2022, the year of the lunar calendar, the zodiac tiger.
Tigers have a long history of human cognition. In ancient times, this absolute power type of beast brought many moments of trembling and adrenaline to the ancestors of jungle life, and only then did it have the prestige of the king of the hundred beasts.
Shang Dynasty Fu bird double-tailed bronze tiger Collection of Jiangxi Provincial Museum
Qing Dynasty ArChen painted "Crouching Tiger Chart Axis" Collection of the Palace Museum
Therefore, majesty and power are the most fundamental symbolism of the tiger.
However, while people are afraid of tigers, they also yearn for the bravery of tigers. The tiger gradually became the embodiment of justice and strength, and people hoped to be able to use the power of the tiger to pray for blessings and ward off evil spirits and bless themselves.
Xu Beihong's "Riding the Tiger God of Wealth Chart Axis" Collected by the Palace Museum
Throughout the ages, around the worship and respect of tigers, a rich and diverse tiger culture has been born. People revere, respect and love tigers, and carve tiger patterns in many places to express different meanings.
Next, let's understand how the image of the tiger develops and changes through the same tiger cultural relics, so as to become a strong source of zodiac culture.
01
A deified tiger
Tigers have appeared in petroglyphs dating back about 10,000 years. The ancients carved on the cliff boulders to record the primitive nomadic fishing and hunting life, reflecting the preferences and beliefs of the ancestors.
In the north of the mainland, the Heilongjiang River Basin, the hometown of the Siberian tiger, can find many petroglyphs depicting tigers, and the Five Tigers in the Yinshan Mountains of Inner Mongolia is a leader.
Yinshan Rock Painting "Five Tigers"
The tiger image depicted in the Five Tigers Diagram is rich and vivid, combining dynamic and static, and vivid. Through the eyes of the ancestors, we can see the various postures of the ancient tigers, whether they are walking, sitting, or running and jumping, and the big tigers and young tigers are interspersed. This is the earliest evidence of tiger culture.
China's first tiger
But the real belief of the tiger to become the Chinese people, or to start from the first tiger in China.
Eight thousand years ago, the dragon and tiger pattern excavated in the yangshao culture tomb in Xishuipo, Puyang City, Henan Province, is the first page of the solemn tiger culture.
In the tomb, you can see a person, a dragon and a tiger, the human skeleton is located in the middle of the tomb, and the left and right sides are carefully arranged with clam shells to form a dragon and tiger pattern, the tiger is on the left, and the dragon is on the right. According to the habit of ShangZuo in the Yin Shang period, the tiger was in the first place.
There are many speculations in the academic circles about the identity of the tomb owner, Fu Xi, Huan Huan... But in any case, at least it can be determined that the person who can ride the dragon and the tiger to ride the dragon and the tiger to override the three realms is none other than the Three Emperors and Five Emperors.
It is recorded in the Zhou Yi Qiangua Wen, "The cloud is from the dragon, and the wind is from the tiger." It can be seen that in ancient times, the tiger and the dragon, as the cultural symbol of the Chinese nation, were on a par with each other, and even the tiger was even more than the dragon.
Tiger man-eating image
The image of the tiger cannibal is widely present in the Bronze Ware of the Shang Zhou Dynasty, and well-known cultural relics include the Female Hao Yu, the HouMu Peng Ding, and the Shang Zhou Tiger Man-Eater.
Women are good
Stepmother Pentadydon
At first, it was thought that the tiger cannibalism showed the ferocity of the tiger and the fear of the tiger by the ancients.
Later, it was more inclined to think that the opposite was true, because instead of threatening man, the tiger hugged the tiger's head tightly, as if to express dependence. This may reflect the ancient people's reverence for tigers and the psychology of seeking the protection of tigers.
It is also said that the person in the image of the artifact is a wizard who has done the work of heaven, and when the tiger opens its mouth, it is booing and using itself as a passage between the human world and the celestial realm, and assisting the wizard to ascend into the celestial realm.
Shanghu Piranha, late Shang Dynasty, was unearthed at the junction of Anhua and Ningxiang in Hunan Province
The two surviving tiger mounds are in the Izumiya Museum in Tokyo, Japan, and the Senusky Museum in Paris, France.
The meaning of tiger energy is also reflected in the myth of the Queen Mother of the West in later generations. The statue of the Queen Mother of the West is common in the cash cows unearthed in the Han Dynasty, hoping that the Queen Mother of the West, who is in charge of the immortal medicine, can help the undead ascend to immortality. The Queen Mother of the West often resides on the Dragon and Tiger Seat, which shows the close connection between the tiger image and the Immortal Realm.
Cash twig dry rubbings
Four Gods "White Tiger"
In the Han Dynasty, the five elements of the five elements, the four elephant orientations, the green dragon, the white tiger, the suzaku, and the Xuanwu were worshipped as exorcisms of evil gods and alien animals, and the images of these animal gods appeared in a large number of architectural remains, and there were a large number of white tiger images among the four god tiles unearthed in the Han Dynasty.
