“A snake coiled around a rabbit will definitely make you rich.” This proverb widely circulated in Shanxi, Shaanxi and some areas of Gansu seems to be not only a blessing for men and women in marriage, but also has a corresponding auspicious meaning in folklore. Extensiveness. In the Luliang area of ??Shanxi Province, paper-cut patterns of "snake and rabbit" are often used in funeral customs. As for the use of the "snake and rabbit" pattern to decorate the bridal chamber in wedding customs, naturally it is not limited to the marriage of men and women with the two zodiac signs of snake and rabbit.
Similar proverbs such as "A happy pearl, a pomegranate, a snake coiled around a rabbit, prosperity and wealth will surely lead to wealth", and "A snake coiled around will make the family rich", etc., do not seem to be limited to marriage. In the old days, marriage discussions focused on the theory that the twelve zodiac signs complement each other. There were taboos about not being compatible, and there were also optimal combinations. For example, "green rabbits and yellow dogs have existed since ancient times, and the wealth of the family is as high as the Big Dipper", "red snakes and white monkeys are everywhere in the house, wealth and longevity are abundant, and health is abundant" and so on. The question is why there are no paper-cut patterns such as "dog wrapped around rabbit" or "snake coiled monkey", but why do we prefer "snake coiled around rabbit"? One theory is that:
In primitive society, it is said that the tribe with snake as its symbol and the tribe with rabbit as its symbol had conflicts and fought with each other. Fortunately, the two wise chiefs took pity on the living beings, negotiated peace, and merged into one tribe, which prospered and became stronger. From then on, the "Snake and Rabbit unite" became a good story, and the proverb "If the snake is not coiled, you will definitely be rich" was also made up. It has been passed down to this day as a symbol of happiness and happiness, and is used in marriages between men and women. (See the special issue "Fushan Paper-cutting is Famous in Three Jin Dynasties" compiled by Shanxi Provincial Art Museum and others, May 23, 1986)
Introducing "Snake Coil-cutting" into the totem theory seems to be taken for granted. People with snakes as totems are often found in records, but those who avoid being totems have not yet been found in China.
Volume 2 of Ye Sheng's "Shuidong Diary" of the Ming Dynasty contains an article about "a snake coiled around a rabbit at the burial place":
"North of Juyong, it is customary to choose a burial place to check for snake coils." The rabbit is the best, and the same is true for Changping Hou Yang Hong Chicheng's mother. The ground is warm, and the two things are in harmony. , it’s confusing.”
In Mr. Feng Shui Kanyu’s mind, “Snake and Rabbit” was originally used to discuss the terrain trend of the cemetery, just like the mantra of “Dragon surrounds tiger, bringing out civil and military forces”; "Tiger" will never happen, but "snake and rabbit" can occasionally be seen in the fields, just like the "cow sleeping place" mentioned in Feng Shui. This undoubtedly adds a convincing reason to the theory of "snake and rabbit" strength. So this theory spread like wildfire, and because it was related to the zodiac, it extended to marriage. As for the relationship between this theory and Niancheng, it is also because they are similar and similar, so it is not difficult to explain. Snakes generally feed on small animals such as rats and frogs. It is no coincidence that rabbits are trapped by snakes because they are big and fast. People will be surprised when they see this situation. It is human nature to hope for a good omen. This is the basis of the popular psychology of people in some areas, such as "a snake coils around a rabbit, and every family will be rich."