【Editor's Note】
Mr. Chen Jinghe, a famous scholar and writer, believes that the "Great Desolate Mountain" mentioned at the beginning of the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" alludes to the "Changbai Mountain", the birthplace of the Manchus, and uses this as a background to unfold many scenes of social life in the Qing Dynasty. Chen Jinghe has visited Changbai Mountain more than 80 times, investigated and examined on the ground, and finally painted the cultural genealogy of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and the roots of Changbai Mountain. "Changbai Mountain Weekly" has previously published Chen Jinghe's examination and research articles on the main themes of the Great Desolate Mountain, the Spirit River, and the Tai Illusory Realm from the perspective of folklore. In this issue, Chen Jinghe, from the perspective of Manchu customs and culture, placed the stories of Bao Dai in the book "Dream of the Red Chamber" one by one, and found that Bao Dai and Bao Dai were two intelligent and well-behaved children in Manchuria.
Talking about Baoyu and Daiyu in "Dream of the Red Chamber" is actually talking about Bao Dai in his youth. In the book, the boyhood of Bao Dai occupies a large part of the page. Talking about Bao Dai in his youth, we must start from the national origin of Bao Dai in the opening chapter.
High origins, Manchurian hometown people
The river has a source, the tree has roots, "Dream of the Red Chamber" is to reveal the social life of the Qing Dynasty, the author naturally wants to stroke the brushstrokes to the Changbai Mountain in the land of Manchu Longxing. I thought that without the Manchu clan's reverence for Changbai Mountain, without the royal inspection, canonization, and worship of Changbai Mountain since the Qing Dynasty, there would have been no inspiration and intention for Cao Xueqin to dig up and write "Qing Roots"; without the Entry of the Manchu Nobles to gain the world, there would be no Idea of Cao Xueqin burying the stubborn stones in Changbai Mountain. The spirit stone that let the illusion enter the world originate from Changbai Mountain, which can be called the stroke of god.
Stills from the 87th edition of the TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber"
Baoyu, the young little brother
The vicissitudes of the world are difficult to predict. The Great Qing Dynasty will reach a hundred years, and those who have made up the heavens before, or decadent and decadent, have done nothing; or lustful as fate, no ink in the chest; or mediocre and incompetent, lack of talent for family management; or eat, drink, gamble, and be stupid
Or masculine, like a weak woman. Only Bao Yu and Dai Yu, who are late in coming, are wise and beautiful, above ten thousand people; obedient and evil, and under ten thousand people, they are still the appearance of the ancestral virginity period.
Bao Yu bing Changbai Mountain Qingming Spirit Qi, born like the Mid-Autumn Moon, the color is like the flower of spring dawn, Xiu Jun is smart, and the eyebrows are clear. When Dai Yu entered the Jia Mansion and did not see Bao Yu, he thought it was "How can you give birth to a lazy character and a naughty boy?" When they met, they were surprised that they were "a young prince." And see how he dresses up:
On his head, he wears a bunch of hair inlaid with a purple and gold crown, and his eyebrows are tied to the gold smear of the two dragons; he wears a two-color golden butterfly wearing a flower big red arrow sleeve, tied with a multicolored silk knot long tassel palace, and the outer cover is covered with stone blue flowers and eight clusters of satin rows; and he is covered with green satin
Foundation small facade boots. The face is like the moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the color is like the flower of spring dawn, the sideburns are like a knife cut, the eyebrows are like ink paintings, the face is like a peach petal, and the eyes are like autumn waves. Although anger sometimes laughs, that is, blindness and affection. On the necklace, there is a golden stingray, and there is a five-colored silk tapestry, tied with a piece of beautiful jade. When Dai Yu saw it, she was shocked and thought to herself, "It's strange, it's like I've seen it there, how familiar it is!" "Only to see this treasure jade... Turned around and went. When I came back for a while, I looked again, and I had changed the crown belt: the short hair that turned around the head was all knotted into small braids, the red silk ended, and the total was saved to the top of the middle tire hair, the chief braid was a big braid, black and bright as lacquer, from the top to the top, a string of four large beads, with gold eight treasures falling horns; wearing a silver and red half-old coat, still wearing a collar, a treasure jade, a name lock, amulets, etc.; below the half-dew pine blossom sprinkled with Aya pants legs, brocade elastic ink socks, thick-soled big red shoes. The more it appears like powder, the more lips are fattened; the more affectionate it is, the language is often smiling. A natural period of turmoil, all at the top of the eyebrows; a thousand emotions in life, all piles of eyes.
Horseshoe sleeve coat Yitong Folklore Collection
In the book "Dream of the Red Chamber", two are rarely written: one is that it rarely writes about the clothes of the characters; the other is that it rarely writes about women's feet and shoes. Why? It is not that the author does not want to write, but it is not easy to write, it is inconvenient to write. Only Qibao Yu and Feng Jie wrote the clothes and attire. Baoyu, as the protagonist in the book, cannot but write and has to write; Sister Feng, as a female tyrant, cannot but write and has to write. Otherwise, it will lose its true transmission. From the Baoyu costumes and attire in Daiyu's eyes, the image of a living Manchu little brother:
Stills from the performance of the first Changbaishan "Dream of the Red Chamber" Art Festival.
