Legend and apotheosis of dragons

As a symbol of China culture, dragons are not completely occupied by emperors. In the folk, dragons still appear in various ways. Almost all ethnic groups in China have legends and stories about dragons. People celebrate festivals with dragon boat races and lanterns, and pray for good weather by offering sacrifices to dragons. Here are some legends about dragons:

The legend of the dragon-Tianlong;

Taiyuan Evening News Supplement was named "Tianlong". A friend asked: What is Tianlong? Why are there dragons?

Tianlong, of course, refers to the dragon in the sky, or the dragon ascending to heaven. The reason why dragons can soar in is determined by their materiality and divinity. The divinity of the dragon can be summarized by being fond of water, good at flying, flying, fickle, showing spirits, seeking wealth, omening disasters and demonstrating. Among them, "flying well" and "flying into the sky" are the decisive factors for the formation of "dragon" We know that as a collection object of dragons, lightning, clouds, rainbows, etc. Originally, it was a "celestial phenomenon" flying in the air; Fish, crocodiles and snakes dive into the water, and horses, cows and deer run on land at the same speed as "flying" dates. Due to the fuzziness of thinking, the ancients often regarded fish, crocodiles and snakes diving in water, horses, cows and deer running on land, and lightning, clouds and rainbows soaring in the air as different manifestations of a sacred object.

"Good flying" is bound to "soar into the sky". Because the direction and field of "flying" is natural, it can only be mysterious, vast and supreme. Therefore, from ancient times to the present, people always let dragons often appear in the boundless sky and clouds. On the black pottery ear basin unearthed from Hemudu site in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, there are patterns depicting "fish algae pattern" and "bird pattern" at the same time; The "bird fish pattern" unearthed at the Beishouling site in Baoji, Shaanxi Province also connects birds flying in the sky with fish, dates, dragons and other collectibles swimming in the water. This shows that as early as the early Neolithic age, at the beginning of the fuzzy collection of dragons, dragons began to have the meaning of "reaching the sky". A silk painting of dragons and phoenixes reaching the sky was unearthed in the Chu tomb of Chenjiadashan, Changsha. The dragon on the screen, with its tail curled vertically, its head facing the sky, and its limbs leaping with claws. Next to it is its companion, the phoenix with its head held high and its wings spread. Under the dragon and phoenix, stood a woman in a skirt with her hands folded. Obviously, this woman is praying, guided by dragons and phoenixes, and wants to fly into the sky and be a free "fairy".

In this way, the dragon has the ability and identity to communicate with heaven and earth, and becomes a bridge and messenger between heaven and earth. The reason why those autocratic emperors call themselves "real dragon emperors" lies in their accurate understanding of the divinity of dragons and their ability to act as bridges and messengers between heaven and earth.

For ordinary people, "Dragon and Eight Branches" is a kind of correspondence, release and externalization of national psychology. Our ancestors lived in an extremely difficult environment, with frequent natural disasters, clan struggles and many pains of birth, illness and death. After entering the class society, the pressure from autocratic imperial power has increased, and this latter kind of pressure is combined with morality and ethics, which is poured into people's blood in the form of "three cardinal guides and five permanents" and irrefutably binds people's hands and feet. However, the pursuit of freedom is human nature, but it is always bound. Therefore, people hope, hope and fantasize to break free from the rope, escape from the world and live an unrestrained life that can fully develop nature.

Dragons provide the possibility of satisfying people's psychology. It can swim comfortably in the water, walk nimbly on the ground and fly smartly in the sky. How beautiful the sky is! The bright moon, the snow-white clouds, the gorgeous glow, the leisurely wind, the electric switch Wan Ren and the thunder all around ... Tianlong, Tianlong, in fact, people want to fly high and fly high.

Dragon Legend-Dragon Ball;

People often find "dragon playing with pearls" (including "single dragon playing with pearls", "double dragon playing with pearls", "three dragons playing with pearls" and "multi-dragons playing with pearls") on architectural colorful paintings, sculptures and costumes embroidery. A friend asked: What is the "Dragon Ball"? Where did the "Dragon Ball" come from? What about "dragon playing with pearls"?

