Preface
In film and television works with historical themes, scenes of prisoners going to the execution ground and even the extermination of entire families are often presented. According to the ancient law, the process of execution of prisoners usually goes through the links from imprisonment, trial to final execution.
First, the prisoner was held in prison and awaited trial by his superiors. In ancient societies, there were many types of punishments, and beheading and punishing the nine tribes were relatively common punishments. Once the verdict is confirmed, the prisoner will be executed in accordance with the emperor's decree.
In ancient times, the law was relatively harsh, and for those who committed serious crimes, capital punishment was often adopted, such as beheading and punishing the nine clans. In modern times, these punishments may be too cruel, because in many cases, the crimes of death row inmates do not reach the point of death, but ultimately pay the price with their lives.
When learning about the system of conviction for death row inmates in ancient times, one will come across an interesting and puzzling term – guillotine rice.
Okay, without further ado, let's take a look at the conviction system of death row prisoners in ancient times, what is the specific meaning of the decapitated rice, and why do ancient death row inmates put a piece of fishy raw meat when they eat the decapitated rice? Don't underestimate it, it's very useful.
A touch of blood in an ancient empire
When the morning sun rises, the ancient empire is in motion. In the square city, the jailer carried a plate of food and walked slowly through the narrow corridors. There was no expression on his face, as if he had become Xi to it. The destination of that meal was the death row cell, their last earthly meal, also known as the "guillotine meal."
The jailer walked to the door of the cell, placed the food plate on the ground steadily, looked up at the death row inmate inside the door for a long time, and finally said softly: "This is your severed head meal, please enjoy it." There was a subtle sadness in his tone, like numbness after Xi.
The death row inmate looked up at the jailer with a faint look of surprise in his eyes. He stared down at the meal in front of him, and in the center of the hearty dish was a piece of raw meat that smelled of fish. This disgusting raw meat is particularly eye-catching against the backdrop of delicious dishes.
"This ...... What is this piece of meat for?" The death row inmate asked with some confusion, a glint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
The jailer looked up at the darkness at the top of the cell and whispered, "This is a special gift, and legend has it that it can help you cross the Nai Ho Bridge safely and have a better home in the afterlife." ”
At the mention of this ancient legend, there was a hint of piety in the jailer's tone. The death row inmate gripped the foul-smelling piece of raw meat, and a glint burst out of his eyes, as if grasping hope: "Really? It can really let me cross the bridge?"
"No one can prove the old legend. The jailer said lightly, "But in the last moments of life, this little hope is not a good thing. ”
The last meal of life
For death row inmates, this "severed head meal" became the last meal of their lives. After the jailer left, the death row inmate was left alone to face this "last meal" with a long way to go.
Hearty dishes are steaming hot and have an enticing aroma. The death row prisoner has no appetite at all, his life has come to an end, and all the delicious food is tasteless in his eyes. His heart is only left with a complex interweaving of emotions - both desolate about his imminent death and the uncertainty of his fate in the afterlife.
In this ancient empire, the attitude towards death was far more important than life itself. It is believed that the fate of the soul after death is equally important and requires various trials. The death row inmate clutched at the piece of raw meat as if grasping at the last straw.
He knew that when the morning sun rose to the center of the sky, his life would come to an end. This Last Supper will be the last stroke of his earthly memory.
The footsteps of the jailer faded away, and the death row inmate sat quietly in the gloomy cell. He chewed not only the food in front of him, but the memories of his whole life. In his eyes, that piece of raw flesh has become a place of hope beyond life, a bridge between this world and the next.
The meaning behind that piece of fishy meat
On one side are solemn palaces and temples, and on the other side are eerie prisons and execution grounds. These seem to be two very different worlds, but they are tightly connected by the stinking piece of raw meat.
Putting aside the appearance of raw meat, it is not difficult for us to find the profound cultural connotation it carries. In this ancient Eastern empire, the attitude towards death and the afterlife was far more important than the present life. It is believed that after death, the soul will continue to be reincarnated in another world, and it will need to go through various tortures and tests.
Thus, legends like the Nai Ho Bridge were born. Legend has it that after death, a person crosses a narrow, crumbling bridge with fierce dogs lurking in the stream below. This piece of raw meat was meant to distract the vicious dogs so that the souls of the deceased could cross the bridge safely.
For ordinary death row inmates, this becomes their sustenance for a hazy and beautiful vision of the afterlife. Although the truth of the legend could not be confirmed, the expectation was enough to give them the last solace.
In the eyes of the rulers, this is another consideration – the hope of the afterlife may have the effect of suppressing and pacifying. Ordinary people need solace in the afterlife for peace of mind, and prisoners need guidance in the afterlife to resist in despair. In the final analysis, all of this is a move to maintain stability. It's just that behind these symbols of ritual and superstition, there is a unique interpretation of the concept of life and death in this ancient empire.
The difference between Eastern and Western cultures about life and death
It is not difficult to find that in traditional Chinese culture, death is endowed with a richer and more mysterious meaning. It not only represents the end of life, but also sees it as an opportunity to reopen another world. The idea of "endless life" is reflected in various legends about the afterlife, such as the concept of Yin Cao Difu and reincarnation, all of which demonstrate the Chinese understanding of the cycle of life and death.
In contrast, the idea of death in Christian culture is simpler than this. The division between heaven and hell became the only choice of where to go after death. Death signifies the coming of the ultimate judgment that determines the eternal destiny of a soul. The standard of judgment is based almost entirely on one's earthly moral performance, and the way a person lives determines whether or not he will receive God's salvation after death.
It can be said that death in Chinese culture is still inseparable from the association and extension of the present life, and the afterlife is regarded as a huge metaphor; In Christian culture, death becomes the only criterion for judging the ultimate value of a soul, and the ultimate nature of morality is emphasized more thoroughly.
These cultural differences reflect the different understandings of the life order of the universe in nature between the East and the West. On the eternal question of what is the ultimate meaning of life, Chinese and Western civilizations have given very different but respectable answers. What we are dealing with are two instinctive reactions in human nature to the unknown. One pursues reincarnation, the other pursues judgment; One kind of storytelling, one kind of rules. And both are trying to understand the mystery of death in their own way.
epilogue
A tiny cell in an ancient empire, a death row inmate, a foul-smelling piece of raw meat.
It seems to be a simple and ordinary scene, but it connects two worlds and carries the thoughts and emotions of civilization for thousands of years. It was a gift from the ultimate frontier of death: a last blessing for life, the only solace in the midst of despair. Perhaps it is precisely because life is short that the mystery of death becomes the final kindness.
Through the fog of history and faith, we can vaguely see the lone lamp, shining on the tears and smiles on the prisoners' faces. He was looking for an afterlife. He was crying and laughing.
Because hope is there, and so is fear. There are all kinds of possibilities in despair, and this is called life.