When it comes to divine beasts, what comes to mind first?
However, we still have a very cute divine beast in China, let's first look at its back:
Guess who we are? The back is not very similar...
But the truth is not like this, in fact, the Chinese divine beast looks like this:
You may still be very unfamiliar with this, but you will know it below.
Is it familiar? Everyone should have seen it, but what exactly does this "Tarzan stone dare to be" mean, let's first look at the definition of Wikipedia:
Shi Dangdang, also known as Taishan Shi Dangdang, is a stone stele that stands in the streets and alleys, especially on the wall where the feng shui of the road such as the T-shaped intersection is called the fierce position, and is used to ward off evil spirits.
The stone stele is engraved with the words "Stone Dare Dang", or "Taishan Stone Dare To Dang", and there are often bas-reliefs such as lion heads and tiger heads on the stele.
The written record of "Shi Dare Dang" was first found in the Western Han Dynasty Shi You's "Hurry to The Chapter": "Shi Fierce Tiger, Shi Dare Dang, Do Not Invade, Long Wei Yang." ”
In the Yuan Dynasty Tao Zongyi's "Record of Nancun Quitting Farming", it is recorded that "if the main entrance of the current family is appropriate to the lane of the strange bridge, a small stone general is erected, or a small stone stele is planted, and the stone on it is engraved to dare to be a fool, so as to be disgusted with it." ”
Shi Dangdang also has different styles in different places, there are bas-reliefs, there are circular carvings, some are engraved with Bagua patterns; some have no decorations, only engraved "Shi Dare Dang" or "Taishan Stone Dare Dang".
The efficacy of Shi Dangdang has developed from the initial pressure is ominous, and the evil spirit has developed to drive away wind, waterproof, ward off evil spirits, stop braking, eliminate disasters and other effects.
The Stone Dangdang of the Fifth Year of the Tang Dynasty (770) unearthed in the Song Dynasty is inscribed with the inscription "Shi Dangdang, Town Hundred Ghosts, Pressure Disaster, Official Fu, People Kang, Feng Jiao Sheng, Li Lechang." "Words, you can see the role of shi dare at that time.
So what exactly does Shi Dangdang come from? Here are several sources of legend about Shi Dangdang:
1. Tarzan stone said
In ancient times, it was believed that the Stone of Mount Taishan in Dongyue had a unique spiritual and divine power, because it was a kind of spirit stone worship. Legend has it that during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of han ascended Mount Tai, brought back four Taishan stones, and placed the four corners of Weiyang Palace to ward off evil spirits in the zhen palace.
Taishan is believed to have the divine ability to bless the country, so the "Taishan Stone" is considered to have the divine power to bless the family and "dare to be" evil.
Later, Taishan Shi was personified, surnamed Shi Dangdang, also known as General Shi, and later developed a carved human portrait of Shi Dangdang.
2. Tarzan god will say
According to legend, Taishan is known as "the main ruler of life and death, and the commander of the hundred ghosts", and there is a folk legend that Shi Dangdang is a subordinate of the god Taishan, known for his bravery and fierceness, and can catch evil ghosts.
3. Dr. Tarzan said
According to legend, at the foot of Mount Tai lived a good man "Shi Dare Dang" doctor, who was able to exorcise ghosts and catch demons, and carving his name on the stone also had the effect of subduing ghosts.
Mixed with history, it is said that in ancient Times, there was a Hercules in Taishan County, who was named a doctor, named "Shi Dangdang", because the war protector died in battle, the people set up a "Shi Dang Dang" stone stele to commemorate, and even more hoped to exorcise evil spirits.
Jiang Taigong fishing
4. Jiang Taigong fengshen said
Legend has it that Taigong Jiang assisted King Keyin of Wu and completed the sealing of the gods by sealing the gods, and King Wu of Zhou made him a prince and established the State of Qi.
Taigong traveled to Mount Taishan, but found that he had no job to make up for, and he could not become a god after death. Yu refers to the stone before Taishan: "I dare to be a Taishan stone!" After his death, he became a "god of stone daring".
"Shi Dare dang" is the protector of almost all Chinese.
Taishan stone dare to be a religious custom in Southeast Asia in Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries also spread, Malacca many shops above the eaves of the general "Taishan stone dare to be the seat of god" stele.