Dragon balls are related to dragons. "The pearl of a thousand dollars must be under the dragon's jaw of the nine abyss." That's what Zhuangzi said. "Yaya" also said that "the dragon ball is in the jaw". Strange Tales says: "Where there is a dragon ball, the dragon will spit it out ... The Vietnamese proverb says,' It is better to plant a dragon ball than to plant a thousand mu of wooden slaves. "The above statement has two meanings: first, the dragon ball is often hidden in the dragon's mouth, and at the right time, the dragon will spit it out; Second, the value of the Dragon Ball is very high. In the folk proverb, it is better to plant a thousand acres of citrus than to get a dragon ball.

So, where did the Dragon Ball come from? Why do dragons play with pearls?

As we know, pearls are some mollusks in the water. Under certain external conditions, their shells are endocrine and form round particles, which are popular because of their bright luster, so they are called pearls. Since animals in the water can give birth to pearls, as the dragon of the aquarium, it is natural to have pearls and give birth to jujubes, which should be a basic idea of the Dragon Ball myth.

However, it seems that things are not that simple. Dragons are vaguely assembled creatures in mythology, and the objects of assembly are fish, crocodiles, snakes, pigs, horses, cows, lightning, clouds, rainbows and so on. Among them, crocodiles and snakes lay eggs. Eggs are round or granular, much larger than pearls. Then, will the ancients regard crocodile eggs and snake eggs as a kind of "bead"? The answer is yes. The ancients could mainly collect crocodiles and snakes, and naturally they would not ignore their eggs; For crocodiles and snakes, eggs are of great significance and the source of life. If there are eggs, there will be crocodiles, snakes and then dragons. So eggs can completely enter the dragon's life as "beads". Then, the dragon ball is the dragon egg; Playing with pearls is actually an "egg" played by dragons, a sacred object of dragons, and a care, caress and respect for life. Among them, it embodies and expresses a kind of "life consciousness" of the ancients, that is, the understanding, understanding and exertion of endless life phenomena.

The folk legend of swallowing pearls and turning dragons provides a footnote for our point of view: a teenager mows grass (or draws water), gets a treasure pearl, puts it in a rice jar to increase rice, and puts it in a till to make money. When a rich man found out, he brought people to rob pearls. The teenager put the beads in his mouth in a hurry, but accidentally swallowed them. So I longed for water, and when the water in the jar dried up, I went to drink river water, river water. Drinking and drinking, his head has horns, his eyes protrude outward, and his body has scales, turning into a dragon. Such legends are widely circulated in Sichuan, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other places, revealing the preciousness of "pearls" and the relationship between pearls and dragon life.

The sun is another understanding of "pearl". Some dragon-playing bead patterns we have seen, especially two dragon-playing bead patterns, mostly have flames rising, which are clearly a "fire bead" or a "fireball"; Below is the turbulent sea, which can be understood as a fireball jumping out of the sea. In people's vision and concept, it can be called "fireball", and the sun can rank first. So, obviously, the fireball went out to sea, which means the sun went out to sea. Now that the sun is out to sea, why should dragons "play"? Here we would like to introduce the four gods in the eyes of the ancients: Oriental Dragon, Western White Tiger, Southern Suzaku and Northern Xuanwu. The sun rises in the east, and the dragon is a sacred object representing the east. In this way, the dragon playing beads is the sun worship, which is the fusion of sun worship and dragon worship.

Dragons are divided into male and female, which is also the reason why Erlong plays with more bead patterns. If a pearl lays an egg, it means that both parents care about and care for the child; If pearls are the solution of the sun, then it is the male dragon and the female dragon that greet the rising sun and let the bright sunshine shine on the earth. Furthermore, the two dragons are symmetrical, the dragons are long, the beads are round and smooth, and there is also a sense of composition.

The legend of the dragon-Oolong;

There are only a dozen families in Longtan Fort under Shaohua Mountain. There are two people living in the village: a father and a daughter named Liu, who make a living by selling tofu. My daughter is a pearl phoenix. She looks beautiful and handsome.

One day, Zhu Feng went to fetch water and caught a little black snake. She caught the little black snake, put it on the well platform and said, "Poor thing, let it go!" " "The little black snake nodded to her, turned and ran into the well.

