The person who wrote a memorial tribute to the crocodile in the history of Chinese literature was Han Yu
Han Yu (768-824) was a writer and philosopher in the Tang Dynasty. The word retreats. He told others that when he was a child, he dreamed that someone gave him a roll of Danzhuan and forced him to swallow it. Someone next to him touched his palm and smiled. After waking up, I felt that my chest and abdomen were blocked. It took several days for me to feel fine. But since then, literary thought has made great progress. Later, I met Meng Jiao and found that he looked familiar. After thinking about it carefully, he turned out to be the man who smiled in the dream
I read Han Yu's "Essence on Sacrifice to Crocodiles" and I felt quite curious. To get rid of harm, you have to devote an article to pray and offer sacrifices, which is too pedantic. What is even more incredible is that this can actually achieve the goal. It is really a strange person with his own strange things.
In the 14th year of Tang Yuanhe, that is, 819 AD, two things made Han Yu, then the Minister of Punishment, uneasy. First, his friend Liu Zongyuan passed away in melancholy, and then Emperor Xianzong welcomed the Buddha's bones. In Da Nei, Han Yu had always been opposed to Buddhism, so he wrote "On the Bones of Buddha" to remonstrate against it. This aroused Long Yan's anger and he was demoted from the minister to the governor of Chaozhou.
On the post road of eight thousand miles south, Han Yu was in a bad mood, so he could not help but express his feelings in writing, "A letter was sent to the Nine Heavens in the morning, and it was demoted to Chaozhou Road eight thousand miles in the evening." But before the ink was dry, he was twelve years old. His daughter fell ill and died on the post road. It is true that misfortunes never come singly. Han Yu was certain that he would never return to Chang'an again in this life, so he said to his nephew who came to see him off: "I know you came from afar with your own intentions, so that you can take me back to the riverside with miasma." Han Yu did not die in Chaozhou, but the governor asked him to stay in Chaozhou for eight months. Chaozhou has Hanshan Mountain and Hanshui River, as well as a Han Gong Temple.
There was originally a river in Chaozhou named Crocodile Creek, but it was changed to Hanjiang River after Han Yu came.
In the past, there were many crocodiles in Crocodile Creek, which often ate the people who crossed the river, causing Chaozhou people to look at the river with disgrace and miserable. The previous governors of Han Yu sat idly by and did nothing, which became a disaster in Chaozhou. People called it "Evil Creek".
One day, when the governor of Han was handling political affairs in court, a group of common people came to the court to complain, asking the governor to make decisions for them. It turned out that a little girl was accidentally eaten by a crocodile while crossing the river. Lose. After Han Yu found out, he thought of his daughter who had died on the post road not long ago. He couldn't help but feel a little sad. He felt that if the crocodile was not eliminated, there would be endless troubles, so he went back to his study to think about ways to drive away the crocodile.
Han Yu thought to himself, today’s heir to the throne of Tang Dynasty is blessed with divine kindness and martial prowess, which can be found outside the four seas and within Liuhe. The crocodile cannot be mixed with the governor in this land! The governor was ordered by the emperor to guard this land and rule the people, but the crocodile was unscrupulous in the stream and pool, and refused to fight with the governor, vying to be the leader. To shame the people and officials, do you live in secret? Since he has been appointed as an official by the emperor, he has to distinguish himself from the crocodile. Han Yu wrote this "Essay on Sacrifice to the Crocodile" that night.
On the second day, Han Yu ordered the people to slaughter pigs and sheep, and set up an altar to sacrifice crocodiles by the river in the north of the city. He placed sacrifices on a mound next to the ferry, lit incense and candles, recited the sacrificial text in a loud voice facing the river, and made a promise with the crocodile: in three days, he would lead the ugly ones to migrate south to the sea to avoid the officials ordered by the emperor. If you can't do it for three days, it will go to five days; if you can't do it for five days, it will go to seven days; if you can't do it for seven days, if you don't listen to what he says, if you don't move to avoid it, then you will use a strong bow and poisonous arrows, and you will kill them all and stop them. No regrets!
Han Yu also ordered the people to recite the sacrificial inscriptions loudly in Chaozhou's mountains, temples, swamps and other places. For a time, the sound of sacrificial inscriptions could be heard throughout the state.
Seven days later, all the crocodiles in the "Evil Creek" went to sea to the Southeast Asia. From then on, there was no news of crocodiles harming people in Chaozhou.
After Han Yu's death, people called the place where he sacrificed crocodiles "Hanpu", the ferry "Handu", the crocodile stream "Hanjiang", and the opposite mountain also called "Hanshan". After eight months as Chaozhou governor, Han Yu made all the mountains and rivers in Chaozhou bear the surname Han. Han Yu did not believe in gods or Buddhism, but the people of Chaozhou worshiped him as a god. Only gods can drive away crocodiles, so they built a Han Gong Temple for thousands of years to worship him.
Han Yu’s ability in writing is known to everyone in ancient and modern times. However, there is no one who can drive away crocodiles with just one article, and there is no one like him in history. So even a crocodile can understand the meaning of his article. Is it any wonder that Han Yu's article can be passed down through the ages?
Where is Yun Heng’s Qinling family? The snow embraces the blue and the horse stops moving forward! This is the kind message Han Xiangzi, one of the Eight Immortals, Han Yu's nephew and grandnephew, gave to Han Yu a few years ago.
After reading this story, I felt that Han Yu also believed in ghosts and gods. After being demoted to Chaozhou, he no longer rebelled against Buddhism, but believed in Youjia. On the other hand, it shows that it is credible that the pen can communicate with the gods. Han Yu dreamed of swallowing red seal script and he was an extraordinary person. It is not unreasonable to say that sacrificial texts drive away crocodiles.
Putting it all together, Han Yu's writings can move the world, but only his writings can be understood by crocodiles. Perhaps the immortals, gods and Buddhas feel his loyalty and should translate them into his works!
Wen Tong ghosts and gods have existed since ancient times. Before the exam, scholarly scholars went to the land of the city god to burn the wish-making inscriptions. Buddhist and Taoist rituals must be transformed into texts and ultimatums to pray for blessings and avoid disasters. In this way, gods and Buddhas will surely receive it and grant it as appropriate.
Writing is a symbol of civilization. Cangjie, the sage who created the characters, has long been regarded as the god of the examination room by the ancients. Write with heart and love to the gods. The most common example is that during the Qingming Festival, people write bundles and burn paper money to give to their deceased ancestors. They always write that they must be collected by the heirs first. Can ghosts receive it? I believe everyone who goes to worship ancestors says it’s okay. If you don’t write it in a white paper bag and seal it, and it’s snatched away by wandering ghosts, you can’t blame anyone!
Arrange four brushes together and place them on the desk, which is a kind of Feng Shui treasure - Wenchang Brush, which can promote students' and examiners' quick thinking and smooth exams.
For communication in the spirit world, writing pictures and texts, this is the most practical and commonly used, and there will be no deviation. Maybe you have used it without knowing it. In fact, to put it bluntly, that's what it is. Now if you look at the confession I wrote to Hades, everyone will be surprised! There is also a lot of content to this, but we will discuss it later