Why were lions so popular in ancient times?

Lions, called lynx in ancient times, are the largest average weight cats in the world, which are widely distributed in Africa, West Asia and South Asia. There are no lions in China. With the opening of the Silk Road, this big cat came to China with the label of "tribute", which formed a highly respected lion culture. From beast to beast, the lion's success depends on more than just selling cute.

Above _? The stone lion in the family of dignitaries.

God beast protects you.

Among the people, lions are often regarded as protectors. Guo Pu, a writer in the Jin Dynasty, wrote in his biography of Mu: "Sister-in-law is a teacher and went out of the Western Regions." It shows that as early as the Warring States period, people in the Central Plains already knew that there were such beasts as lions. There is a clear record in the Book of Zhang Di Ji in the later Han Dynasty: "In the first year of Zhanghe (AD 87), the State of Yue sent envoys to help pull out and teach children." This shows that lions came to the Central Plains in the Western Han Dynasty.

The popularity of the lion image, with the Tang Dynasty as the node, gradually penetrated into the hearts of the people. Before the Tang Dynasty, lions were mainly distributed in mausoleum buildings, playing the role of tomb decoration, tomb slayer and Shinto patron saint. For the first time, the Erya Stone Beast described this animal: "You are like a cat, eating tigers and leopards." The lion's characteristic of "eating tigers and leopards" makes people who talk about tigers and leopards find psychological comfort.

Above _? Peacock stone carving lion ornaments in Tang Dynasty

In the Tang dynasty, lions entered the folk. In Jiangnan area, lions and door gods are combined into one, which becomes the transitional form of door lions. For this reason, stone carvings of walking lions, squatting lions or standing lions are placed at the gates of temples, gardens, government agencies, houses and other buildings. In the northwest of China, people regard the carnivorous lion as the protector of livestock, hoping that the mighty lion can drive away evil spirits and avoid the plague.

The scope of protection of lions is not limited to this. In the third year of Jin Mingchang (A.D. 1 192), the Lugou Bridge in the southwest of Beijing was built, with a length of 266.5 meters and a width of 7.5 meters. It is a multi-arch stone bridge with a span of 1 1. There are 28 1 bridge railings and 50 1 stone lions carved on the bridge. To this end, there is a local saying that there are countless stone lions in Lugouqiao. The lion who is not good at water has become a water-saving beast, which shows people's love for lions. Whether guarding graves or protecting people's homes, people expect a harmonious and safe life through lions, which is also the fundamental reason for the existence of lion worship culture.

Above _? Stone lions on Lugou Bridge

A symbol of power

The lion is majestic and has the temperament of a king. In nature, the lion itself is the king of all animals, ranking first in food. After entering the Central Plains, lions are "tributes", and people naturally feel awe. In the Western Han Dynasty, lion watching was a royal patent. The Western Jin naturalist "Natural History" records that the lion traveled "three thousand miles to Luoyang, and both chickens and dogs barked". The lion's expression of not being angry and arrogant jumped from the paper.

After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the authority of the lion was further exaggerated. Emperor Taizong restricted the use of lions. He ordered that the brocade of Sichuan tribute must be embroidered with lion patterns, and civilians were forbidden to imitate it. According to the records of Tang, Yao and Ming Hui Dian, stone lions can only be placed in Shinto and Four Gates of the Imperial Tomb, and ordinary bureaucratic tombs are not allowed to be used.

Above _? Exquisite stone lions in Tang Dynasty

In the early Ming dynasty, the government stipulated that the lion pattern should not be used in the decoration of residential buildings. After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the "Work Code of the Ministry of Industry" was promulgated, which stipulated that 13 steamed stuffed buns could be placed on the lion's head of princes and yipin officials. Japanese scholar Kazuo Iwamoto once investigated 6 19 1 pairs of animal-shaped piers in Beijing, and found that there were only 37 pairs of lion-shaped piers, most of which were concentrated at the gates of the royal family and the government.

In addition to tombs and buildings, the requirements for lion-patterned costumes in previous dynasties were more stringent. Wu Zetian gave "civil and military three products and above, and the left and right guards were decorated with lions." In the royal costumes of the Song Dynasty, "six ranks and three crowns are decorated with lion bands." During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, birds and beasts were embroidered on the official uniforms of officials of civil and military affairs, and more than two of them were embroidered with lions by military officers. Second-class military attache in the early Qing dynasty, the court dress is also embroidered with lions. Because of its special status, people regard it as a symbol of power, which invisibly deepens people's worship of lions.

Above _ The lion representing the military attache in ancient times.