Zhu Fenggang came into the room carrying water when she heard someone calling her from behind. Turning around, I saw a beautiful young man in his twenties. The young man grabbed Zhu Feng's hand and put a round bead in her hand. He said, "I am the fifth prince of the Weihe Dragon King. Just playing in Longtan, I accidentally bumped into your hook and broke free. Thanks for saving my life. This is a dragon ball. If you put it in a water tank, you don't have to carry water every day. If you have any difficulties in the future, just tell me. " Say that finish, suddenly disappeared. Zhu Feng chased out the door, only to see a white mist at the wellhead, and heard the well water rushing a few times. She felt as if she were in a dream, looking at her hand, which was obviously a treasure. After entering the room, she threw the dragon ball into the water tank. Wow, the water splashed everywhere, and the tank was full of clear water. It's sweeter than well water. Zhu Feng knew it was a treasure. She didn't tell anyone, even her parents. I just often think of Oolong, and go to the well every day to pick a handful of water and secretly look into the well.

In Sunjiabao, four or five miles away from Longtan Fort, there lived a rich family, Yin Lixian. When his mother died, Liu Laohan had no money for burial, so he borrowed 12 silver from Yin. Life is poor and I can't afford it, but I often send some tofu to Yin's family, and I should pay the interest. These twelve books are not hurried, and I am happy to eat tofu all year round without spending money.

Miss Zhu Feng is one year older, and the worse she falls. Yin Lixian cunning turned around, playing the Zhu Feng idea. First, I hired a glib matchmaker to give Zhu Feng a bride price. Liu Laohan refused, but Zhu Feng was strong-willed. She raised the gift box and threw it outside the door, and the matchmaker ate a rebuff.

When Yin knew this, he rolled his eyes in anger and scolded, "This old thing is shameless. He has owed ten taels of silver for more than ten years. Hum! Even if you pay one hundred and twenty pieces of silver with interest, you can't pay anything in three days! " He squinted and sneered: "Call Miss Zhu Feng to pay the bill!" When the words reached Liu Laohan's ears, he didn't have an idea. Zhu Feng just crawled on the edge of the kang and cried, but she couldn't get over it. "She fell asleep in the middle of the night and ran to the drilling platform. She gritted her teeth and shouted sideways, "mom, I'll go with you!" "As soon as you close your eyes, you jump into the well.

Zhu Feng only felt dizzy, like walking on clouds. Suddenly I heard someone shouting in my ear: "Zhu Feng, sister Zhu Feng!" " I slowly opened my eyes and saw that I didn't fall into the water, but lay on Oolong's arm. "Brother Oolong!" Like seeing relatives, she threw herself into Oolong's arms and burst into tears. Oolong advised her, "Zhu Feng, I know everything about you. Don't be sad. Dogs are rich and cruel. God bless. Watch me clean up this old dog. " ... I'll take you home! "Zhu Feng refused, he whispered in her ear, said, tears streaming down her face, nodding.

I heard that Zhu Feng jumped into a well and the villagers went down with torches to save people. Oolong saw someone coming down and whispered to Zhu Feng, "Good sister, I won't see you off." Hold Zhu Feng up with both hands. The person who went down the well touched Zhu Feng, tied a rope and saved her.

In the dead of night, Zhu Feng told her father about her and Oolong from beginning to end. The old man was secretly surprised, but dubious. Zhu Feng fished out the dragon ball from the urn. When the old man saw that it was not a common thing, he believed Zhu Feng's words. The news that Zhu Feng jumped into a well and was rescued reached Yin Lixian's ears. The old thief smiled cunningly and smoothed his moustache: "Hey, it's obviously sunny. I'm Yin, with a well-off family and a box full of gold and silver. Really ... Ah, hey ... "I took one look and ordered the servants to prepare separately. Early the next morning, the old thief ran to Zhu Feng's house with a group of servants. On the way, a gust of wind blew away the sand and gravel, and the bride price brought by it had already been blown away. The thief Yin Lianren and his horse fell to the ground. After the gale, the old thief saw that the bride price was empty and everyone was there, so he rubbed his crooked nose, took a bunch of servants, waved a stick and went straight to Liu Laohan's house to grab the Pearl Phoenix.

Oolong saw the old thief do three things, but he still didn't know how to change it. The old thief rushed to the well platform and showed his true colors, with a dragon ball and a clear spring in his mouth. At that time, there was lightning and thunder, and the waves were huge. Yin thieves cried and cried, rolled with the waves, and were washed into the Weishui River to feed the fish and turtles.