First, from the hairstyle and headdress of Baoyu, look at the Manchu custom of shaving and braiding.
Judging from the fact that Bao Yu was wearing a hat for bunting his hair and his eyebrows were furrowed, he had full hair. Mr. Yang Yingjie's "History of Manchu Customs in the Qing Dynasty", when talking about hairstyles and hair ornaments, quotes Baoyu's hairstyles and headdresses in "Dream of the Red Chamber":
Manchurian hairstyles and hair ornaments inherit the customs of Jurchens since the Jin Dynasty, and men are half shaved and half-left, braided and braided. That is, shave off the surrounding hair, leave only the back of the hair, braided into a large braid, hanging behind the head, tied with colored silk, decorated with gold and silver beads and jade. For example, the description of Jia Baoyu's hairstyle and hair ornaments in the third time of "Dream of the Red Chamber": "The short hair that is turned around the head is all tied into small braids, the red silk ends, and the hair is saved to the top of the middle tire, and the chief braid is a big braid, black and bright as lacquer, from the top to the end, a string of four large beads, with the golden eight treasures falling horns." "This was the usual hairstyle of the Eight Flags disciples at that time. The braids are decorated with pearls, precious stones, gold and silver pendant horns, which on the one hand restrict the casual swing of the braids, and on the other hand, they can show wealth.
From this text, it can be shown that Baoyu's hairstyle and hair ornaments really belong to the Manchu little brother. But one thing Mr. Yang did not make clear, manchu adult men are half-shaved and half-stayed, that is, shaved off the surrounding hair, the chief braid of the hair hanging behind the head; Baoyu is not yet an adult, has full hair, has not been half-shaved and half-left, is to put a circle of short hair around the head, all into small braids, tied to the top of the head, and the top of the fetal hair, that is, hair that has not been cut since the fall of grass, together with a large braid. This is very much in line with the custom of Manchu teenagers to keep their hair. In particular, the "string of four large beads" on the braid has a sub-teaching, and this alone can show that Baoyu is a Manchu little brother; because the large bead refers to the Eastern Pearl, only the Manchu Royal family or the Tianhuang nobles can wear it.
Eagle Arm Costume Yitong Folklore Collection
The "Braid" entry in the Manchu Dictionary edited by Sun Wenliang:
In early childhood for both men and women, the top of the carcass fetal hair is stopped and shaved around. Full hair at the age of seven or eight. About ten years old, his hair is about a foot long, both men and women, distributed three strands, braided into braids, hanging behind the head. When Lin Daiyu first saw Baoyu, Baoyu was only seven or eight years old, and when he left his hair in full, what was written in the book was very true.
By the sixty-third birthday of Baoyu, braided hair was already an adult. That night in the room to eat wine, everyone is having fun, the servants are busy removing makeup and wide clothes, the Fangguan "more and more obvious face is like a full moon, the eyes are like autumn water to pay back", and Baoyu "is like two twin brothers". "Busy ordering him to change his makeup, and then ordering him to shave off the short hair around him, revealing his turquoise scalp", not only is he a brother and a brother with Baoyu, and his hairstyle must also be consistent. The seventy-eighth time, Jia Zheng summoned Bao Yu to compose a poem in the morning, and in the evening, Bao Yu shouted hot, so he took off the crown and untied it, revealing his bloody red pants inside the jacket, which was Qingwen's needle and thread. Qiu Wen said: "These pants are equipped with pine flower color jackets and stone green boots, and the more they show this indigo scalp,
The snow-white face came. It can be seen that Baoyu dressed up as a Fangguan head according to his own hairstyle.
The Manchus have always had heavy hair on their heads, believing that the hair is borne by their parents and is born on the top of the head, which is closest to the heavenly dome and is the place where the soul is sustenance. Once the Manchu died on a foreign mission, he had to cut off his hair in braids and put it on
In the soul jar, taking it home is equivalent to his soul returning to his hometown. It can be seen that the Manchus cherish their hair.
Before the Qing Dynasty, Han Men had their hair tied all over, while the Manchus had half hair and half hair, braided and hung down their shoulders. Before the Qing Dynasty entered the Customs, the Han chinese who surrendered in the territory were issued to show their identification with the Manchus. Because it caused dissatisfaction among the Han people, the first year of Shunzhi (1644) gave up execution. The following year, when the Qing army went down to Jiangnan, the situation became favorable to the Qing Dynasty, and the regent Dolgun once again issued an edict to punish everything the Qing army went to within ten days, and those who did not obey were punished with death. Therefore, there is a rumor cloud: "Leave your hair without your head, and leave your head without your hair." This kind of national oppression and humiliation was issued, which provoked the people of Jiangnan to fight to the death, and the famous "Ten Days of Yangzhou" and "Three Massacres of Jiading" occurred at this time. As cao shixuan and cao zhenyan of the Cao family under Dorgon, it is difficult to verify whether they participated in this cruel slaughter of the city. In the period of the Xinhai Revolution, whether or not the braids were cut or not once became a sign of support for the democratic revolution or resistance to the democratic revolution. The hairstyle has twice become a political issue for the great power of China, and it is also a rare thing in the history of human civilization.
