. Hou Yi admitted his mistake to Hebo. Hebo knew that Hou Yi was the old man's son and didn't blame him. Dayu said to Hebo, "I'm Dayu, and I've come to ask you for advice on how to manage the Yellow River."

Hebo said: "My heart and blood and the method of river management are all on this picture, and I will give them to you now."

Look at Dayu's exhibition map, which is dense and dense, and draws the water situation of the Yellow River clearly. Dayu was extremely happy. He wants to thank Hebo. Looking up, Hebo jumped into the Yellow River and disappeared.

Dayu got the hydrological map of the Yellow River and kept it around the clock. According to the instructions on the map, he finally managed to control the Yellow River.

Sadula, a poet in the Yuan Dynasty, wrote "Crossing the Ancient Yellow River Dike": "There was a Yellow River flow in ancient times, but now it is cultivated land. The roads are soft, and the sea turns to dust. "

Legend has it that a long time ago, the ancient Yellow River was a wild horse that was difficult to tame. It runs as it pleases, like a grinning monster, roaring day and night, devouring fertile land. Bite Chung Shan Man, the Hui people on both sides of the Yellow River can only live a slash-and-burn life at the top of the mountain and at the bottom of the ditch.

At that time, Ningxia was not a plain bordered by Ma Pingchuan, but green mountains and valleys. There is no flat field, and no field can be irrigated with Yellow River water.

Legend has it that there are several families living in Niushou Mountain who return to the Han family. They carry water at the foot of the mountain and farm at the top of the mountain for generations. All ages are busy, but they don't have enough to eat and don't wear warm clothes. For a long time, no one could stand this torture.

One year, a 70-year-old Hui Hui man named Del opened a melon garden on the mountain and planted some cucumbers. He gets up early every day and goes to the Yellow River to fetch water and water cucumbers. His shoulders are swollen and his feet are skinned. He carefully cultivated cucumbers, and the yellow ones looked tender and sweet.

On this day, the old man was tired and fell asleep at the gate of the vegetable garden.

As soon as he fell asleep, he dreamed that there was a white cloud floating in the sky. Gradually, Baiyun became an imam with a white beard, shook his silver beard and said to the old man, "There are two strong winds today, so you should pay attention. There is a yellow wind at noon, which can make cucumbers wither; There is a black wind in the afternoon, which can make cucumber stems fall off. No matter how windy it is, don't pick cucumbers.

The feeling of hometown

Huai: Miss; Earth: homeland, hometown. I miss my hometown.

The source of Han Banbiao's Wang Minglun: "The words of the garrison are broken, and the feelings of the land are broken. In the name of Gao Sihao, cut the skin of love. "

It is estimated to be large and can contain different things.

Mount Tai does not reject tiny earth and stone, so it can be so high. Metaphor is that people are measured and can tolerate different things.

The source "Biography of Historical Records and Lisi": "It is precisely because Taishan does not let the soil, so it can become great; Rivers and seas do not choose small streams, so they can be deep. " ...

Only the literati died.

According to Jin's Book of Jin, Zhongmou made Su Shao appear in the sky after his death and told his cousin that Yan Yuan and now are underground Xiuwenlang; Eight people, Lang Fan, Ghost Saint. Shao Jin also stuck to his post. See Tai Yu Ping Lan, Volume 883. Later, "underground writing" was used as an allusion to the death of a writer.

Local people's obligations to foreign guests

See Friendship of the Landlord.

Host's friendship or hospitality

"Twelve Years of Mourning for the Duke of Zuo Zhuan": "Fu Zi Jingbo said that Zi Cai:' The husband and the vassal will be finished, and Hou Bo will give him a gift, and the landlord will return it. "Du pre-note:" Give gifts and be polite. Landlord, owner of the club. Hey, creatures. " Ying Da Shu by Kong: "Courtesy and concierge should be called courtesy or banquet." Later, "friendship between landlords" refers to the courtesy and food gifts of local hosts to visitors.