After a while, the dark clouds cleared and the sky was full of sunshine. A black dragon is dancing in the clouds, and Miss Zhu Feng is sitting on its back. Flying to the top of the mountain, Oolong lay down to rest, and Zhu Feng waved goodbye to his father and villagers.

From then on, people called this village Longquan Village, and later changed it to Longtanbao. The mountain where the dragon rests is also named Wulong Mountain Scenic Resort, which has long been called Wulong Mountain Scenic Resort Scenic Area.

The legend of the dragon-dragon boat;

Dragon boat race, also known as "dragon boat race", "dragon boat rowing" and "dragon boat race", is a mass entertainment activity with a long history. The reasons have always been different, mainly as follows:

One theory is to commemorate Gou Jian, the king of Yue, who trained the navy and defeated Wu. "The story of crossing the sea spreads to the clouds, and the competition begins with Gou Jian, the king of Yue, and now the dragon boat is also." ("The Original Things, Duanyang") wuyue was at war, and Gou Jian was defeated and captured. He lived in Wu for three years, won the trust of Fu Cha, the king of Wu, and was put back to Yue. After returning home, he was determined to avenge himself. On the fifth day of May of that year, the Navy was established and began to practice. Finally, a few years later, Wu was wiped out in one fell swoop. In order to show Gou Jian's indomitable spirit, later generations followed the practice of the Yue navy and held a boat race on May 5 as a commemoration.

Second, to commemorate the legend of Wu Zixu and Cao E, Wu Zixu was slandered by Fu Cha, the prince of Wu, and ordered to throw him into the waves of Qiantang River and sail to save him. "Meet Wu Jun on May 5th, swim against the waves and be submerged" (Cao Ebei). Later generations rowed dragon boats to rescue soldiers.

Third, in memory of Chu doctor Qu Yuan. This statement is generally accepted, and its written record began in the book "Continued Harmony" written by Liang people in the Southern Dynasties: "Chu doctor Qu Yuan died in the Miluo River, and the Chu people mourned it and saved it with a boat. Running in Duanyang is a legacy. "

In addition to the above, there are also some different opinions in various places. In southeastern Guizhou, there is a saying that the dragon boat race is to commemorate the old man who killed the dragon. Dai people in Yunnan believe that it is to commemorate the ancient hero Yan Hongwo (also known as "Yan Hongwo"). There are also some sayings, such as "welcome the summer solstice" and "avoid evil days"-May is an "evil month" and the fifth day of May is an ominous day.

All these statements have their own reasons, but they fail to clarify the most basic question: whether it is to commemorate someone, or to "welcome the summer solstice day" or "avoid evil days", why should the "dragon boat" competition be held? In other words, why race "Dragon Boat" instead of other "boats"?

To answer this question, we have to start with the basic divinity of dragons. As we said, the dragon has the divinity of loving water, being good at flying, being fickle and seeking happiness, and has the department of sowing rain and managing water. Since there is such divinity and priesthood, it is natural to be worshipped by people of all ethnic groups living in rivers and lakes. Worship consciousness must be externalized into concrete behavior. These behaviors include: offering sacrifices to the gods, offering human delicacies to the gods, accompanied by incense for them to enjoy leisurely; Entertain God, sing and dance, and find ways to make God happy; Imitating God, imitating God's behavior and form shows that he has a close relationship with God and things, and he is endowed with "divinity", so that he can "vividly present God". This is probably the deep motivation of "Dragon Boat Race". It is believed that through the huge dragon boat race, the dragon's mind in the sky and water can be induced, and great entertainment can be obtained, so that the divinity can be revived, and the clergy can do their best to bless one side with good weather and abundant crops. At the same time, it also makes people endow themselves with dragons, strong and vigorous like dragons, and then fear refuge. As for the commemoration of so-and-so, it is just a side event. The reason is probably that the "humanity" of these outstanding people is common with the "divinity" of the dragon, and they share part of the "priesthood" of the dragon. For example, Wu Zixu was once known as the "Narcissus", "Shen Tao", "Tide God" and "River God" in the waters of the Yangtze River. Qu Yuan was also named "King Shunzhi of Guangyuan", and it was said that "Jiang Shen was the doctor of Chu Qu Yuan".

