In the vast Mongolian plateau, there is a vast nomadic people, who ride horses, and live next to the natural steppe. Although they are scattered in the vast land of the north, they have one thing in common, that is, they revere the sea in the sky.
Haidongqing, the largest surviving falcon bird of prey, is regarded by the Manchus as the "God of Ten Thousand Eagles". They are tall and have a wingspan of more than two meters when their wings are fully extended. When Hai Dongqing spread his wings and flew high, they were like a golden lightning bolt in the sky, and the speed was unimaginable.
In the minds of the Manchus, Hai Dongqing is the embodiment of strength and bravery. They hover and soar in the sky, their sharp eyes overlooking the land, and sometimes they suddenly fold their wings and swoop down with a thunderous momentum to quickly prey on their prey.
After the Manchu hunters saw Hai Dongqing's skills, they were all amazed by him.
As a result, Haidongqing gradually became an unattainable existence in the minds of the Manchus. They engraved the image of Hai Dongqing on their armor and banners, hoping to be blessed by it. Whenever a brave child was born in the tribe, the elders would point the totem of Hai Dongqing on his forehead, praying that he would have the courage and strength of Hai Dongqing in the future.
Even in some Manchu legends, it is also rumored that Hai Dongqing has superb flying ability. It is said that when the cold winter comes, when the heavens and the earth wither, Haidongqing seems to be called, they can soar thousands of miles, fly over the mountains and seas, and come to the source of life, bringing warmth and hope to the vast earth.
Because of this, Hai Dongqing occupies a unique and lofty position in the spiritual world of the Manchu people. It is the king of all beasts, the treasure of the Manchu clan. Even some Manchu leaders whispered softly, when they rode horses and galloped like flying, they also wanted to be the Hai Dongqing who swooped at high speed, and they raised their arms and shouted, which was earth-shattering.
In ancient times, nomadic peoples living in the northern steppes lived a life of close contact with nature. The abundance of game diversifies their diet, and the hunting of wild animals is also a reflection of their courage and skill. In order to better hunt their prey, these hunters came up with a clever plan, which was to domesticate the bird of prey Haidongqing to help them hunt.
Hai Dongqing is fierce and agile, and the speed of a high-altitude dive is comparable to that of an arrow off the string. Ancient hunters found these traits to be very beneficial for hunting. So people began to train Haidongqing to help hunt.
When the hunters take Haidongqing to the grassland and start galloping after their prey, they will release Haidongqing, who has already been trained. They quickly spiraled upward, rushing into the sky like a silver bolt of lightning. After circling to a sufficient height, Hai Dongqing looked into the distance, and quickly locked on to the position of his prey from a high altitude.
Then, I saw Hai Dongqing suddenly retract his wings and swoop straight down with a thunderous momentum. No matter how fast the prey escapes, it is difficult to escape from Hai Dongqing's dive attack. Eventually, Hai Dongqing will firmly grasp the prey with its sharp claws and pull it hard, knocking it to the ground.
With a helper like Hai Dongqing, hunters no longer have to work hard to track down or fight huge beasts. The hunter only needs to ride a horse and follow Shanghai Dongqing, a steady capture, and today's prey will be in the bag.
After the ancients saw Haidongqing easily capture their prey, they were all amazed by its flight speed and predatory ability. In their hearts, Hai Dongqing is like a messenger sent by the gods, helping them to obtain food, which is God's favor for them.
Therefore, the hunters cherish each Haidongqing and regard them as their right-hand man in hunting.
Beizhu, a large freshwater pearl produced in Northeast China, is very rare and precious. However, due to the harsh environment of its production area, it is very difficult to obtain the North Pearl directly. In order to obtain these rare treasures, the nobles of the Liao Kingdom resorted to a cruel plan.
It turns out that every winter, the northern pearl mussel will open its shell, expose its flesh, and wait to be pecked by the swan. The swan swallows the mussel meat, but the hard northern pearl cannot be digested and can only be left in the swan's sac. The rulers of the Liao Kingdom had their eyes on this rare Northern Pearl and were eager to acquire this expensive treasure.
Alert swans are difficult to catch by humans, and only the bird of prey Hai Dongqing can easily capture them. As a result, the Liao nobles forced the Jurchen tribe to pay a certain amount of Haidongqing every year and use it to hunt swans to obtain the Northern Pearl.
In order to earn the Northern Pearl, the ruler of the Liao State can be said to have spared no effort. They sent a large number of eagle hands to brutally raid the Hai Dongqing of the Jurchen tribe. However, Hai Dongqing has a fierce temperament, and it is extremely difficult to successfully capture it.
Many Jurchen hunters sacrificed their precious lives to obtain a Haidongqing. Even if it was successfully captured, many Haidongqing died in the process of domestication. It can be said that a Haidongqing is "nine deaths and one life", which is a huge loss for the Jurchen tribe.
However, the nobles of the Liao State did not seem to hear the sorrow of the Jurchens. Their greed eventually led to the destruction of the Jurchen tribe and the fragmentation of many families. This brutal rule aroused a strong resistance of the Jurchens, and also planted the seeds of the overthrow of the Liao state in the future.