A large number of portrait stones depicting the image of the tiger have also been unearthed in the tombs of the Han Dynasty.
The tiger images in the Han portrait stone can be roughly divided into several categories, such as the tiger that drives away evil spirits, the tiger that fights with horns, the tiger in myths and legends, and the tiger in the astronomical constellation.
Eastern Han Dynasty Portrait Stone Collection of Huaibei City Museum
Tigers, as divine beasts, are even winged. The image of the wing tiger is not only rugged and mighty, but also ethereal and romantic, reflecting the aesthetic characteristics of the Han Dynasty.
02
Tigers closely related to the military
The Dragon and Tiger Totem once stood side by side in the ancestral culture, but this changed due to the royal admiration for the image of the dragon.
The dragon and the tianzi image are closely bound, the true dragon Tianzi sits on the dragon chair, wears the dragon robe, and the dragon pattern is also stipulated for the emperor's exclusive use, which makes the tiger image fall from the altar, no longer able to be called with the dragon, and no longer regain its former glory.
However, the image of the tiger is still used by the rulers, because of its fierceness and bravery, the worship of the tiger is widespread. The symbolism of the tiger is often reflected in the military aspect, and a large number of military-related things are named after the tiger.
The brave and warlike general is called the tiger general, and there is also an idiom called "shogun tiger".
Ming Dynasty Tiger Squat Cannon Image Source/Hot and Cold Defense
On the battlefield, a banner embroidered with a tiger image was fluttering in the wind - "Tiger Flag", the camp tent of the military general was called "Tiger Tent" and "Tiger Tent", the obstacles that covered the camp were called "Tiger Fall", and there was also a short and thick artillery called "Tiger Crouch Cannon" during the Ming Dynasty.
Li Bai has a poetry cloud:
"Raise soldiers to learn to fight Zhang Huqi, and the white waves in the river are like silver houses." - "The Song of General Sima "
It can be seen from this that the military meaning of the tiger was already a consensus as early as the Tang Dynasty.
Tiger Rune
The Tiger Charm used to dispatch troops is a clear proof of the use of the tiger image in the military field.
The Tiger Charm is divided into left and right halves, and the two can only be sent when they are matched. There is an ancient story of Xin Lingjun stealing a charm to save Zhao, which can show that at least in the Warring States period, the tiger charm was already prevalent.
The most exquisite of the surviving tiger runes, the longest and most informative inscription, is the Duhu rune.
Du Hufu Collection of Shaanxi History Museum
The inscription is recorded in small seal font:
"The Charm of armor." Right Cai Jun, Left Cai Du. Whoever is armoured and employs more than fifty soldiers will be able to do so, but he will dare to do so. The thing that burns, though the mother will be a sign, will be destroyed. ”
It not only shows the strict military system of qin, but also reflects the superb gold craftsmanship of ancient times, and the inscription on the side of the tiger symbol is embedded in gold wire, which is still shining today.
Tiger weapon
As early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, there were a large number of bronze weapons decorated with tiger patterns.
Some bronze ge decorated with tiger stripes have been unearthed in the bashu region of mainland China, and the details of the tiger's body have been depicted in an abstract way, such as the angry eyes of the tiger, the huge sharp fangs, the pincer-shaped tiger claws, and the erect tiger ears, highlighting the bloodthirsty ferocity of the tiger.
Warring States Tiger Pattern Bronze Ge Yunyang Museum Collection
Presumably, this seems to show the warrior's desire to sacrifice his ancestors and even the tiger god with the blood of his enemies.
Not only fighting weapons, but also the protective equipment used by warriors is often decorated with tigers.
Shang Dynasty beast face pattern bronze gizzard Jiangxi Provincial Museum collection
A large number of bronze cast gizzards have been unearthed in the Yin Ruins, and some of the bronze gizzards have a fierce tiger head on the front, with huge ears, bright eyes, and a mighty face. The warriors wore such bronze gizzards, which were even more powerful.
Tiger instrument
The image of the tiger used by the military also appears on the tiger button, which is a military musical instrument.
Tiger button is in the collection of the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing
Written in one of the "Six Drums and Four Golds", it is the earliest bronze percussion instrument in mainland China, which appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and flourished in the Han Dynasty, initially for military use, and later derived for sacrifice and feasting.
When playing the hammer, the hammer should be arranged in size, hung up, and the button on the top is used for proper use. Then the blow shakes the hammer, and the copper tongue that is struck inside will swing and hit the outer wall. In the battlefield, The Hammer and drums cooperated with each other and ordered the army to advance and retreat.
At present, as many as 100 pieces have been excavated from the mainland, and because they are most concentrated in the places where the Ba people are excavated, they are regarded as one of the representatives of the Ba culture.
