In early spring, February and March, the earth between the white mountains and black waters has just awoke from the white snow, the grass and trees are about to germinate, and there is no longer the chill of the past in the oncoming wind. A long line was leaving Chagan Lake and heading southwest. There are hunting flags in the procession, tents folded up, and bearded men with musical instruments and falcons.
Their target was a land of lakes, where swans had just returned from wintering in the south were leisurely pecking at the dead yellow reeds mixed with residual snow. Suddenly, there was a rapid drumming and shouting, and the frightened swans spread their wings and flew up from the reeds, but only to see a handsome body shadow like a sharp arrow, straight into the swan swarm, tightly grasping a single swan...
Such a scene has been repeated countless times in the northeast land a thousand years ago, and the kings and courtiers of the Liaojin Empire still retain the traditional customs of fishing, hunting and nomadic pastoralism, leading a vast procession to migrate between different grasslands with the change of seasons. Hunting swans with a falcon called Hai Dongqing next to Kasuga Lake is an indispensable safari program. Such scenes are not only left in the history books and poems, but also carved on the warm white jade by skilled craftsmen. At the "Why China" exhibition in the Forbidden City, an old Tibetan jade pendant with the theme of eagle catching swans was exhibited.
White jade carved spring water Tupei Jindai, collection of the Palace Museum
On this jade ring, a swan is flapping its wings, but the strength of the struggle seems to have exhausted, the elegant long neck is hanging low, and a petite Hai Dongqing is clutching the neck of the swan, and the sharp beak is pecking at the swan's eyes. And Hai Dongqing also fluttered a long ribbon under his body, which also showed that it was a falcon that was raised by the royal family.
This jade ring is not only warm in texture, but also in the art of jade craftsmanship. The swan's wings fly up and down, the neck is extended forward, the composition is stable and natural, and a stable contact is formed with the jade ring. Hai Dongqing is much smaller, but the carving is still delicate and delicate, showing a sense of strength that is fierce and strong.
Although the theme is the story of the Liaojin people, this exquisite jade piece must have come from the hands of Han craftsmen with a long tradition of jade craftsmanship. In the Liao-Jin Dynasty, in the vast territory of Northern China under its rule, there were not only ethnic groups living in grasslands and mountains and forests, but also a large number of Han Chinese who lived a settled and agricultural life. As a result, the customs and culture of the nation are gradually merging, and the aesthetics of the Central Plains have also profoundly affected the aristocratic class, so the picture of traditional ethnic life has become an important theme of northern jade.
The name of Spring Water
When the jade artifact in the Forbidden City is named, it does not mention Haidongqing and the swan, but is called "White Jade Sculpture Spring Water Tupei". So why is it called "spring water"?
The name of jade chunshui originated from Mr. Yang Boda, a researcher at the Forbidden City. He found that the Qing Palace had a number of Jin Dynasty jade artifacts hidden in the past, and the themes were very similar, either the swans in the reeds were leisurely, or the birds of prey pecking at the swans, or between the mountains and forests, there were deer and tigers and other animals walking. After going through the historical materials, Mr. Yang Boda found that the scenes in these jade objects were related to the living customs of the Liaojin royal family, which was called "Four Seasons Bowl".
What is a bowl? The LiaoShi Yingwei Zhi records that:
"The Liao Kingdom has a great desert, and the realm of the Great Wall is immersed in it, so it is appropriate to rule." Autumn and winter are cold, spring and summer are summer, and fishing with water and grass is commonplace. At four o'clock, each has a place to go, which is called 'holding a bowl'. ”
In short, it is the nomadic life of living by water and grass mentioned above. The Liaojin Empire once had multiple capitals at the same time, and even so, the emperors did not always stay in the capital to deal with political affairs like the Emperor of the Central Plains, but continued the old custom and migrated birds in different places. "Out of the camp, it is called a bowl." Bowl, which means "place".