The Liao State spared no effort to capture the Northern Pearl River, which brought unbearable losses to the Jurchen tribe. But Liao's brutal rule didn't stop there. In order to achieve the high target of looting Haidongqing every year, the Liao State also deliberately intensified the contradictions between the Jurchen tribes, sow discord, and let the tribes kill each other in order to pay more Haidongqing.
The Liao ruler ordered that the Jurchen tribes must "pay tribute" to the dynasty each year a certain amount of Haidongqing. In order to complete the task and reach the target, hunters of various tribes are frantically hunting this rare bird of prey in the steppe. Tribes fought with tribes over Haidongqing, and even bloodshed occurred.
Seeing this, the Liao government not only did not prohibit it, but secretly added it, hoping that the Jurchen tribes could kill each other, so that the Liao could better rule.
Under this cruel rule, the Jurchen tribe suffered heavy losses, and the people secretly brewed their determination to resist in pain. Finally, in 1112, the Jurchens, led by Wanyan Aguta, raised the banner of rebellion and launched a desperate struggle against the Liao State.
In the next 12 years, the Jurchen warriors and the Liao army fought each other, and staged a tragic battle on the grassland.
In this struggle of national resistance, the Jurchens have never given up their reverence and pursuit of Hai Dongqing. They embroidered the totem of Hai Dongqing on the battle flag, pinning their admiration for it, and absorbing the mighty and indomitable spirit of Hai Dongqing.
Finally, under the leadership of Wanyan Aguta, the Jurchens defeated the Liao army and established the Jin dynasty.
This historical upheaval triggered by Hai Dongqing warned the rulers that the brutal rule would eventually provoke the people to revolt and overthrow the original dynasty. Hai Dongqing has not only become a spiritual symbol of the Jurchens' resistance to oppression, but also a guido of the world's unyielding struggle.
God is fair, and those who do evil will have to pay back sooner or later.
In Jurchen culture, Haidongqing has always been regarded as a sacred totem and spiritual symbol. It represents strength, courage and indomitable spirit, and is admired and revered by all Jurchens.
On the armor and battle flags of the Jurchen warriors, Hai Dongqing's figure can be seen. They will embroider the pattern of the Shanghai Dongqing spreading their wings and flying high on the flag, hoping to be blessed by it; He will also paint the image of Hai Dongqing on his armor to draw on its mighty power.
Whenever the Jurchen hunters were ready to leave the tribe to hunt, they would hang a wood carving of Haidongqing on the tallest tree in the tribe, praying that it would help them obtain abundant prey. When the Jurchen warriors were red-eyed and fought bloodily, they would also seem to see the scene of Hai Dongqing spreading his wings and flying high on his armor.
Even in some legends of the Jurchens, Hai Dongqing often appears. Legend has it that whenever the harsh winter comes, when the cold wind is bleak, Hai Dongqing will fly over the mountains and seas to find the source of life and bring warmth to the earth. It seems to have power beyond ordinary people.
It can be said that in the spiritual world of the Jurchens, Hai Dongqing occupies a unique position. It is the totem they worship and their spiritual pillar. Because of this, when Nurhachi later established the Qing Empire, he also designated Haidongqing as the symbol of the country, symbolizing the indomitable spirit of the Jurchen nation.
However, when the Jurchens succeeded in establishing their own state, Hai Dongqing's status underwent a subtle change.
Hai Dongqing, who originally had a high status in the hearts of the Jurchens, became a tool for rulers to show their power and wealth. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty would regard the Haidongqing as national treasures, and sometimes they would present them to foreign envoys as a curry favor.
Hai Dongqing is no longer a sacred totem in the minds of the Jurchens, but has been reduced to a plaything for rulers to show off their power. Obtaining a Haidongqing has become a means for many people to seek personal gain. However, the tradition of true reverence for Hai Dongqing has gradually been forgotten.
Once upon a time, Hai Dongqing was also an important member of the Jurchen spiritual world, their faith and strength. Today, however, this "eagle god" is nothing more than a symbol of power, a tool to satisfy the vanity of the ruling class.
Instead of receiving the respect and glory it deserves, it is overhunted as a symbol of power. We should examine this phenomenon and reflect on the relationship between man and nature, reality and faith, and should not easily distort the true connotation of life and spirit in Eastern and Western civilizations.
Nowadays, there were once a large number of Haidongqing. Excessive hunting is the main reason for the sharp decline in its numbers. Now Haidongqing is protected by law and is listed as a national second-class protected animal, and hunting is prohibited.
However, there are still people who continue to poach this rare bird of prey for personal gain.
We owe it to us to protect a precious species like Haidongqing and not let it disappear from the face of the earth. Because it is the pride of nature and represents the endless life force. Its figures were once considered sacred, and to protect them is to guard our reverence for life.
When we look up at the vast figure of the goshawk spreading its wings and soaring, the awe that swells up in our hearts is a sign of the progress of human civilization. A civilized society needs to cherish the sanctity of every life.
Let's join hands and call on people to protect this rare bird of prey through law, education and more, even if it is only the last one. The actions of each and every one of us will determine the future fate of such beings. Perhaps one day, our descendants can once again see Hai Dongqing soaring freely, and that will be the pride of the entire civilized world.