Year of the Tiger Tiger | headrest "Tiger Head" sleeps peacefully

The tiger has a majestic physique and infinite strength, and has the word "king" in the middle of the forehead, which is very powerful and born with the style of a king. Since ancient times, folk have believed that tiger-shaped objects can ward off evil spirits and bless tranquility.

The ancients used May as the "evil month" and the first five days of May as the "poison day". Because it is the middle of summer, the temperature rises, the heat falls, the insects are rampant, and the diseases are frequent. Folk proverb cloud: Dragon Boat Festival, the weather is hot. Five poisons wake up, restless. Therefore, the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival, mostly to remove poison and drive away evil spirits, pray for auspicious health and well-being.

In order to cope with high temperature weather and various poisonous insects, the ancients used wormwood, calamus and other plants to drive away poisons and evil spirits. According to ancient records, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, people tie wormwood with insect pest control effects into human form, or weave it into a tiger shape, or cut out a tiger shape with colored cloth, and then paste the wormwood on it, such a mascot is called "Ai Hu". It is said that wearing "Ai Hu" on the body can prevent the invasion of evil poisons.

Parents also draw a "king" on their child's forehead. Male yellow has the effect of detoxifying and killing insects, all creatures are afraid of tigers, draw a "king" on the forehead of children, is to use the tiger to drive away poisonous insects.

It is also believed that even demons and ghosts and ghosts are afraid of tigers. According to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", in ancient times, there was a pair of brothers in the Donghai Dushuo Mountain, named Shendi and Yulei, these two brothers guarded the "ghost gate", and if any evil ghost came out to harass the people, they quickly captured it, tied it with ropes and fed it to the tiger.

Later, in order to protect the safety of the family home, people painted portraits of gods, yu lei and tiger heads on the gate, so the tiger also became an ancient door god. The ring on the ancient door is estimated to be another shape of the tiger head door god. In addition, the later "Town House God Tiger Map" is also evolved from the Tiger Head Gate God.

The ancients also needed the protection of tigers to sleep. Among the porcelain pillows of the past, there is a pillow called the tiger pillow, which is very popular in ancient times. It is said that you use a tiger-shaped pillow as a pillow and you don't have nightmares at night.

Tiger pillow

Tiger-shaped artifacts are also ornaments that people often wear on their bodies. Since ancient times, some nobles have carved jade into the shape of a tiger and worn it with them.

In ancient wedding gifts, tiger-shaped utensils were very common. For married women in the northwest region, there must be tiger head shoes, tiger head hats, tiger head pillows and so on. According to local legend, these items will bless the bride with peace and happiness.

Text: Guangzhou Daily Xinhuacheng reporter Zhong Kui

Photo: Visual China

Guangzhou Daily New Flower City Editor Xie Yufen