Can dragons and tigers mate?
China’s Dragon and Tiger Culture
Written by Zhou Xiude and Ni Fangliu
Zeng in front of Speaking of the "Bronze Drum Base with Four Rings of Dragon and Tiger" (see the picture below), the most rare and precious thing about this national treasure-level cultural relic, apart from its status as one of the only inscribed drum bases in China, is its dragon and tiger carvings. , not to mention how outstanding the carving skills are, but the root of five thousand years of civilization - the dragon and tiger culture it represents.
In our culture, dragons and tigers, as the most domineering beings, are often given special cultural significance and exist in various fields such as politics, economy, military, language, literature, medicine, etc. aspect of the expression.
The Chinese dragon and tiger culture originated from the confluence of the two major ethnic groups of Xi and Yan in ancient times, and there are signs of it in the Yangshao culture. The fusion of Longnuwa and Hufuxi became the Han culture. The basis can be found not only in the literature. In recent years, a number of prehistoric cultural relics have been unearthed, which is the most convincing evidence. In 1987, a clam sculpture of a dragon and tiger was unearthed for the first time in a tomb at the Yangshao Cultural Site in Xishuipo, Puyang, Henan (see the picture below); the "Dragon and Tiger Statue" unearthed in Funan, Anhui, and the unique and carved sculpture unearthed from the tomb of the Nanyue King of the Western Han Dynasty in Guangzhou The exquisite "dragon and tiger pattern jade belt hook"...
The dragon and tiger are the oldest and most influential mascots for keeping peace in ancient China. In ancient times, there were green dragons, white tigers, red birds, and basalt mythical beasts. The ancient people with rich imagination believed that they lived in the sky and were responsible for guarding the celestial palace. They divided the stars in the sky and stipulated their placement, and regarded them as standards for predicting seasons.
(The dragon and tiger sculptures made from clams were revealed by some scholars to be archaeological fraud)
Later, because of their revered status and the meaning of protection, emperors in the world also liked to use dragons and tigers to describe themselves. Dragons and tigers gradually became symbols of imperial power. Liu Zhiji of the Tang Dynasty said in "Shi Tong Shu Zhi": "The tiger sits on the dragon's plate, and the emperor shows his utmost respect." Bronze ritual vessels of the Shang Dynasty include dragon and tiger statues, and many objects are decorated with dragons and tigers. For example, a pair of dragons and tigers are clearly painted on the lacquer box of Marquis Zeng Yi of the Warring States Period, and the dragon and tiger buttons are also on the jade seals of the emperors of the Han Dynasty.
Both tigers and dragons were worshiped by the ancients, but after the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the status of tigers declined greatly. The status of dragons and tigers as guardians of imperial power was gradually replaced by double dragons and foreign lions. Dragons also became The only symbol of the emperor - the emperor's face or complexion is called "dragon face", the emperor's happiness is called dragon face joy, the clothes the emperor wears are dragon robes, and even the patterns embroidered on the emperor's uniform are also called dragon scales. Du Fu's poem "Autumn Xing" goes: "The clouds move and the pheasant tail opens the palace fan, and the sun circles the dragon's scales to recognize the face." The bed where the emperor slept was also called the dragon bed. The poem about the palace of Lady Hou Shu goes: "The fragrance of the royal furnace hits the dragon bed." .
"Dragon" is as powerful as "tiger". Why can the dragon become the incarnation of the Chinese emperor, but the tiger cannot? Its status is not even as good as that of the lion. There is a combination of dragon and lion.
There are naturally many reasons, but the most important thing is that dragons exist in real life. Everyone has seen them. There is no sense of mystery, although they are not invincible. . But the dragon is different. In real life, people cannot see it. It is a kind of mythical beast that appears or disappears. This is the meaning of the so-called "dragon can see its head but not its tail". The cultural attribute of the dragon just caters to the imperialist centralization mentality of China, which likes to make mysteries, so there was the "god-making movement" - the dragon was elevated to a high position.
(The Chinese watch in front is carved with dragon patterns and is protected by stone lions on the sides)
However, with the development of dragon and tiger culture, its status has not been shaken, and there is still a blue dragon in it. Guarded by two generals, White Tiger.
Both dragons and tigers are overlords in their respective fields, so people usually use dragons and tigers to describe mighty and majestic people to reflect their leaders. The dragon represents the higher authority of the class, and the tiger represents the strongest power in the world. The relationship between dragon and tiger means opposition, so there is a saying that dragon and tiger will fight.
According to legend, a tiger came to a water pool in Sizhou to drink water. The dragon in the pool thought that the tiger had invaded its territory, so it jumped up and fought with the tiger. As a result, the thirsty tiger was defeated by the hungry dragon and was killed by the dragon. Stunned him with his tail, picked him up and swallowed him.
Su Dongpo wrote a poem based on this: "There is a hungry dragon hidden in the scales, and a thirsty tiger turns off its tail."
Since dragons manage rainwater, and the relationship between dragons and tigers is so delicate, there is a practice of praying for rain during droughts. It is said that there was a severe drought in central and southern China during the Tang Dynasty, so villagers often tied bones with long ropes and threw them into Longtan. When Russia falls, "the clouds rise in the pond, and the rain also falls."
Today's statement is more inherited by Feng Shui and is used to survey the site of house construction and calculate marriages. In many places, especially in rural areas, many people believe that men and women whose zodiac signs are dragon and tiger are not suitable for marriage. Why? The reason is that "" has transplanted culture into people's marriage taboos. To this day, in some places, some people still believe that "when a dragon and a tiger fight, one of them will be injured." There is a saying that a white horse offends a green ox.
On the other hand, how can dragon and tiger get along with each other? If the dragon and tiger are unified, they will be domineering and invincible. In the process of language creation, the ancients especially liked to refer to dragon and tiger together. Idioms such as "dragon tower and tiger strategy", "dragon pan and tiger squat", "dragon tiger wind and cloud" all show impressive momentum and prestige.
This kind of dragon and tiger culture not only exists in language, but those in power are more willing to make it into artifacts to show their supreme authority and glory. In the ancient Spring and Autumn Period, bronze wares with dragon and tiger carvings were particularly popular and were highly sought after by princes and nobles. The bronze drum base with four rings of dragon and tiger is a work from this period. Of course, even nobles would not dare to use such noble carvings casually. If they are not careful, it will be a serious crime of beheading.
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The above is the content related to Can Dragon and Tiger Mate? It is a sharing about tiger culture. After reading whether it is good for tigers and dragons to get married, I hope this will be helpful to everyone!