"Dragon Boat" is a dragon-shaped or carved dragon boat. In ancient times, emperors, known as the "True Dragon Emperor", usually took dragon boats when walking on waterways. For example, "The Son of Heaven floats in the marsh with a dragon boat in a bird boat" (Mu Chuan) and "Boating a dragon boat is Jiangdu's luck" (Ji). The dragon boat on which the emperor rode was tall, spacious, magnificent and luxurious, with towering pavilions, elaborate gold ornaments and extraordinary weather. The "Dragon Boat" painted by Song Li in the Southern Song Dynasty Painting Academy is an example. Folk dragon boats used in competitions are not comparable to royal dragon boats, and they are generally made narrow to facilitate competitions.

The shape of the dragon boat used as a racing boat changes with the times and different regions. According to reports, in the old days, the dragon boat on the West Lake was about forty or fifty feet long, with a high head and tail and a dragon shape. There are two floors up and down in the middle cabin, and there is a leading prince and a swing at the bow, both dressed as children. The prince stood still and the swing swung up and down. Next to it are bows, crossbows, swords, halberds and other "eighteen martial arts" and various flags. There is a centipede flag at the end, gongs and drums are played on the lower deck of the middle cabin, and sailors are paddling beside it.

The dragon boat in Suzhou is divided into various colors, with flags inserted at four corners, and it is advocated to squat in the middle cabin with both hands, with 16 rowers on each side. The main hook of the pole stands at the bow, which is called the head pole. On the bow pavilion, children with good looks were chosen to dress up as Taige stories, and they were called the protagonist Prince. With colored ropes tied high at the stern, children who are good at paddling perform programs such as No.1 Scholar, Boy Worship Guanyin, Pointing to the Rising Sun, Yang Fei Sleeping in Spring, etc.

The dragon boat used in competitions today is much simpler than in the old days. Ships are divided into red dragon, green dragon, yellow dragon, white dragon and black dragon by color. The decoration of the hull, the umbrella and flag on the boat, the clothes of the rowers and even the paddles all require the same color. Dragon boats in Hubei and Hunan are as short as 70 feet and as long as 1 1 foot. They paddle like Youlong. The dragon boat in Fujian has a carved dragon head at the bow, and its mouth can be opened and closed and its tongue can be turned. The dragon boat in Guizhou is a combination of three canoes. The longer one in the middle is called the "mother ship", and there are drummers on board. The two hulls on both sides are slightly shorter and are called "sub-boats".

Rituals, rules, skills and scenes related to the race are also colorful because of the different time and place.

"On May 5, the weather was fine, and Huayang sang Xiaoying by the river. Before the monarch left the county, he heard the harmony on the river. " "The drums sounded three red flags, and two dragons jumped out of the water. Shadow waves fly to Wan Jian, and drum waves sound like thunder. The drums are getting closer and closer, and the two dragons look at the target. " "Gong thunder, red flag oblique cut waves. The trophy is taken to Xuanteng, Cyclone and Snowdrift. " The poems of the ancients vividly described the lively scenes of dragon boat races hundreds of years ago.

The "standard" mentioned in the poem, that is, "pole" or "standard ship", is the goal that all dragon boats compete for. Brocade, silver bowl, money and other rewards are hung on the "pole" and stand in the water, and the first person who comes quickly can get it. The "standard boat" is set at the finish line. When the dragon boat is coming, throw the "standard" into the water and let the dragons compete. Marked with "Fish Label", "Duck Label" and "Iron Label". The fish mark and duck mark are alive. It is not easy to swim in the water immediately and catch them immediately. The iron marker is so heavy that it will fall to the bottom. If you don't have superb diving skills, you can't catch it. Therefore, dragon boats are generally equipped with one or two excellent "standard hands" who specially win the bid.

In some places, it is also popular to "win the battle"-that is, tourists watching the boat buy pottery pots or ducks and throw them into the water, and the dragon boats compete in the water for entertainment.

