##头条创作挑战赛##妙笔生花创作挑战##农村#
Hello everyone, today, I would like to talk to you about the "carrying the coffin" in rural funeral customs, especially the unwritten "unspoken rule" that "the four types of people cannot carry the coffin".
In rural areas, in a series of funeral processes such as burial, funeral, and burial after death, "carrying the coffin" can be said to be the most important link. The purpose of carrying the coffin is to carry the coffin containing the body of the deceased from the mourning hall to the cemetery, so that the deceased can "be buried in the ground". Generally, the young men in the village serve as the "coffin bearers", with a maximum of 16 people and a minimum of 8 people.
In rural funeral customs, there is such an "unspoken rule of the rivers and lakes": when carrying the coffin, there are four types of people who are strictly "turned away". They are: people who are in opposition to the deceased's zodiac signs, young people who are not yet married, immediate family members of the deceased, and elderly people who are in their late teens. This "unspoken rule" has been passed down from generation to generation, and if it is violated, it will be criticized at least and affect the peace of the deceased. So, where does this "unspoken rule" come from? What are the untold stories and mysteries it contains? Today, let's dig out the cultural code behind folk taboos and feel the charm of ancient wisdom.
First of all, let's focus on the taboo that "those who oppose the zodiac are not allowed to carry the coffin". I have seen such a true story: in my hometown, there was an old man surnamed Li, whose zodiac sign was Tiger, died. According to the old rules, monkey people and tiger people should not participate in carrying the coffin. But Xiao Liu in the village didn't believe in this evil and insisted on helping, but less than halfway, he fell to the ground and almost hit the coffin. Afterwards, the old people in the village talked a lot, saying that this was a "taboo" and annoyed the deceased.
This story reflects the sensitivity and fear of rural society to the "conflict of life and death". In folk beliefs, the zodiac opposing people are like two repulsive magnetic fields, colliding with each other, "thunder and fire", which is bound to disturb the undead and implicate the living. Therefore, for the sake of the excesses of the deceased and the safety of the living, those who oppose the zodiac are "turned away". Although this lacks scientific basis, it also reflects the reverence for life and sensitivity to cause and effect in rural society, which can be described as well-intentioned.
Secondly, let's savor the taboo that "unmarried young people cannot carry coffins". I remember when I was a child, there was a young man named Ah Bao in the village, because when carrying the coffin, he was scolded by the elders, "You yellow-haired boy is foolish", he was heartbroken, and he was reluctant to visit relatives and friends for several months. It wasn't until later that I learned that this was also an old "convention".
It turns out that in the countryside, unmarried young people are like yellow flower girls who "wait for the word boudoir", once they "commit taboos", it is easy to be contaminated with the bad luck of the deceased and affect their own marriage. Especially in some places, there is still the custom of "ghost marriage", that is, the burial of unmarried men and women in order to achieve marriage in the underworld. Therefore, in order to protect the marriage of unmarried young people, and to respect the customs of secret marriage, they were "turned away".
Furthermore, let's experience the taboo that "immediate family members cannot carry the coffin". Not long ago, I went to the funeral of a relative. When the hearse started, the deceased's son suddenly knelt in front of the car, begging him to give his father his last ride. But the family didn't agree, and even forcibly dragged him back. Afterwards, the old man who presided over the funeral said that the immediate family members were already heartbroken, and letting them carry the coffin again was tantamount to "sprinkling salt on the wound", and it was too sad and easy to make mistakes, affecting the "feng shui" of the deceased.
This "unspoken rule" reflects the compassion of rural funeral culture for the living and the care for the bereaved. Think about it, if you let your already exhausted relatives carry the coffin again, if you can't do it enough, won't it be "breaking your muscles and bones"? Moreover, in many places, there is also the emphasis on "breaking five" when bidding farewell to relatives, that is, relatives should cry in the mourning hall to express their remembrance and reluctance to the deceased. If the relatives go to carry the coffin, wouldn't it be "mixed with joy and sorrow", which is against etiquette? Therefore, this "unspoken rule" is not only the care of the body and mind of the living, but also the explanation of the soul of the deceased.
Finally, let's take a look at the taboo that "people over 60 years old cannot carry coffins". In my hometown, there is a very touching story. It is said that there is a filial old man in the village, who is nearly 70 years old, and he has to attend his daughter-in-law's funeral, insisting on helping to carry the coffin, saying that it is the last time to fulfill filial piety. On the day of the funeral, the old man carried the heavy coffin with his trembling spine and walked up the mountain step by step. Looking at the old man's staggering back, everyone present had tears in their eyes, and they all said that the old man was "true temperament".
This story vividly explains the taboo reason why "people over 60 years old cannot carry coffins". In rural society, 60 years old is a symbolic age threshold, which means that when you enter old age, your physical strength and energy are much lower than before. Letting them do manual work violates the traditional virtue of "respecting the old and loving the young," not to mention such "heavy physical work" as carrying the coffin? If an accident occurs on the way to carrying the coffin, isn't it "a double loss of happiness and longevity"? Therefore, this "unspoken rule" is not only a care for the elderly group, but also an embodiment of the concept of filial piety in rural society.
Of course, these "unspoken rules" are only the tip of the iceberg of rural funeral culture. In the process of carrying the coffin, there are many details and taboos that need to be paid attention to, such as covering the coffin with a green cloth, avoiding the wellhead in the village on the route of carrying the coffin, and the coffin bearers must walk in unison, and change shoulders. These seemingly cumbersome "rules" are all full of the wisdom of life and death and humanistic feelings of rural society.
Today, when we once again "open" the "Pandora's box" of rural funeral culture, we can't help but ask: in today's extremely rich material life, do these traditional customs still have the value of existence? In the face of the atmosphere of "spending money to buy auspiciousness", can we still adhere to the quaint feelings of "reverence for life and respect for the dead"?
It is true that the times are progressing, concepts are changing, and some customs and taboos may no longer be out of date, but I believe that the life respect, filial piety inheritance, and humanistic care contained in them are still precious spiritual wealth, which is worthy of our inheritance and promotion.
Dear readers, do you have a similar funeral taboo in your hometown?
Have you ever seen or heard a story like this?
Let's share the "folk treasure chest" in our hearts and explore the cultural code behind the customs.
Let the excellent tradition shine in a different light in the complex present!