Preface
You and I both know that in our traditional concept, ancient love is often described as subtle and introverted, following strict etiquette norms. But is that really what it is?
Let's uncover history together and explore the true love stories that have been forgotten by time. From the explicit descriptions in the Book of Songs, to the dissolute remains of the literati in the Song Dynasty, to the various tricks of the ancients to deal with their physiological needs, I believe you and I will be inspired by it and sigh at the wisdom and feelings of the ancients.
1. Explicit love in the Book of Songs
As we all know, the Book of Songs is the oldest collection of poetry in China, which contains a large number of folk songs and sacrificial songs that reflect the social life of the time. However, in these seemingly solemn and elegant works, there are some unexpected depictions of love.
For example, these two sentences in "Che Xing": "The car is turned off! Si Jiao Ji Nu dies! Bandits are hungry and thirsty, and the German sound is included." It was to the effect that the wheels were turning and the car was making a noise, and the charming girl was about to leave the cabinet. No more hunger and thirst to comfort my heart, and a virtuous lady will come to meet. Such an explicit description of love makes people sigh that the love of ancient people can also be so straightforward.
Another example is this paragraph in "Summoning Nan Ye You Dead Moose": "There is a woman with a spring, and Ji Shi tempts her." Relax and get rid of it! I don't feel it! I don't feel it! I don't bark!" This is a scene where a merry man lures a girl to the forest to fall in love. This kind of straightforward depiction of love, in our eyes today, may make people blush and heartbeat.
The existence of these poems undoubtedly subverts our inherent impression of ancient love. It turns out that even in that strict religious society, there are people who don't care about these rules and boldly express their love.
We can't help but ask, what kind of society did these explicit depictions of love reflect, whether they were just the artistic creations of the literati, or did they truly reflect the living conditions of the ancient people?
Perhaps, the emergence of these poems is precisely because the social environment at that time was too harsh, and people could not freely express their love in reality, so they sought an outlet for catharsis in literary creation. This kind of metaphorical expression not only satisfies the inner needs of the creator, but also leaves a valuable historical witness for future generations.
Through these verses, we can get a glimpse of the inner world of ancient people, and feel their desire and pursuit of love. This love and wisdom of life has undoubtedly given us a deeper understanding of the ancients.
2. The dissolute remains of the literati of the Song Dynasty
If the description of love in the "Book of Songs" is still a little hidden, then in the Song Dynasty, the literati's expression of love was even more dissolute.
For example, Su Shi's famous sentence "Mandarin ducks are packed into two nights, and a pear tree presses begonias". Although this sentence does not clearly identify the protagonist, it is not difficult for us to guess that this should be Su Shi ridiculing a friend.
Su Shi was a famous literary scholar in the Song Dynasty, and his talent and literary talent were unmatched at that time. However, when it comes to expressing love, he does not fully follow the traditional norms of etiquette. The phrases "mandarin ducks are made into two nights" and "a pear blossom pressing a begonia" in this sentence are undoubtedly hinting at some kind of intimate scene.
And in Song Huizong's body, many anecdotes happened. It is said that Song Huizong once wrote the lyrics "Drunken Spring Breeze" for the famous courtesan Li Shishi, which has this description: "Gradually hearing the sound trembling, slightly frightened and red." ...... This time, the flavor is crazy, moving, arms are around, lips are together, tongues are ...... to each other", such an explicit expression of love, people can't help but sigh, it turns out that even the emperor has such a dissolute side.
What's even more interesting is that this anecdote was also recorded by another great poet of the Song Dynasty, Zhou Bangyan, in his work "Youth Swimming: The Sword is Like Water". It seems that even the literati did not completely follow the traditional etiquette in expressing love, but had a bold and straightforward side.
These examples undoubtedly subvert our stereotypes of ancient literati. It turns out that even emperors and literary giants in high positions will have such a dissolute side when facing love. This kind of enthusiasm and pursuit of life gives us a more three-dimensional and real understanding of the ancients.
Perhaps, the behavior of these literati did seem to be somewhat unruly at the time. However, it is this love and wisdom of life that makes them dare to break through the shackles of tradition and boldly express their inner world. This positive attitude towards life has undoubtedly given us a deeper understanding of the ancients.
3. The "aphrodisiac" trick of the ancients
Since the ancients were so open to expressions of love, how did they respond to their physiological needs?
In the "Yellow Emperor's Neijing", we can find some of the ancients' "aphrodisiac" tricks. For example, use wormwood to smoke the lower abdomen Guan Yuan acupoint, which is one of the Taoist methods of nourishing the heart; Alternatively, drugs such as sulfur and aconite are used, and they are said to be effective.
These methods may sound strange, but we can't ignore the wisdom of the ancients in this regard. Guan Yuan acupoint is considered to be an important acupuncture point for men to store sperm and women to hide blood, and wormwood moxibustion is undoubtedly a very targeted method. Drugs such as sulfur and aconite, although they have a certain toxicity, have also played a lot of roles in the hands of the ancients.
Of course, these methods have certain risks, after all, drugs such as aconite are inherently very toxic. Therefore, the ancients also made good use of dietary therapy, such as leek and shrimp meat, which is said to treat kidney deficiency and impotence.
This method of combining ingredients with traditional Chinese medicine theories is undoubtedly safer and more reliable. Leeks are believed to have the effect of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the yang, while shrimp meat is rich in nutrients such as protein and zinc that are beneficial for men's health. This natural diet therapy method is not only safe and effective, but also more in line with the lifestyle of the ancients.
What's even more interesting is that the ancients also believed that the child's urine had the effect of "purity and rigidity", so it would also be boiled into salt and eaten. This may seem strange today. However, we cannot ignore the wisdom of the ancients in this regard.
In general, the ancients also had certain research and response measures in terms of physiological needs, and were not completely subject to traditional rituals. They make good use of natural resources and use their wisdom to find a way out for themselves. This positive attitude towards life also gives us a deeper understanding of the ancients.
Fourth, the real ancient love
Through the above exploration, it is not difficult for us to find that the love expressions of ancient people were not all restrained and implicit, but had many open and straightforward sides. From the explicit descriptions in the Book of Songs, to the wandering remains of the literati in the Song Dynasty, to the various tricks of the ancients to deal with their physiological needs, they all give us a more three-dimensional and realistic understanding of ancient society.
Perhaps, in that strictly religious society, people really could not express their love completely freely. However, just as art comes from life and is higher than life, the appearance of these works undoubtedly reflects the real needs of people's hearts at that time.
We should not simply classify the love of ancient people as "subtle and introverted", but to understand the complex emotions in their hearts. It is these true stories that have been forgotten by time that allow us to get a glimpse of the inner world of the ancients and feel their love and wisdom for life.
For example, the explicit depiction of love in the Book of Songs may be a cathartic outlet that people could not freely express in reality at that time. The dissolute form of the literati of the Song Dynasty also reflects their enthusiasm and pursuit of life. Even the emperor had such an indulgent side, which undoubtedly gave us a more three-dimensional understanding of the ancients.
For another example, the various responses of the ancients in terms of physiological needs also make us sigh at their wisdom. From mugwort moxibustion to dietary therapy to the use of children's urine, these methods, although they may seem strange today, also reflect the positive attitude of the ancients towards life.
epilogue
In short, through these true stories that have been forgotten by time, we can get a glimpse of the inner world of the ancients and feel their love and wisdom for life. This positive attitude towards life has undoubtedly given us a deeper understanding of the ancients.
Let's travel through time and space to appreciate those little-known ancient loves.