Xuancao has a long history of cultivation in China, and it is recorded in the earliest "Book of Poetry", "Shijing Weifeng Boxi": "Yande the grass, the back of the tree." May the words of Si Bo make my heart sick. The "grass" mentioned here refers to the grass. There are many aliases, such as "Yi Male Grass", "Forget Worry Grass", "Ling Grass", "Sichuan Grass Flower", "Healing Sorrow", "Dan Thorn", "Whore", "Xuan Calyx" and so on, and the folk also call it "Golden Needle Grass".
Grass has strong growth adaptability, is suitable for large-scale cultivation, and has a long history of planting. After the Tang and Song dynasties, folk cultivation has been very common, and it has been cultivated in various parts of the north and south. The flowers of the genus Are bright and beautiful, and can be seen. Yellow cauliflower is a representative species and is one of the traditional vegetables in China. In the garden, flower beds can be decorated and planted on the side of the garden road, matching with shrubs and trees, and dotted among the rocks. While enjoying the beautiful scenery, if we understand the meaning of the traditional culture behind the "Xuancao", we can increase the pleasure of appreciation as a talking point for small talk in the garden.
In traditional Chinese culture, Xuancao mainly has three meanings: one is to forget worries, the second is to be a man, and the third refers to the mother.
Forget worry: The earliest record of the forgetting worries of xuancao comes from the "Natural history": "Xuancao, the food makes people happy, forget worries, so it is known as forgetting worries grass." ”； The "Poetry" also says: "Since the descendants have taken the grass as the grass, they have said that the grass has forgotten its worries." In terms of practical efficacy, the Compendium of Materia Medica records that Xuancao "has a sweet smell, cool nature, non-toxicity, cures urine redness, body irritability, removes alcohol scabies, consumes food, and is conducive to damp heat." It is good for the chest and intestines, making people happy and carefree, and light and clear.". It can be seen that The herb has the pharmacological effect of curing the body's irritation and removing moisture, which can make people calm down and forget the temporary troubles and sorrows, and the meaning of forgetting worries is also derived from this.
Since the time of the Book of Poetry, "forgetting worries" has always been one of the main meanings of Xuancao. It is commonly used in the poetry of the past generations, and is widely used to express the sorrow of the husband and wife, the nostalgia of the other side, the suspense of friends and friends, and the worries of the monarchy covered by clouds. During the Western Han Dynasty, Su Wu sent an envoy to the Xiongnu and was detained for nineteen years, and there was a poem in the correspondence with Li Ling: "Relatives scatter with the wind, and the drip is like a shooting star." May the branches of grass be quenched for hunger and thirst. ”； Wang Rongshiyun of the North and South Times: "Thinking of the king is like a grass, and when you see it, you forget your worries." ”； Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty has a good sentence that "Du Kang can dissipate boredom, and Xuancao can relieve worries". The saying that Xuancao forgot his worries has become a common practice throughout the ages.
Yi Nan: Yi Nan is an earlier and more important alias for the emergence of Xuan Cao. Archaeological data show that the grass has long been used as an auspicious pattern for decorative beauty, meaning to give birth to boys and many children. In 1988, in the tomb of king Qi of the Jin Dynasty excavated from the former capital of JinShangjing, the brocade shoes and pants of the hostess of the tomb were embroidered with exquisite grass patterns. The ancients gave Xuancao a deep meaning to express their good wishes for a son.
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, Xuancao, as a Yinan flower, was already reflected in poetry, and since then, the narrative of the meaning of Xuancao Yinan has continued endlessly. During the Cao Wei period of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Flowers of Yi Nan" said: "The grass number Yi Nan, both Ye and Zhen." What is its virginity? Only Dry No. What is it? Green leafy danhua. ”； The Jin Zhou Division's "Record of Customs" says: "Flowers are known as Yi men, and pregnant women are peizhi, and they will give birth to men." "It is said that pregnant women will give birth to boys when they wear Xuancao, so Xuancao is also known as Yi male grass, reflecting the ancient people's awareness of fertility worship and the pursuit of inheritance and prosperity; There is a similar record in Jin Jihan's "Southern Grass and Trees": "There are three kinds of flowers: red, yellow and purple, out of Shixing, the woman is pregnant, and the man who wears his peanuts." ”； The Southern Dynasty Liang Yuan Emperor had the "Yinan Grass Poem" cloud: "Lovely Yi male grass, weeping Ying Ying advocate, when such leaves, strong and complex flowers." ”； During the tang xuanzong period, a variety of grasses were planted in the Xingqing Palace, and at that time, the flowers became one of the favorite flowers and plants inside and outside the court.
Filial piety: Chinese traditional culture is very focused on filial piety, Xuancao is planted in the mother's room of Beitang, and "Xuantang" is called mother, Beitang is also called Xuantang, and "Beitang Zhixuan" is extended to the love of mother and child. Around the Time of the Tang and Song Dynasties, the meaning of the surrogate mother of Xuancao was finally formed, and Xuancao became the mother flower of the Chinese. The Tang Dynasty poet Meng Jiao's "Wandering Son" also said: "Xuancao is born of the steps of the church, and the wanderer travels to the end of the world." The loving mother leaned on the door of the hall and did not see the grass flowers. The meaning of this poem is: the wanderer travels far to the end of the world, plants grass in the north hall, borrows bright flowers to please her, or eats to make the mother forget her worries, so that she can alleviate her thoughts about herself and forget her troubles and sorrows; The Tang Dynasty poet Chen Ziang wrote in his poem: "The fine leaves are still green, and the flowers are not red." Forget who sees the reward, empty this north hall. ”； The Ming Dynasty painter Shen Zhou painted "HuaiXuan Tu" and gave it to his friend Wang Jun to relieve his friend's longing for his late mother; In the eighty-seventh episode of Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber" of the Qing Dynasty, there is a similar record: "There is Xuan Xi in the North Hall, so why forget your worries." "The ancients used Xuancao as a symbol of loving motherhood to express their love for their mother, which shows that the meaning of Xuancao surrogate mother is widely used in ancient literature.