Tiger button hammer at the top close-up
Tiger buttons are then engraved with cultural relics with distinct Pakistani cultural characteristics.
The tiger-shaped knob is ready to go, and the appearance of the jump is vivid and realistic. This should be in line with the belief of the Ba people to promote the brave and noble tiger, and the Ba people regard the tiger as the symbol of the tribe, and also compare themselves to the tiger, known as the "tiger people" or "tiger people".
Not only the Ba culture has left tiger-shaped musical instruments, but also the Chu culture.
This tiger phoenix hanging drum is painted brilliantly, the phoenix is high, and the crouching tiger is low, showing the bird worship tendency of Chu culture, and the Chu people's desire to conquer such a beast as the tiger and yearn for a sense of peace.
Stone carved Crouching Tiger
In front of the tomb of the famous Western Han Dynasty general Huo Fuyi, there is the earliest and most complete preserved large-scale stone sculpture group. Huo Went ill and made great achievements in battle, this huge tomb was specially honored by Emperor Wu of Han in order to commemorate his meritorious deeds, and specially commended the burial built next to his own Mao Mausoleum.
Fuhu is a decorative and romantic work in the stone carving group, the carver imitates the stone, using the undulating height of the irregular stone blocks to carve the undulating texture of the tiger skin. In particular, the tiger's tail is rolled upside down on the tiger, making the whole stone sculpture look more integrated, with both form and spirit.
This dynamic shape reflects the profound and broad artistic charm unique to Han Dynasty stone carving.
Whether it is the fierce military instruments of the Qing Dynasty or the great military achievements of the Hussar General, the tiger image will not always be so shelved and far away from the world. The reason why the tiger can break through its own fierce and majestic image and become one of the most beloved animal figures in the zodiac must have experienced the process of entering the folk daily life.
03
A tiger integrated into secular life
It can reach the ears of ordinary people, and it is inseparable from the story.
Cave 254 of the Mogao Caves sacrifices himself to feed the tiger
There is a plot of sacrificing oneself to feed the tiger in the Buddhist story, buddhism flourished during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and this picture was repeatedly depicted in the Dunhuang murals.
However, as early as the Warring States period, tigers appeared on everyday objects. On the four tiger mirrors of the Warring States, the four tigers are connected end to end, their claws and teeth are flexed and extended, and their posture is full of movement.
The jade tiger as an ornament is also a very important part of the pre-Qin jade, most of the jade tiger is used as a necklace or clothing ornament, there are also a small part of the hair corset, but also there are only for play, not for decoration.
Tiger-shaped jade often appears in pairs and groups when making jade pendants.
Shanxi Quwo sheep tongue jade tiger group jade pendant
The tiger also appeared on the buckle, which resembled a modern belt. In the center of the front is a winged tiger, with yellow glass balls, glowing spirits, embellished with turquoise and wrong gold pieces, which shows more spirit.
Western Han Dynasty Wing Tiger Pattern Silver Belt Buckle Excavated from the Collection of Yunnan Provincial Museum
Tiger pillows include tiger-shaped pillows and tiger-striped pillows, which are a very distinctive living utensils.
The Jin people have recorded that the ceramic tiger pillow was especially popular during the Song and Jin dynasties. The maturity of the ceramic industry, the development of folk culture, and the growth of the citizen class have all contributed to this situation. People hope to exorcise evil spirits through the sleeping tiger pillow town house and obtain a peaceful sleep.
Blue and white glazed tiger pillow Collection of Jiangxi Provincial Museum Source/Cultural Circle
Not only that, but the image of the tiger as an auspicious beast is increasingly appearing in more places.
There are tigers on the door knockers that gently ring when entering and leaving the mansion, there are tigers on the New Year paintings posted everywhere during the Chinese New Year festival, and some tribes in the far end of the world still paint tigers on their bodies to dance for the tiger gods.
The long-standing tiger culture has developed so far and has long been integrated into the daily life of the Chinese people. Today's children will still wear tiger hats and tiger shoes, and the tiger, as a symbol of spiritual culture, still guards our nation and our future.
The tiger is still majestic, but people have long ceased to be afraid of the tiger. As an endangered species, the king of the hundred beasts, the tiger has become the object of human protection.
At the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, reviewing the historical origins of tiger culture and feeling the emotional bond between the tiger and the Chinese since ancient times may be the best thing that can be done before the next Year of the Tiger.
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Wang Feihu. A Preliminary Study of Tiger Rock Paintings in Yinshan[D].Minzu University of China, 2012
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GUO Tingting. Research on the Evolution and Artistic Characteristics of Tiger Image in Chu Art[D].Central China Normal University, 2017.
Chen Jie. On the Ceramic Tiger Pillow of the Tang and Song Dynasties[J].Cultural Relics Spring and Autumn, 2005(05):12-19.
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