Spring murals, excavated from Liaoqing Mausoleum, Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Collection (Source @ Guangdong Provincial Museum)
In the spring mural, Qingling unearthed a mural of the style of the four seasons, vividly showing the scene of the bowl in the four seasons. (Source @ Guangdong Provincial Museum)
The Liaojin Emperor roamed between the mountains and rivers of the northeast, and there were bowls in all four seasons. In the historical records, the scene of the spring bowl has been recorded in detail:
Spring Bowl:
Duck River Luo. The emperor began to raise his teeth in the early part of the first month, about sixty days later. The swan has not arrived, zhuo tent on the ice, ice to take the fish. Ice pan, is the eagle hawk hunting geese. Morning and twilight, engaged in hunting... Whenever the emperor arrived, the attendants were dressed in dark green clothes, each with a handle, an eagle food vessel, and a thorn goose cone, and each of them was arranged in five or seven steps around the luo. The emperor's crown scarf, clothes and clothes, jade belt, yu Shangfeng looked at it. Where there are geese, flags are raised, scouts ride and whistle, and drums are sounded from afar. The geese are frightened, and the left and right sides are all raised. Wufang Qing entered the Haidong Qinghu and asked the emperor to let it go. The crane catches the goose, the power is not added, the person who is close to the line, raises the cone to stab the goose, and takes the brain to feed the goose. Teach the People to appreciate silver silk. The emperor got the head goose, recommended the dynasty, and the courtiers each offered wine and fruit, and held up music. More reciprocal rewards, greetings, all insert goose feathers in the first place for fun. Give wine to men, and scatter their hair. Hunting net hook, spring is also returned.
This record is very interesting to read, probably saying that every year the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty set off for the Spring Bowl in the first month of the first month, and the road took two months to walk. After arriving at the destination duck river, it is still a cold scene, waiting for the swans to fly, people chisel the ice to fish. After the snow melts, migratory birds also fly in, and eagles are released to catch swans and geese.
This historical material also specifically introduces the process of the emperor personally participating in the goose hunting activities, such a scene, not so much hunting, but rather a sense of ceremony and symbolism. The emperor wanted to wear special clothes to watch, and when the guards found the swan tracks, they raised the flag and sounded the drum to make the swan "soar".
Bei hunting map , Ao Han Banner Klidai Township Lama Gou Liao Tomb excavated , Inner Mongolia Prehistoric Culture Museum collection (source network). The figures in the murals are all Khitan hairstyles, the former middle-aged and elderly people hold eagles, the right figures hang flat drums around their waists, and the rest of them hold bows and arrows, musical instruments, etc., which should be the retinue of the spring bowl activities.
At this time, the eagle trainers wanted to sacrifice Shanghai Dongqing and let the emperor personally release it. Hai Dongqing grabbed the swan and forced it to land on the ground, while the nearby guards raised the thorn goose cone to stab the swan to death, and took out the goose brain to feed Hai Dongqing. The eagle trainers were rewarded, and after the emperor got the first goose, he would hold a grand banquet, and everyone would put goose feathers on their heads and throw goose feathers for fun.
The Liao tomb of Libeibao Village in Dagujiazi Township, Faku County, was excavated. In order to prevent the falcon's sharp claws from scratching the arm, the eagle trainer often has to tie an arm whip to the arm. (Photo by Yong Soda)
This silver cone with a sheathed jade handle excavated from the tomb of Princess Chen Guo of Liao is quite consistent with the thorn goose cone recorded in historical records. (The picture shows arterial photography)
Even if you are the Heavenly Son of the Empire, at this time, you will probably experience the joy of spring travel and hunting just like the ancestors of the tribal era.
Shen Jun is the most hai dongqing
An important role in the Spring Bowl campaign is the falcon named "Hai Dong Qing". This is a rare bird of prey, so which falcon in nature does it correspond to?
According to records and analyses, the closest bird should be the "spear falcon".
Eagle Strike Swan Chart, Ming Dynasty, Yin Kai, Nanjing Museum Collection (Source Network)
This painting depicts the scene represented by Chun Shui Yu, and from the painting, the falcon that catches the swan is very similar to the spear falcon in reality.
Spear Falcon (Source Network)
The spear falcon is mainly distributed in the Arctic region, rare in China, but it also appears in the Heilongjiang area, which is consistent with the historical records of it. And the historical records record that there are many types of hair color of Haidongqing, and the same is true of spear falcons in reality. Moreover, the spear falcon is small in size and very different from the swan, which is in line with the proportion of hai dongqing and swan in the spring water map. Therefore, Hai Dongqing, which has been cherished by generations, is probably a spear falcon.