Stills from the Yue opera "Dream of the Red Chamber"
Second, from the costumes of Baoyu, see the Manchu riding and shooting legacy.
When Dai Yu first saw Bao Yu, when he was a teenager, he could already see the Manchu riding style on his costume: "Big red arrow sleeves, long spike palace tassels, shiqing row tassels..." There is no doubt about the full costume riding suit.
Arrow sleeve, Manchu "wow ha", in front of the cuffs of the men's robe to pick up a round sleeve, about half a foot long, shaped like a horseshoe, also known as horseshoe sleeve, was originally for the back of the hand to facilitate archery, so it is known as the arrow sleeve. Before clearing the customs, the arrow sleeve is only used for the duster salute. Officials entering the hajj to meet the emperor or other princes and ministers, dust off the horseshoe sleeves, put their hands on the ground, and perform the prostration ceremony. "Two-color golden butterflies wear flowers with big red arrow sleeves", refers to the robe with arrow sleeves, which is a hundred butterflies embroidered with two-color gold thread wearing a red robe. Hundreds of butterflies shuttle between the flowers, taking the meaning of auspicious, warm and lively, suitable for teenagers to wear. The robe with arrow sleeves is a Manchu signature garment. Tassel, commonly known as a belt. The palace ribbon is a special belt for the palace. The Manchus like to wear robes, which are used to tie the waist, keep warm and neat, and facilitate getting on and off the horse, which is necessary for the Manchu robes. Bao Yu wears a hundred butterflies and wears a red robe, and uses multicolored silk to save the flower palace to tie the waist, and the color match is good, it is a Manchu brother youth suit.
Gowns, short coats that are put on the outside of the robe are called gowns, also called coats. There are several forms of gowns, such as gowns, regular gowns, and gowns. The patch is the official gown, the sleeve is longer than the elbow, the placket is buttoned, and a piece of the front and back drops indicate the official rank of the complement. The regular gown is the gown that is usually worn, and the same gown is not complemented. A gown is a gown worn out of the house, long to the waist, sleeves long and elbow-length, and the cuffs are flat and wide. Short clothes and short sleeves are convenient for riding, so they are commonly known as "horse coats". The stone green satin coat worn by Baoyu belongs to the horse coat in the line of gowns.
The forty-ninth time he wrote Baoyu: "Wear an eggplant dorae fox skin jacket, and cover a sea dragon skin little eagle coat." "The eagle gown is a kind of coat often worn by the children of the Eight Banners in the Qianlong period. It evolved from the Baturukan shoulder. Batulu Manchu means warrior, and the Eight Banners disciples wear it on the outside of the robe. Later, two sleeves were added to the sides, which were called eagle arms. This kind of eagle gown was especially popular among the eight banner disciples of the Beijing Division during the Qianlong period. Baoyu's fox fur jacket is covered with an eagle gown, obviously not for warmth, but like the eight flags of the Beijing Master, wearing an eagle gown, acting as Baturu, riding on a horse.
Third, from the jewelry of Baoyu, look at the Manchu baby care customs.
The Manchus do not distinguish between the old and the young, and they all like to wear ornaments. There are mainly bones, stones, beads, gold, silver, willows and other things. In addition to hair ornaments and headdresses, Baoyu also has a wealth of necklaces and chest ornaments, including collars, psychic jade, name locks, and amulets. Among them, the most unique is "the golden mite on the item, and there is a five-colored silk tapestry, tied with a piece of beautiful jade", which is brought in the fetus and the life root of the treasure jade. There is a folk consciousness of Manchu chongshi here.
In ancient times, stone worship spread throughout all castes of the northern peoples, and many castes of the Manchu people regarded stones as gods and ancestors, believing that their ancestors were born of stones. The Shi family worships Zhuo Lu's mother and Zhuo Lu Ma Fa, both of whom belong to the stone god gods; Xu surname
People, worshipping the fire god Tuemu, believe that she inhabits the stone, embodying the primitive concept of fire hidden in the stone. The psychic jade on Baoyu's neck, like the top worn by Qing dynasty officials, is a continuation of the Manchu ancestors' custom of stone ornamentation. The four large beads on the braid, the Eastern Pearl, are also the symbol of the Manchu nobles.
The Manchus pay special attention to making and wearing ornaments for their children and daughters, which is not only out of the aesthetic taste of the Manchus, but mainly because of the inheritance of religious customs. This piece of psychic treasure jade brought by Baoyu when he was born already has the knowledge of blessings and misfortunes.
The magic of healing wrongs and eliminating evil spirits, but at the same time, he does not refuse to seek Mascots such as name locks and amulets from temples and Taoist temples. In people's concepts, these mascots also have the function of seeking good fortune and avoiding evil.
The Manchuization of Baoyu's hairstyle, clothing, and ornaments on his body is the typical shape of this son of Changbai Mountain, the Manchu little brother.
Author Chen Jinghe
Source: Changbaishan Weekly, No. 2, 2022
Text: Chen Jinghe
Photo: Meng Shaodong