Traditional Culture ｜ The Mao Rabbit of the Zodiac
Maotu of the zodiac
Rabbits rank fourth in the zodiac, so they are called Mao rabbits because they belong to the twelve earthly branches. Maoshi is from 5 am to 7 am, which is the beginning of the day and symbolizes light and hope. This time is very important to people’s lives, and people associate rabbits with Maoshi, which shows that everyone loves and attaches importance to rabbits.
Rabbits have a long cultural history in China. "Poem Zhaonan Rabbit Place" said: "Susu rabbit’s nest is the tintin." It means that rabbit nets are installed and wooden stakes are jingled. It can be seen that there were written records of rabbits in the pre-Qin period or earlier.
Rabbit is one of the typical animal images in traditional culture. Since ancient times, rabbits can be found in plastic arts, literary works, folklore and social customs. The image of rabbit adds a touch of bright color to people’s life.
Flying rabbit, also known as flying rabbit, is a sacred animal in ancient legends, hence its name because it runs like flying. Fu Ruizhi, Book of Song Dynasty, mentioned: "Those who fly to the earth are also known as gods and horses, and they travel to Wan Li three times a day. Water control, hard work over the years, saving the people’s harm, heaven should come with its virtue. " Running fast is the similarity between rabbits and horses, so horses are often named after flying rabbits. "Lu’s Spring and Autumn Annals: Departing from the Custom" contains: "Flying rabbits, needing to be killed, are also ancient horses." Wang Anshi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, also wrote in "A Brief Account of My Second Rhyme Sister’s Memories of Children": "The flying rabbit has heard about it, but Tai A still hates the loss of Longquan." After the carriage appeared, the rabbit and the car also formed an indissoluble bond. The parts installed on the car to hook the floor of the car and the axle are named "crouching rabbit" because they are shaped like crouching rabbits. Hidden rabbits have been unearthed in Liulihe site in Fangshan, Beijing and Guo cemetery in Shangcunling, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province.
In the traditional concept, rabbits are sacred animals. "Ruiying Map" says: "The red rabbit is a beast, and the king’s virtue is here." However, the auspicious sign of "the red rabbit is alive" is rare, and the name of the red rabbit often refers to a good horse. Lu Bu’s mount is called Red Rabbit. There is also a saying among the people that "Lu Bu is among the people and a red rabbit is among the horses". White rabbits are still the majority of rabbits that are often found as spirit animals. For example, the Jade Rabbit in the Moon Palace. Ouyang Xiu’s poem "White Rabbit" in the Song Dynasty wrote: "The sky is hidden, the clouds are misty, and the white rabbit is smashing medicine at Heng E Palace." There is also a kind of story theme of "chasing rabbits to get treasures", in which white rabbits always play the role of guides. For example, Liu Zhiyuan, the hero of The White Rabbit in Yuan Dynasty, was reunited with his mother who was pumping water by the well because of chasing white rabbits. In folklore, the white rabbit appears as smart and can bring happiness to people. There is a legend of "White Rabbit Girl" circulating in Liaoning, which tells the story of a white rabbit turning into a girl and marrying a benefactor to help her live a happy life.
Rabbits are often synonymous with the moon. "Lingxian" said: "The moon, the Sect of Yin essence, accumulates into a beast, like a rabbit." People look at the shadow of the moon from a distance and it looks like a rabbit, so they think there are rabbits living in the moon. In Jian Wendi’s poem Shui Yue in the Southern Dynasties, he wrote: "If you don’t care about the rabbit, is it Guizhi floating?" Li Bai, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, also mentioned in Shang Yun Le: "wu yang didn’t leave the valley, but he cared about the rabbit half hidden." Here, caring about the rabbit refers to the moon. People often call the rabbit in the moon the Jade Rabbit, and attach various legends to it. It has been verified that the Jade Rabbit originated from "Yu Tu", which is the dialect of ancient Chu called "tiger", and is the derivative of the people in Bachu who regard the moon god as the tiger god. Regarding the origin of the jade rabbit in the moon, it is said that the rabbit passed the test of immortals and was sent to the moon to keep company with Chang ‘e; It is said that Chang ‘e was punished by the Jade Emperor for stealing the immortal medicine, so she was turned into a jade rabbit, and she worked for the gods all day. There is another saying that after the Goddess Chang’e flying to the moon, Hou Yi missed his wife, so he became a Jade Rabbit to accompany his wife.
Rabbits are frequent visitors in people’s lives, and they often appear in traditional festivals. In ancient times, on the first day of the first month, people would hang the rabbit’s head on the threshold with a dough-kneaded one to ward off evil spirits and disasters, commonly known as "hanging the rabbit’s head". On the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lantern Festival, rabbit-shaped lanterns will be tied and played in the streets. After artistic creation, the rabbit image has become the representative of a certain cultural connotation.
Among them, male prostitute, a folk handicraft that is still widely popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival, is the most striking. In the Qing Dynasty, Yanjing’s Chronicle of the Year: "Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the skillful people of the city use the loess to make the image of toad and rabbit for sale, which is called male prostitute." This rabbit-shaped statue is called "Rabbit King" in Jinan. In the old Mid-Autumn Festival, a ceremony was held to worship the moon, and the "Rabbit King" was put on the altar to be worshipped as a rabbit god. With the change of society, the image of rabbit is more modern, and its sacred aura has gradually faded, becoming a popular folk toy in Mid-Autumn Festival.
The image of the rabbit is docile, peaceful, elegant and indisputable, but this is only its weak and lovely side; In fact, it also has a strong, agile, alert and unyielding side. For example, rabbits can’t catch up with dogs when they fly, and they will bite people when they are in a hurry. There is a famous trick in martial arts called "the rabbit pushes the eagle", which can often achieve unexpected results.
There is a common theme in China’s folk paper-cutting-snake rabbit, that is, the rabbit in the center and the snake around it. As the folk saying goes, "the snake rabbit must be rich", so the snake rabbit has also become an auspicious representative. The images of snake and rabbit were put together, without attack or escape, and they were harmonious. This is that people put beautiful emotions in art and pray for peace and harmony.
About the author: Jiang Baobing, the word Jianmei, the owner of Jianmei, and the owner of Qingfeng Hall. Member of China Prose Society, member of the National Committee of Dezhou Writers Association and member of Dezhou Calligraphers Association; Director of Yucheng Writers Association, editorial board of Yucheng Literature. There are two manuscripts handed down from generation to generation: Jianmeilou Anthology and Qingfengtang Anthology. Qilu Yidian Qingfeng Hall was awarded2022One of the top ten points of the year is "New Knowledge of the Year".
The work "Reading Lu Xun at Night" won the national "Walk with the Republic Good books grow with me "the second prize of reading essay competition;" "The Indus Tree in Green" won the third prize for outstanding literary and artistic works of practicing socialist core values; "Growing up with the Great Motherland" won the "Welfare Lottery Cup" I and New China "won the first prize for essay writing; "Qufu Ji Xing" wonGold medal in the Confucius Literature Cup National Chinese Literature Competition;"Ask Xibaipo" won the "Yan ‘an Cup" China’s most beautiful travel works award; "Food Flowing on the Grand Canal" won the first "Yangtze River Literature Award" Excellence Award;Become a butterfly won the first session.“Xinwenqing"Excellence Award in the National Short Poetry Competition for Young Poets.
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