The feature article | myth of exorcism and pest control that has lasted for generations

The myth of disasters is a valuable historical, cultural and spiritual record. Among them, the plague myth is one of the most important disaster myths. In the long history of the development of Chinese civilization, the ancestors often encountered vicious infectious diseases called "epidemics" or "plagues".

Bi Xuling, director of the Folklore and Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Office of the Institute of Literature of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, has long been committed to the study of disaster culture. She said that the fundamental purpose of the ancestors in creating the plague myth was to find a solution, such as explaining the causes of the plague and the way it spread, and finding ways to treat the plague and save lives. The myth of the plague reflects the history of the people's endless struggle against the plague.

We must abandon the demagogic superstitions and heresies of ancient mythology, draw positive energy and useful enlightenment, and thus build confidence in victory over contemporary diseases.

Nuwa patches up the heavens is a well-known myth

A legend of epidemics is a wake-up call

Disasters are one of the important themes of human myths and legends. The objective reason for the formation of this cultural phenomenon is that the ancestors were often subjected to severe tests from nature, which often had serious consequences. The myth of Nüwa patching up the heavens that we are familiar with is a typical disaster myth. Earthquakes, floods, droughts, fires and plagues were all disasters that our ancestors often encountered. How to resist these disasters? In addition to avoiding disasters in time and saving lives as much as they can, the ancestors also placed the hope of disaster relief on the gods, creating many gods in charge of disasters.

"Animals spread diseases, which is not a secret to the primitive ancestors." Bi Xuling began to make it clear that hunting labor has extraordinary significance in the history of human development, the exploration of hunting skills makes people's brains exercised, and the protein obtained from animal meat promotes human physique enhancement. At the same time, the close contact with animals during hunting and the way of eating and eating their meat after hunting may spread parasites and viruses with animals as hosts to human society, and cause widespread infection and death. This is the situation described in the "Han Feizi Wuyin": "The people eat mussels and clams, and the fishy and foul smell hurts the stomach and stomach, and the people have many diseases." "Although primitive people are not as smart as modern people, and they have no conditions to carry out medical research, they have also discovered the connection between animals and infectious diseases in long-term practice, and summarized these experiences in a mythical way and passed them on, hoping that future generations can avoid these disasters." This is the origin of the ancient Chinese myth of plague.

Where did large-scale human infectious diseases come from? Bi Xuling said that the early plague myth was believed to be spread by animals, whether birds or animals, which may spread the virus to humans. Of course, these animals are not what you see in everyday life. The ancestors gave them unusual forms and made them some kind of monster to enhance the mystery and persuasiveness of the myth. This is the result of mythologizing everyday experience, and it is also the product of summarizing and refining everyday experience. After we restore and expand these contents, we can see the ancestors' understanding of the types of animals that carry viruses.

The heel is a combination of an owl and a wild boar, a hook is a combination of a wild duck and a mouse, and a barley is a combination of a bison and a snake. It is no accident that the elves that spread the plague are imagined to be these wild animals, but the experience of the ancestors in the long hunting process, and find that these wild animals have a relatively direct relationship with human infectious diseases.

Today's advanced medicine has proved that animals can transmit many infectious diseases, such as avian influenza, plague, epidemic haemorrhagic fever and so on. Although there was no developed biological research technology in the early days, the ancestors had rich production and life practices. Over the course of millions of years of hunting, people have learned the experience of animals transmitting diseases. Before the advent of writing, in early societies where oral myths were used as important tools for recording and interpreting, in order to prevent disease, the ancestors deified wild animals that they thought might spread the disease, creating early plague myths. This cultural behavior not only hints at the source of human infectious diseases, but is also a warning to future generations, reminding people to be extra careful when coming into contact with these wild animals.

2. Beneficial enlightenment and enlightenment for future generations

Why should people in modern society understand and understand the myth of the Chinese plague? What useful lessons can be learned from this? Bi Xuling said that in the primitive society of hungry and unclothed, the plague was more destructive than the poisonous insects and beasts, often leading to the destruction of the entire clan. The terrible plague not only frightened the ancestors, but also caused them to speculate and explain, which gave rise to the myth of the plague. As a folk narrative, the plague myth has important functions and significance.