Before the dragon boat race, a grand sacrifice ceremony is usually held. For example, on the bank of the Miluo River where Qu Yuan threw himself into the water, before the dragon boat race every year, the Quzi Temple should be sacrificed first. Men, women and children from all directions, carrying bibcock, gathered under the statue of Qu Yuan in batches to worship, mourn and pay homage with zongzi, steamed buns and drinks. Then the priest will tie a red silk on the head of Toulong, and Toulong will take the faucet to the river to take a bath. After washing, put the faucet on the bow and start the dragon boat race. Different regions pay attention to differences. In some places, a few days before the dragon comes out, it is called "launching" to worship God and test the water. Going ashore to see the gods is called "dialing the faucet." The organizer of Saidu led many swimmers to erect a bamboo pole with leaves at the bridgehead years ago to "show off the dragon and recognize the color" in the coming year, which is called "Drilling Five"; The moon and the new moon communicate with each other and are called "visitors", and so on.

With the cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, the dragon boat race has also spread to Japan and Southeast Asian countries. For example, rowing competitions are very popular in Japan's coastal areas such as Kyushu and Okinawa. However, they are not called dragon boat races, but "dragon climbing". Singapore often holds national dragon boat races on the Dragon Boat Festival. Their dragon boat is dressed in red, and drummers dressed as "lions" and "bears" stand in front of it, beating drums and directing and coordinating the movements of the rowers. The whole game usually starts at two or three in the afternoon and ends at sunset.

Dragon boat race is a popular entertainment activity with strong folk culture, and it is also a kind of sports that is conducive to strengthening people's physique and cultivating courage and perseverance. Therefore, the Sports Committee of the People's Republic of China made a decision in May 1984 to list the dragon boat race as an official event. In June of that year, the first Quyuan Cup Dragon Boat Race was held in Foshan, Guangdong. On June 6th, 1985, China Dragon Boat Association was established in Yichang City, Hubei Province. In July, the second Quyuan Cup Dragon Boat Race was held in Sanjiang Channel of Gezhouba, with an audience of over100000. This kind of dragon boat race has been held more than ten times. In recent years, the dragon boat race system tends to be perfect, and the scale is getting bigger and bigger, and it is progressing to international competitions.

Dragon boat races need wide and deep rivers and lakes, and it is impossible to compete in places where the water is too shallow to float. As a result, people in shallow waters do "dragon boats" and swim in markets, high platforms and venues, commonly known as "ghost boats". Jiangxi has such a custom, and the time is also on the Dragon Boat Festival.

Dragon boats are not just built for racing. For example, on the Dragon Boat Festival of Miao compatriots in Qiandongnan and Xiangxi, dragon boat rowing is not for competition, but mainly for visiting families and relatives. Before the dragon boat was launched, the singer sang auspicious blessing song and wished the dragon boat a pleasant journey. Every boat has a "drum head", and a respected old man is elected by the whole village to sit on the dragon's neck and beat gongs and drums to give orders and preside over the activities on the boat. When the dragon boat crosses the village, it will fire iron cannons to inform relatives and friends and set off firecrackers on the shore. Relatives and friends then came forward to propose a toast to the people on board and hung ducks, geese, colorful silks and other gifts on the "dragon head". When the dragon boat docked, the sailors put dumplings and plates beside the boat to eat, instead of bowls and chopsticks. At this time, women and children came to "beg for roadside food". It is said that eating the food on the dragon boat can eliminate disasters and take refuge. The dragon boat is exquisite and beautiful. The dragon body consists of a mother ship and two sub-ships, which are called "sub-mother ships", all of which are hollowed out from single wood. The faucet is about two meters long, carved with willow wood and equipped with one-to-one dragon horns more than one meter long. Because of the different colors of faucets, they are divided into Qinglong, Chilong and Huanglong. In order to protect the dragon boat, the villages also built a "dragon canopy". The Dragon Boat Festival begins on the 16th day of the fifth lunar month, and the specific festivals are slightly different from village to village. As long as the whole village receives seedlings, the dragon boat in this village can be launched, about three days. In Guangdong water town, when the dragon boat goes out to sea, every household gives rice wine to the rowers, and the old man gives the dragon a look before swimming in the water. After the tour, the dragon head god was enshrined in the Longwang Temple, and the hull was buried in the sediment of the river bed, and was dug up for reuse the next year. In the evening, the villagers will cook a large pot of "Dragon Boat Rice", which anyone can eat, so as to make a "Dragon Boat" knot and win the "Dragon Boat" everywhere.

