[Willow Culture] Why is willow a symbol of female genitalia in China?

In the long historical process of planting and utilizing willow, China people have formed a cultural phenomenon of worshipping willow, which constitutes an important aspect of willow culture. Willow has strong vitality and fecundity, can reproduce asexually, and can grow normally when inserted vertically and horizontally. Therefore, the ancient people held religious feelings for the willow, fantasizing that by worshiping its exuberant vitality and powerful fertility, they would turn its exuberant reproductive capacity into human beings, further strengthen their own reproductive capacity, and realize the sacred purpose of human species reproduction, so they regarded the willow as a symbol of female genital worship. In ancient times, willow has always been regarded as a symbol of feminine yin and femininity, and Hong's biography called vitamins "yin". Rain praying and mulberry ceremony in pre-Qin China are scenes symbolizing sexual intercourse between men and women, and mulberry symbolizes vulva and genitals. The ritual of praying for rain and shooting willows by northern nationalities in ancient China is undoubtedly a symbol of copulation between men and women. The Book of Rites in Liao History says, "If there is a drought, choose an auspicious day to pray for rain. A hundred-pillar ceiling was set up in the early stage. In the meantime, the emperor drank with the imperial capacity of the first emperor, which was to shoot willow. The emperor shot again, and the prince and Zai Feng shot again. Those who are among the willows are crowned, and those who are not are crowned. The loser drinks the winner's wine and then walks to his crown. The next day, in the southeast of Liu Yin, the witch recommended planting willow leaves with wine grains and millet and making a wish. The emperor sacrificed to the east, and the son shot the willow. The royal family, the prince's uncle, ministers and owners give different things. If it rains for three days, it will give the enemy four horses and four clothes; Otherwise it will be flooded. " This is a ceremony in which the Qidan people in Liao Dynasty shot willows for rain, which shows that the ancient Qidan people also regarded willows as a symbol of genital worship. Manchu people regard willow as the ancestor mother god and call it "Buddha mother". Frodo is Manchu "Foteh", which means willow branches. There is no doubt that willow leaves are a symbol of female reproductive (vulva) worship. "Manchu people imagined the initial life in the water as a willow-like substance floating in the water, or described it as a' roaring' (ship). It floats on the water and never sinks. The wind blows away and the waves go away. More and more, it grew into' Buddha hair' (willow leaves), or' Buddha hair'. Everything, people, flowers, trees, birds, beasts, fish and insects, was born in Maofo. What is' Buddha hair'? It is a willow leaf and also symbolizes female genitalia. " Manchu people also have the custom of shooting willows. In the Qing Dynasty's "Jing Di Ji Sheng", there is a story of "Jing Di shooting willows at noon" ... It's over, it's better to ride away under the long wall of the Temple of Heaven. "The Chronicle of Beijing's Years Old" also said, "It is a legacy of ancient times to hit the ball and shoot it at the Temple of Heaven at noon." The Temple of Heaven is a place to worship heaven, with the purpose of praying for good weather. This custom of shooting willows by Manchu people is actually a legacy of their ancestor Nuzhen. Bangui. Mao recorded that in the first year of Guoyuan (1 1 15), "Jia Shu worshiped heaven and shot willow. Story, May 5, July 15, September 9, worship the sky and shoot willows, five years old is normal. " In a large number of cultural relics unearthed in Northeast China, the phenomenon that Jurchen and her ancestors worship willow trees can also be found. For example, willow patterns are often carved on stone tools, and arrowhead spicules are also made into the shape of willow leaves. The ancient Huns and their Xianbei people also worshipped willow trees. In the Tang Dynasty, Yan Shigu commented on Hanshu? "Hun Biography" said: "Ignorant people will sacrifice around trees. The custom of Xianbei has been passed down since ancient times. In the autumn festival, willow branches still stand without trees, and people ride around for three weeks. This is a legacy. "It can be seen that Huns and Xianbei people also regard willow as a symbol of female reproductive worship. Similarly, Han people regard willow as a symbol of female genitalia. For example, there are "Liu Xinhua's affection", "Flower Sleeping" and "Looking for flowers and asking for willows" in Han idioms, and flowers and willows symbolize women and their genitals. The Han people have the custom of Tomb-Sweeping Day, and Tomb-Sweeping Day's ancestor worship is actually a reproductive worship. In the Song Dynasty, Meng Yuan's "Tokyo Dream China" was written for seven years: "Flour is used to make swallows, and wicker is used to string them; Put it on the lintel, saying that the son pushed the swallow. "Qing Jiaqing Hebei's" Luanzhou Zhi "contains:" Men and women hairpin willows, and take the noodles as swallows and insert them in willow branches to welcome birds. "Yuan bird is a mysterious bird, but a domestic swallow. Guo Moruo believes that "black bird" is a symbol of male genitalia, and welcoming black bird with willow branches is a symbol of reproductive copulation, and its significance is to pray for reproduction. There is also a saying among the Han people that "the Qingming Festival will not wear willow, and the next generation will turn yellow dog". The symbolic meaning of willow is self-evident, and it is a symbol of female genital worship.