According to research, the Taishan stone of the Malacca Chinese dares to believe in the west, which is related to the Ming Dynasty Zheng He's voyage to the West.
Taishan stone dare to be the culture has been passed down for thousands of years, and has become a peace charm and town house stone for people around the world.
Taishan Stone Dangdang culture spread throughout Yunnan, Taiwan, Macau, Okinawa, Bangkok, Korea, Japan and the United States Chinatown, it can be said that where there are Chinese people, there is Shi Dangdang.
For example, Guizhou Dong Zhai Zi Shi Dang, Hakka area Shi Dang Dang, Guizhou Tang An Dong Zhai Shi Dang Dang, Japan Okinawa Shi Dang Dang, Malaysia Shi Dang Statue.
Spirit Stone Worship and Native China
Shi Dangdang custom should originate from the ancient worship of spirit stones, since ancient China there is a legend of Nuwa using five-colored stones to supplement the heavens, the earliest production activities of human beings are related to stone tools, such as the discovery of a large number of polished stone balls in the Neolithic age should be to hunt prey;
Stones are also ornaments in people's lives, such as jade buns, jade pendants, etc.; similarly, jade is also the main ritual carrier in the sacrificial activities, and jade is also used as a psychic ghost god in primitive worship.
In ancient times, there were many taboos and worships, and "stone worship" is one of the most special kinds of worship.
The small stone stele (or small stone man) is erected on the bridge, the road is rushed or built on the wall of the house, and the inscription or book "Stone Dare Dang" or "Taishan Stone Dare Dang" and the like are very popular in the folk, especially in the Hakka living areas.
Anyone who has been to Yongding County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, will find that a closer look will find that the local Hakka people are accustomed to erecting rectangular small stone tablets or small stone figures on the bridge, alley entrances to rush or build on the corners of houses, and engraving "Stone Dare Dang" 3 words or "Taishan Stone Dare Dang" 5 words. It is said to be able to ward off demons and ward off evil spirits.
At the time of the New Year's Festival, people burn incense and pray for blessings.
Not only that, as a unique magical mountain residential building in the world, when the Fujian Hakka people built the square building in the tulou, they thought that one of its horns would encounter "scorching qi", so they carved the words "Taishan Stone Dare to Be" on the cornerstone of the building to avoid evil, or painted a wooden board with gossip and characters painted on the corner nails to "control the brakes".
Because the round building has no horns, it is said that the "qi" can slide away, so in order to avoid the "fire", the tulou after the Qing Dynasty is mostly a round building.
In addition, on the second floor of the Fine Arts College of the new campus of Gannan Normal University, covering an area of more than 400 square meters, the Hakka Cultural Relics Museum can still be seen in a large number of rui beasts, fish fossils, four different shapes, incense burners, and "stone daring" used in architectural decoration.
The custom of "Taishan Stone Dare to Dang" has always been recognized by many provinces and cities in China, especially in Hakka areas.
Kaifeng is the original birthplace of The Chinese humanistic history and the custom of "Taishan Stone Dare to Be", and the cultural component of "Taishan Stone Dare to Be" should be added to the development of cultural tourism, making it the guiding coordinates for hakka people to return to their roots, ask their ancestors, and explore their homes.
【Here is the Easter egg】
Shi Dakai, the wing king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, "good at war and many strange plots", "The Taiping army marched from Yong'an to Hunan, attacked Changsha, Broke Yuezhou, Hanyang, Wuhan, and went down to Jinling through An Province, and fought hundreds of battles with the Qing army.
However, have you ever wondered why Chinese worship this stone beast, and why it is difficult to leave the homeland and return to the roots?
What is a ceremonial society and what is a society of acquaintances? Why does the countryside emphasize language instead of learning words, and why does friendship emphasize relationships over rights and contracts?
Why did the principle of monophyletic (i.e., patrilineal) kinship be formed, the invasion of agricultural peoples by nomadic peoples is a constant history, and why is such a society the birthplace of imperial power?
Why a generation of imperial court xinli will first let the people rest and recuperate, and then open up the territory, build a city and build a river, but make the national strength decline, the Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong's book "Native China" can be found in the answer.
Edited | Liangshan
Typography | Liangshan