Dragon legend-dragon dance;

Every holiday celebration, we can see people dancing dragons happily. Dragon dancing is also called dragon dancing, dragon playing, dragon lantern playing, dragon lantern playing and dragon lantern festival. So, why do you want to dance dragons?

The purpose of dragon dance can be summarized as follows: first, praying for rain; second, entertaining the gods and themselves; third, showing strength; fourth, prospering people's hearts.

Among them, praying for rain and blessing is the most basic. According to the folklore around the two lakes, Guiguzi met the old dragon in Jinjiao during the Warring States Period. Guiguzi said: "According to my calculation, it rained recently, 36 o'clock in the city and 48 o'clock outside the city." Jinjiao Laolong deliberately failed to live up to Guiguzi's prediction, so he took advantage of his position to let the city get off at 48 o'clock and get off at 36 o'clock. As a result, many people in this city died in the flood. Later, the Jade Emperor reprimanded the emperor, and Jinjiao Laolong was demoted. In order to atone for his sins, the old dragon bows to the people from house to house every year when the Spring Festival comes, and promises good weather for a year. Therefore, according to this legend, people make colorful dragons out of bamboo silk and satin tulle, and they dance every New Year's Day to express their cheerful mood, which also means that the old dragon is obedient and God will fool people. The legend of Tongliang in Sichuan is similar: the dragon king in the East China Sea suffered from low back pain and became an old man who went ashore for medical treatment. Knowing that the pulse was inhuman, the doctor restored it to its original shape and grabbed a centipede from its waist. After the dragon king recovered from his illness, he thanked the outdoor machine and said that as long as people built a dragon to dance around it like it, they could keep the rain in time and reap a bumper harvest.

Dragon dancing and praying for rain had been popular in the pre-Qin period, and by the Han Dynasty, it had reached a considerable scale and had many exquisite forms. According to Dong Zhongshu's Spring and Autumn Story, in the Han Dynasty, people prayed for rain and danced dragons in spring, dragons or Huanglongs in summer, dragons in autumn and dragons in winter. These dragons are tens of feet long, ranging from five to nine at a time.

Most of the dragon dances in later generations contain the meaning of praying for rain and blessing. Such as the "leading silkworm body lamp" popular in the mountainous areas of western Hunan. The lamp consists of a dragon's head and a silkworm's body and tail. Exquisite production, compact shape, flexible head and tail, flexible turning. Bamboo rings are connected into silkworm bodies, with ropes inside, white cloth outside and red and green colored rings outside. Three outstanding folk artists hold their heads, waists and tails respectively. The "faucet silkworm body lights" usually travel in pairs. Before turning off the lights, each pair of lights should go down to the river to "absorb water" and then wish good luck along the door. Why "absorb water"? Very easy to understand. Only when the dragon absorbs enough water can it ensure enough rain.

The popular dance grass dragon jujube in some places in the south is made of wicker, ivy and straw. When dancing the dragon at night, the dragon is fragrant, so it is also called "Xianglong" and "Xianglonglong". At the end of the dragon dance, the grass dragon will be respectfully sent to rivers and streams with loud gongs and firecrackers. Its original intention is to let the dragon return to the Dragon Palace, so as to wish one side a good weather.

Dragon dancing, which aims at entertaining the gods and themselves, can be traced back to the "fish dragons are full of swallow" in the Han Dynasty. "Han Shu's biography of the West" contains: "The filial piety in the world ... set up a wine pool and a meat forest to entertain four foreign guests, and make a Balu opera, which is the extreme in the sea, and the dragons and dragons are extravagant, and the horns are in view." Yan Shigu explained that Bayu Dulu and Haizhong Village are both song and dance names, and "ichthyosaur" is a giant rare animal from the western regions. It dances and plays music in front of the court, then stirs the water in front of the house, and the splash turns into a huge flounder, "jumping to wash the water, making it foggy". Then, it became Huanglong, eight feet long, "playing in the court, the sun is like fire", so it is also called "Huanglongbian". From this perspective, "Fish Dragon" is a large-scale dance, which is performed by people dressed as giant fish and dragons. Because there is a "change" problem between the giant fish and the dragon, magic, scenery, smoke and so on may be needed to cooperate in the performance.