Rui beast representative

In fact, the lion is still a beast in people's eyes. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced into the Central Plains, and the image of the lion got new development. "On Great Wisdom" said: "Buddha is a lion among people. If the Buddha sits on the bed or on the ground, it is called Leo. " Comparing the Buddha to a lion shows the importance of the lion. The Northern Wei Dynasty respected Buddhism, which was recorded in Galand, Luoyang. On the eve of the annual Luoyang Bath Buddha Festival, it was popular to carry Buddha in Changqiu Temple to "ward off evil spirits and lead the way". 1 1 personality is summarized in Buddhist scriptures, such as self-discipline, caution and friendliness. The lion's character and the divinity of Buddhism complement each other and are extraordinary.

During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the foreign lion with ferocious face and violent temperament became a mighty and gentle China lion after secularization. In the Tang Dynasty, people used "lion dance" to pray for blessings and eliminate disasters, and some people specially made flowers and plants into the shape of lions. "Miscellanies of Yunxian" records: "Monks are quiet and calamus are planted in houses like husband and wife, lions and immortals." Lions in the Song Dynasty were integrated with the elements of dogs, and with bells, red tassels and other accessories, they were gradually shaped into "auspicious beasts" in folk ideals.

In the 28th year of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty (1689), Emperor Kangxi inscribed a tablet for the seated statue of Manjusri Bodhisattva (lion statue) in Wutai Mountain. With the approval of the supreme ruler, the lion is enough to rank among the animals in Switzerland. The grounded lion is welcomed by the people and provides an inexhaustible motive force for the inheritance of lion culture.

Above _? Manjusri bodhisattva lion statue

Cultural symbol

The localization of the lion has greatly enhanced its vitality. According to the Book of Song Dynasty, during the period of Liu and Song Dynasties, Zong Xi "heard the lion subdue all beasts" and used lion soldiers to make elephant soldiers. Since then, whenever the army wins or celebrates, lion dancing has become an indispensable folk custom. Buddhism was advocated in the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was recorded in Luoyang Galand that on the eve of Buddha washing festival every year, Changqiu Temple was popular to carry the Buddha, "to ward off evil spirits and lead the lion in front".

In the Tang Dynasty, lions became an important part of Tang Wenhua. Painter Yan painted a picture of a tribute lion, in which there are two big lions and several little lions. Tiger-headed bears are yellow and brown, with brilliant colors, which are different from the lions painted by the world. "Yu Shinan, a writer in the early Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem" Ode to a Lion ":A lion" practices its credentials and destroys its trees, while growling and howling will shake the rivers. "There is a pair of squatting lions in front of Ganling, which is as high as 3 meters. It is magnificent and solemn. Lion dance was introduced into Japan, and it was all the rage for a while. The Book of Faith and Ancient Music truly restored the grand occasion of lion dance in Tang Dynasty.

Above _? Braised pork balls

Huai Yang's famous dish "Braised Lion's Head" is minced with moderately fat pork, mixed with water chestnut, mushrooms and other materials, made into fist-sized meatballs, fried first and then cooked. This dish is not only delicious and juicy, but also looks like a "lion's head", hence the name "lion's head", which reflects people's mentality of seeking luck and happiness.

Lion Forest is one of the four famous gardens in Suzhou. There are many peaks and stones in the park, which look like a lion, hence the name. The Map of Lion Forest, drawn by Ni Zan, one of the "Yuan Sijia", is concise and vivid. Li Dou, a playwright in the Qing Dynasty, said in the story of Yangzhou Painting Boat: "The lion splits his head, splits his face, splits his body, splits his legs, splits his teeth, splits his hips, splits his belt, splits his bell, twists his thread, rolls up embroidered beads and chisels his young." Based on this, there is a standard procedure for lion modeling. The spread of folk custom of lion worship shows people's recognition and affirmation of lion culture.

Above _? Some pictures of lions made by painters in Ming Dynasty.

The lion culture in the west is vivid and has the appearance of a lion. The lion culture in China is not only characterized by the families of lions, lionesses and cubs, but also embodies the characteristics of "family culture". Moreover, lions are neither greedy nor cruel, and they have won much better favor among the people than tigers and leopards. The perfect combination of foreign lions and traditional culture has successfully settled in the Central Plains, achieving a leap from low opening to high opening. ?

Author: White is black correction/Editor: Lilith?

References:

1 forest? On the custom of lion worship in China

2 Sun? Red? Sun tiancheng? The Evil Lucky Lion —— A Probe into the Origin of Lion Culture in China

3 Yang Yurong? Cultural Interpretation of The Lion

4 Shi Yuntao? Lion tribute and lion culture between Han and Tang dynasties

5 what? Tao? On the reasons for the prevalence of lion culture in China from the sculpture of stone lions in past dynasties

What about six weeks? Yang Wentao? Ma Yiqing? On the Lion Culture in China

The text was created by the team of History University Hall, and the pictures originated from the Internet. Copyright belongs to the original author?