Wen 丨 Pharaoh's Third Uncle (original article, copyright belongs to me, welcome to personal forwarding and sharing)
Swords, ancient sacred products, according to historical records, China has begun to make swords since the beginning of the Shang Dynasty, the swords of that era are generally willow leaves or sharp triangles, initially made of copper. The "Ordos straight-handled dagger-style bronze short sword" excavated from the Zhukaigou site in Yijinholo Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is the earliest bronze sword known to the mainland and was cast around the 15th century BC. The sword was the main weapon of infantry combat, and was most popular in the Tang Dynasty, and was used as an accessory by the literati and inkers. In addition to these functions, an ancient sword was often hung under the ancient bridge, is there anything special about this?
The meaning of hanging an ancient sword under the bridge
Under many ancient bridges with a long history, we can all see an ancient sword hanging in the center of the bridge, the body of many ancient swords has gradually rusted due to the wind and rain over the years, many local residents will be hanging in the middle of the bridge the ancient sword called "dragon sword", why hang the sword under the bridge? It is also named after the "Dragon Slayer Sword", what is the special meaning of this?
The special role of the "Dragon Slayer Sword"
The dragon is a mythical animal in ancient Chinese legends, in the eyes of the ancients, the dragon is a snake through years of cultivation into a jiao, and then after a thousand years of cultivation to transform into a dragon. The dragon had a special meaning in ancient times and was also a totem unique to China. Most Chinese people are in awe and fear of dragons, and the name of the "Dragon Slashing Sword" hanging under the stone bridge is actually closely related to the process of the dragon walking through the water and transforming into a dragon.
Jiaolong is not a dragon, but there are already some basic characteristics of the dragon, in the ancient literature history, the dragon does not have to be a real dragon family, they often make waves, so that the river floods the surrounding villages and crops, the dragon in the process of transforming into a dragon, there is a saying that the water, only after the "walking water" can really transform into a real dragon, and in this process, it is inevitable that the flood will be introduced, and because the dragon is active and fierce, so for the ancients to build a river bridge, under the bridge will put an ancient sword, The role of the ancient sword is to prevent the dragon from making waves in the river.
This cultural feature is reflected in many parts of China, from Liaoning to Guangxi, or Guizhou to Zhejiang, will find some ancient swords hanging under some ancient bridges, although these ancient swords are not thousands of years of cultural relics, but there are also some ancient swords dating up to hundreds of years, so why has no one stolen such antiques?
The ancient sword under the hanging bridge is not afraid of the reason for being stolen
The ancient sword hanging under the bridge is not afraid of being stolen for a reason, first of all, the ancient sword has a special role for the local area, so the residents living in the local area will spontaneously protect the ancient sword to prevent it from being stolen, in addition to the ancient sword is suspended under the bridge, not simply fixed with a rope, but fixed on the bridge, so it is not easy to be stolen.
Another reason is that for people who steal ancient swords, this is to destroy the local feng shui, there is bad luck, so almost no one will steal ancient swords, whether this statement is true or not, Chinese almost have a tacit understanding in this regard, and stealing ancient swords is also illegal behavior, is to bear legal responsibility, so the ancient sword can be well preserved, in your area, is there such a hanging ancient sword?