First, the Chinese plague myth conveys the lessons of plague prevention and avoidance. For example, the myth of the spread of plague by elves in the Classic of Mountains and Seas reflects the shallow understanding of the ancestors about the spread of diseases by wild animals. The myth of the three devils passing on the plague expresses the initial understanding of the ancestors on the characteristics of the interpersonal transmission of the plague, and the myth of the plague ghosts with different functions reflects the early classification of infectious diseases by the ancestors. More experience in preventing plague and avoiding epidemics has become part of traditional festivals, and ritualized festivals have strengthened the concept of plague prevention and avoidance and its effects.

Second, the Myth of the Chinese Plague expresses the philosophical thinking of the ancestors in the face of malignant infectious diseases. For example, the transformation of the Queen Mother of the West from the totem god in charge of plague and punishment to the supreme Goddess of Taoism who blessed longevity, and Zhao Gongming's transformation from the god of plague to the god of wealth, seem to have a simple dialectical idea of Neji Tailai. For another example, the myth of the three devils passing on the plague and the myth of Fang Xiang's exorcism of the epidemic are a pair of myths with a causal relationship, and there are first three devils spreading the plague before Fang Xiang's expulsion of the plague ghosts, and this myth setting reflects the idea that all things are compatible with each other. These ideas all show the idea that the ancestors did not give up the hope of survival under extremely bad conditions.

Third, the Chinese plague myth embodies traditional moral ideals and provides spiritual support for the society during the plague pandemic. For example, in the Shennong clan who tried hundreds of herbs and eventually died of poison in order to seek a cure for the epidemic, we see the spirit of sacrifice. In the anti-epidemic myth of the whipping witch destroying the temple, we see the scientific spirit of pursuing symptomatic treatment.

Fourth, the Chinese plague myth also embodies the idea of social management of the plague by the ancestors. In the myth of the Queen Mother of the West, the ancestors brought the punishment set by mankind itself and the plague that descended from heaven under the control of the Queen Mother of the West, reflecting their initial idea of trying to integrate the plague into the social management system and effectively control it. The myth of the plague offering expresses the management concept of effective local social governance and maintenance of normal social order, even during the epidemic of infectious diseases.

Bi Xuling believes that the Chinese plague myth has indeed played an important role in the history of the ancestors' struggle against the plague.

3. Prevention of plague and prevention of epidemics have been integrated into customs

Bi Xuling said that there is a special type of plague prevention and epidemic avoidance myth in the Chinese plague myth, which focuses on the scientific anti-epidemic experience accumulated by the ancients for generations, which can be called the ancient version of the anti-plague instruction manual. These myths are not mere narratives, but the messages conveyed in them have the practical function of preventing infectious diseases, thus entering the lives of the people and becoming an important part of traditional customs, especially traditional customs.

The myth of Tu Su wine and the myth of shanzhen are the myths of plague prevention and epidemic avoidance related to the Spring Festival. Among the ancient poems describing the Spring Festival, the most famous is probably Wang Anshi's "Yuan Ri": "In the sound of firecrackers, one year old is removed, and the spring wind sends warmth into Tu Su." Thousands of households always exchange new peaches for old charms. The poem "into Tu Su" is to drink Tu Su wine. Tu Su, also known as Tu Su, Fermented Crisp, Tu Su wine is a medicinal wine soaked in traditional Chinese medicine, the ancients believed that drinking Tu Su wine during the Spring Festival has the effect of preventing plague, this custom has been produced around the Southern Dynasty.

The traditional Spring Festival custom of setting off firecrackers also has the function of driving away plague and avoiding epidemics, which is closely related to the myth of mountain shame. The mountain ghost is a plague ghost that lives in the mountains, also known as the mountain ghost. It looks humanoid, but is only more than a foot tall. The Divine Alien Sutra and the Western Wild Scriptures say that if you come into contact with the mountain, it will be "chilling and hot", which is an external symptom common to many infectious diseases. The myth of the mountain is often cited to explain the origins of the traditional Spring Festival firecracker custom.

In addition, the ancestors also left behind the custom of killing the virus during the Dragon Boat Festival. The myth of Xionghuang, the myth of calamus and the myth of wormwood are the myths of deworming and epidemic prevention related to the Dragon Boat Festival.

Male yellow is a mineral with medicinal value, with bactericidal and anti-plague effects. Male yellow has long been considered the nemesis of snakes. Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty recorded in the "Baopuzi" that in the past, the garden hill was inhabited by many large and poisonous snakes, and many precious medicinal herbs were also grown. The Yellow Emperor wanted to go to the garden hill, and the immortal Guangchengzi taught him to wear male yellow on his body, so the poisonous snakes were driven away.