So why is this falcon called "Haidongqing"? The historical record of it is as follows:
"The young people in Haidong are small and healthy, and they can catch swans, and those who claw white are especially different, because of the east of the Five Kingdoms, the Khitan loves them, but they can't help themselves."
"Hai Dongqing, Yuzhong Hu also."
"The northeast of Jurchen is adjacent to the Five Kingdoms, and the east of the Five Kingdoms is bordered by the sea, and it is famous for its eagles." Those from Haidong are called Haidongqing. ”
"Hai Dongqing is also known as Haiqing, the most handsome of the birds."
Judging from the historical data, the name of Hai Dongqing is closely related to its place of origin. Hai Dongqing's lair should not be far from the sea, to the east of the place of the Five Kingdoms. Although the Khitan people love it very much, they do not produce Haidongqing in their own territory, and if they want to get this kind of love eagle, they need a tribute from another ethnic group, that is, the Jurchen people adjacent to the Five Kingdoms.
At that time, the Jurchens were located in the northeast of the Liao State and were under the rule of the Liao. Because of its proximity to Haidongqing's production area, the Jurchen tribe was forced to pay tribute to the Liao, thus carrying a heavy burden. Historical records:
"Every year, more than a thousand people from the Eagle Fang's disciples, The True Lady, were sent into the borders of the Five Kingdoms, that is, the Haidong Lair was taken, and after fighting with the Five Kingdoms, they won the battle, and then the Jurchens were overwhelmed by their troubles because all the tribes rebelled."
And the emissaries who took the token to expropriate Hai Dongqing were even more bullying and committing evil deeds, which made the Jurchen tribe increasingly resentful:
When the angels came, they needed to ask the tribe for everything, and if they did not obey the orders, they called them to raise their staffs, and even cursed them. The various departments rebelled, and they fought with each other, and even raised troops to plot rebellion.
And there are angels of the Messenger, who wear silver medals, and who will be recommended by each of his kingdoms (the ministries of the Virgins). Then its domestic round of the middle and lower households as a place to stay, to the unpunished maid. After the emissaries flocked, they took the mission of the great country, but chose a beautiful woman, regardless of their husbands and valves. The Jurchens were indignant, and all the tribes were resentful, and they were subservient to Ah Bone, and Xian wanted to call the soldiers to refuse.
Genghis Khan's Holy Will Silver Medal Guobo Collection. The silver medals held by the "angels" of the Liao Dynasty are probably similar to the silver medals of the later Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, and they all represent the proximity of imperial power.
Because of Hai Dongqing, the Jurchen tribes formed a hatred for Liao, and eventually rebelled with Ah Kuanta as the leader. Emperor Tianzuo of Liao led hundreds of thousands of troops to personally suppress the rebellion, but was defeated by the brave and warlike Jurchen cavalry. The huge Liao Empire fell apart in an instant, and the Jurchens rose rapidly to establish the Great Golden State, and then went south to defeat the Northern Song Dynasty and become the hegemon of Northern China.
After the Jin defeated the Khitans, they also inherited the old custom of the Khitan four seasons. In 1139, Emperor Xizong of Jin issued an edict saying: "From the present four o'clock hunting, spring water and autumn mountains, winter and summer na bowls, and follow the story of the Liao people."
The use of Haidongqing to hunt swans is still an important activity in the Spring Bowl of the Jin Dynasty. And the emperor would also specially wear clothes that suited the scene: "Its clothes from the spring water, then many birds catch geese, miscellaneous flowers and ornaments." This jade artifact in the Forbidden City was therefore named "Spring Water Jade". Perhaps hundreds of years ago, it was also worn on a nobleman who participated in a spring hunt.
Haidongqing, once loved by the Khitans, has also become a spiritual symbol of the Jurchen nation. The "small and healthy" "Tiger of Feathers" can capture swans that are several times larger than their own, and this kind of fighting spirit with small and broad is not the best portrayal of the Jurchens themselves?
It is the third month of the old calendar, and it is the time of spring. Looking back at this chunshui jade, it seems that the old things of Liaojin are also under the warm jade.
Acknowledgements: Editorial Corps Old Song, Eighteen-Year Cicada; Photographer @ Yiyi's Museum Collection, some of the pictures from @Arterial Shadow @ Yong Soda and the Internet; All rights reserved, infringement must be investigated.
Welcome to follow us!