So, what is the explanation of "Manyan"? "Manyan", also known as Manyan, Manyan and Spread, is the name of a big beast in ancient times. It is said that this big beast "looks like a raccoon and can" imitate hundreds of plays. "In ancient times, eight feet was the search, and the search was eighty feet. Therefore, there is a saying in "Xijing Fu" that "all animals seek everything for Manyan". General Xue noted: "Being a big beast is 80 feet long, and the so-called ichthyosaur is a rude remark. "It can be inferred that" Manyan "is a" costume drama "and a dance performed by people as various behemoths." "Jade Dragon" is a typical one, so it is called "Jade Dragon Spread".

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Heng vividly described "Yu Long's Manyan" in Xijing Fu and Li You in Pingle Guanfu. It can be seen that, as a large-scale song and dance in the Han Dynasty, The Legend of the Dragon Man combines the highest-level cast, scenery, props and stunts at that time, which can be described as grand and colorful. In addition to the central program "The Giant Fish Turn into a Dragon", there are also unknown exotic animals such as bears, tigers, apes, elephants, big finches, big turtles and big toads dressed up by people.

In addition to historical data, we can also find the shadow of "fish and dragons are full of swallow" from the stone reliefs of the Han Dynasty. For example, the music and dance relief stone in the Red Chamber in Tongshan and the white creek relief stone with rubber bottom unearthed in Yinan, Shandong, all have images of dragon dancing.

Yu Long's eyeful lasted for nearly seven or eight hundred years from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty, the whole program was gradually lost, and only some programs were left by later generations. Folk dragon dance, lion dance and unicorn dance can be regarded as the inheritance and evolution of "dragons and dragons".

The combination of lanterns and dragons began in the Song Dynasty. Wu of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote in "Dream of Liang Lu": "On the night of Lantern Festival ... the grass is tied into a dragon, covered with a green curtain, and the lights and candles are closely arranged, which looks like a dragon." This kind of dragon lantern is what we call a dragon-shaped lighting that is put there for people to watch. The problem is that the dragon is a walking and soaring god, and it can't stay there motionless. Besides, the imperial court and the people have a tradition of dragon dancing since ancient times. Because dancing means not only dancing during the day, but also dancing at night, and dancing at night is inseparable from turning on the lights, so dancing dragons are commonly known as "dragon lanterns".

The "Dragon Lantern Festival" is usually held during festivals and major events, and the location is chosen in an open and flat place near Changjie Square and Cuntouwan. The variety of dragons is rich and colorful, including bamboo dragon, wooden dragon, jinglong, grass dragon, cloth dragon, sarong and paper dragon; There are "Venice Dragon" composed of lotus flowers and butterflies, "Huamulong" made of wood shavings, "Tin Dragon" made of iron and so on.

Dragon lanterns can be seen everywhere. Dragon lanterns in Tongliang County, Sichuan Province are very famous. The golden dragon on the 50th anniversary celebration of National Day comes from this county. Tongliang Dragon Lantern has a "dragon": its head is big and its shin is long, and it is lit in festivals. Playing with lights is safer than playing with fireworks. There are also "colorful dragons" with bamboo as the keel, paper as the faucet, cloth as the dragon ridge and dancing with the help of lights; A "meat dragon" or "crawling dragon" with leather paper or silk as the skin and scales painted, the dragon body can be stretched and rotated; "Huang Jinglong" who asks for rain in dry weather and can splash water when dancing; A "filial dragon" made of white flowers is used to worship the dead; A "grass dragon" made of straw is inserted on a bamboo pole and danced in hand; And children dancing, putting Chinese cabbage in bamboo poles, lighting red candles, stringing "vegetable dragons" with ropes in the middle and so on.

Tongliang people are very particular about dragon dancing. In the past, the customs of spring dance Qinglong, Chilong in summer, White Dragon in autumn and Black Dragon in winter were followed. Now, on holidays, I will jump colorful dragons. When I arrived at someone else's door, I stopped for a while and called the host to pay New Year's greetings. Then I roll up and down and turn left and right. At this time, the host must set off firecrackers to welcome and give some thanks: "red envelopes" wrapped in money or candy cigarettes.

People in Foshan, Guangdong also like dragon dancing. In the forties and fifties, Foshan and Duo Long were connected by umbrellas? /div & gt；