Calamus is a plant with medicinal properties. The "Classics" says that when Emperor Yao was in power, the essence descended from heaven into leek plants in the court, and the breath of the hundred yin grew into calamus, so calamus was also called "Yao leek". "Spring and Autumn Luck Doushu" also contains that the Jade Heng Star is scattered on the earth and transformed into calamus. Judging from the mythological content, around the late period of primitive society, the ancestors already had a certain understanding of the medicinal value of calamus, so they deified it as the essence or auspicious star descending from heaven. It is precisely because of such a prominent origin that the ancestors attached great importance to calamus and formed the cult of calamus.

Wormwood is also a medicinal plant that has long been recognized by the ancestors. As early as the pre-Qin era, wormwood was used in moxibustion and was considered to be a sacred herb that could drive away evil spirits, cure diseases, sterilize and disinfect, and prolong life. In Rugao, Jiangsu Province, there is a myth that the Han Dynasty alchemist Fei Changfang used wormwood to treat epidemics. According to legend, Fei Changfang once stood by the sea and looked into the distance, and found that the coastal feng shui treasure Land Rugao had a disease, so he ordered his disciples to bring the evil spirit grass - wormwood to cure the disease of the local people. Since then, the people of Rugao have formed the custom of offering fresh ai around the Dragon Boat Festival.

IV. The myth of fighting the epidemic suppresses evil and promotes good

"Although the plague myth belongs to the disaster myth, it is obviously different from other disaster myths, and what brings plague to mankind is the pathogenic microorganisms that have life, can replicate themselves and constantly mutate, and live and reproduce with humans on the earth to this day, rather than water, fire, earthquakes, these lifeless substances or phenomena." Bi Xuling explained that from a biological point of view, both humans and pathogenic microorganisms belong to organisms, so in addition to telling the story of the prevention, isolation and treatment of plague by the ancestors, the plague myth also tells how people as organisms recognize and deal with pathogenic microorganisms, which constitutes the diversity of plague myths. Of course, due to the limited level of cognition of the ancients, their narratives are often full of fantasy colors, and pathogenic microorganisms often appear in myths in the form of plague gods and plague ghosts.

In most plague myths, what we see is the narrative of human beings who regard the plague god plague ghost as the opposite, and find ways to conquer and defeat the plague god plague ghost. There are quite a few plague myths in this part, and the myth of the plague sacrifice and the myth of catching ghosts with bare hands belong to this category.

In some plague myths, plague gods and plague ghosts even become spokesmen, helping society accomplish things that it cannot accomplish on its own. For example, in "Yi Jianzhi", it tells the myth of the plague god to eliminate violence and anliang. The Brothers Chen Tang and Chen Ting, the Nancheng people of the Song Dynasty, were well-known local villains. One day, Chen Tang dreamed that he was being escorted to the City God Temple, and after the City God Master asked him for his identity, he ordered the ghost officials to escort him to the Zhang Dawang Temple. After arriving at the Zhang Dawang Temple, Chen Tang woke up at once. Chen Tang told his wife about this and was very annoyed with this dream. The king was not a serious god, but a local plague god. Within a few days, Chen Tang's entire family was infected with the plague, and Chen Tang and Chen Ting's brothers bled to death, Chen Tang's mother, wife, Chen Ting's son and all the slaves, as well as relatives who came and went with them, and even more than 20 people, including nuns and Wu Zhu who treated them, also contracted the plague and died soon after. Although today's view, the Chen family probably died of an acute infectious disease, this myth was widely spread as a myth that the plague god punished evil spirits.

"Based on the narrative content of the plague myth, we can summarize the three main understandings of the relationship between humans and pathogenic microorganisms. First, always in a relationship of opposition, human beings need to constantly fight infectious diseases; second, human beings win, and finally subdue the pathogenic microorganisms; third, humans and pathogenic microorganisms reach a delicate balance and coexist harmoniously. How to deal with the relationship with infectious diseases is probably an important issue that all mankind will face at present and for a long time to come. These three relationships reflected in the Myth of the Chinese Plague may provide some useful enlightenment for this. Bi Xuling said that no matter what stories the Chinese plague myth tells, we must not forget the original purpose of their creation: to eliminate the plague and restore peace. We have reason to believe that the contemporary Chinese people who have inherited the great Chinese civilization and wisdom will certainly be able to create new miracles and compose the "myth" of plague eradication in the new era.