Jiu Feng
Jiu Feng is a divine bird in ancient China mythology, which generally appears as a nine-headed bird and originated from the Jiu Feng divine bird of Chu people.
Jiu Feng was written by Chu people from the Warring States to the early Han Dynasty, and Shan Hai Jing was the earliest document to record the image of the nine-headed bird. Shan Hai Huang Jing Dabei Jing says: "In the wilderness, there is a mountain named Arctic Pavilion. Sea water poured into the north. There are the songs of the Nine Gods, the faces of birds, the bodies of people and the "Nine Phoenix".
Jiu Feng, a bird with a face and nine songs, is a totem image of half man and half bird worshipped by the ancestors of Chu. It is the earliest prototype of nine birds in China.
The symbolic significance of Jiu Feng.
Jiu Feng is a symbol of good luck and happiness. Phoenix is one of the two most respected totems in ancient China, also known as dragon.
As the Phoenix is an auspicious bird, it is said that some ancient emperors, such as Shao Hao and Zhou Chengwang, flew to celebrate when they ascended the throne.
Chu people have a tradition of worshipping phoenix. Qu Yuan, a great poet, wrote in Lisao that when he wandered in the kingdom of heaven, his first sentence was: "I made the phoenix fly, followed by day and night; The wind gradually drifted away from him, and handsome Yun Ni came to meet him. According to the textual research of Comrade Xiao Bing, the story of phoenix nirvana, which has spread all over the world, originated from Qu Yuan's Tian Wen. There are many records in the pre-Qin classics, and the Chu people compared Feng to an outstanding figure. There is a similar record in Zhuangzi's Life on Earth.
The Historical Origin of Nine Rivers and Continuation
Although we don't know its exact scope, the "wild land" where Jiu Feng lived certainly includes Chu, because Zhuan Xu, the first emperor of Chu people, and his nine concubines were buried here.
Qu Yuan, a Chu man, said in Li Sao that he was a descendant of Emperor Levin. This is Levin, Emperor Zhuan Xu. Zhuan Xu buried the Hanshui River, and Jiu Feng followed Zhuan Xu. It can be seen that Jiu Feng is a nine-headed god bird worshipped by Chu people.
The Historical Changes of Jiu Feng
Jiu Feng in Shan Hai Jing is undoubtedly a bird god or a divine bird. However, since then, Jiu Feng has mysteriously disappeared from China's literature. Instead, the nine-headed bird with various other names has completely lost its divinity. Over time, it went from bad to worse and became an out-and-out bird monster.
From the late Han Dynasty to the Tang and Song Dynasties, "Nine-headed Bird" had various names in ancient literature, mainly including:
1. Ghost bird (ghost car);
2. horseshoe crabs (exotic horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, horseshoe crabs, etc.). ).);
3. An aunt bird (or a female bird);
4. Nine-headed bird.
Jiu Feng's influence on later generations.
1. Phoenix worship psychology;
The psychology of Chu people worshiping phoenix has also been proved by archaeological data. For example, the dragon and phoenix silk paintings unearthed in Chenjiashan, Changsha in February 1949; In 1963 and 197 1 year, there were two famous discoveries in Jiangling, Hubei Province, namely, the Phoenix Tiger Drum and the silk painting of Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha. Especially the silk painting of Mawangdui, in the middle of heaven, there are several big birds around the snake god. In the middle of the picture, at the entrance to heaven, there is also an eagle-billed strange bird and two long-tailed phoenix birds. This is very similar to the artistic conception described in Qu Yuan's poems. Today, phoenix worship psychology still occupies an important position in folk aesthetic taste.
2. Expression of meaning;
In ancient China, nine was a mysterious number. Why did the word "nine" become such a mysterious number? According to some scholars, this is because the original meaning of "nine" is "hydra" (or hydra). There were many myths about the worship of Nine-headed Dragon in ancient China. Nine-headed dragons are worshipped by people, and nine-headed birds are no exception.
In Chu culture, the tradition of worshipping "Nine" is also obvious. Qu Yuan's famous series of works is called Nine Songs. When Qu Yuan was in exile, he "saw the custom of sacrifice, the joy of singing and dancing, and the meanness of words", so "speaking more clearly" was modified on the basis of Chu folk songs. Qu Yuan also has a work called Nine Chapters, and his student Song Yuyou has Nine Arguments. Qu Yuan once wrote in the poem "Choosing a Tour": "Zhuo Chao originated in Yanggu and stayed in Jiuyang in the evening." The word "nine" is used in many places in The Songs of Chu, such as Jiutian, Jiuwan, Kyushu, Jiuyi, Jiukeng, Jiuhe, Jiuchong, Jiuzi, Jiuze, Jiushou, Jiuqu, Jiuhe, Jiuzhe, Jiunian, Jiushi, Jiuguan, Jiuqian and Jiuhou. Even the harem of Emperor Zhuan Xu is a "nine wives". It can be seen that "Nine" has a great influence on Chu belief.
3. Painting in Qing Dynasty.
This is one of several hybrid creatures mentioned in The Classic of Mountains and Seas. It is described as a kind of god beast, living on the mountain called Arctic Pavilion in the wild. This record may be the latest description of this work, which was created between the 3rd or 4th century BC and the 3rd or 4th century AD.
There are few descriptions of Jiu Feng in ancient books, and now it has evolved into a nine-headed bird. Its image spread slowly from Chu State, so that different regions have different names.