The role of dragons in folklore

Many Chinese folk festivals are related to dragons. Song Dynasty Wu Zimu's account of the Southern Song Dragon Lantern in "Menglianglu": "The night of the Lantern Festival... the grass binds the dragon into a dragon, the grass is covered with a green screen, and thousands of lights are placed in close proximity, and it looks like a double dragon." What Wu said was a dragon lantern for static viewing. Xin Qiji, a great poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, has the poem titled "The sound of the phoenix is moving, the light of the jade pot is revolving, and the fish and dragon dance overnight", which is about the dragon lantern danced by people. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the wind of dragon dance was more prosperous. According to the "New Years of Shanghai City" during the Daoguang Period of the Qing Dynasty: "The swimming hand ring is made of bamboo foil in the shape of a cage, painted with a dragon scale on the top, with a head and a tail, and a wooden handle whirling dance underneath. The instructor in front of the streets is The light card must be written'Fruit Harvest, Official Qing and People's Music'." The "Zhuye Pavilion Miscellaneous Notes" of Yao Yuanzhi in the Qing dynasty also contained: "Today, on the fifth day of the first lunar month in Yuanmingyuan, feast outside the feudal clan, set off fireworks, and turn dragon lanterns. The producer holds one. The pole, with a horizontal pole on top, is like a T. The two ends of the horizontal pole are tied with two red lights, circled in teams, jagged up and down, like a dragon's turn. Less inclination is neutral, and the four characters'Tai Ping in the world' are arranged upwards." Dance Dragon lanterns are not unique to the Lantern Festival . There are such activities in the Spring Festival , Mid-Autumn Festival and even various temple fairs. In traditional Chinese concepts, the dragon is an auspicious beast, and people use lights to simulate the image of a dragon, which is nothing more than auspicious and auspicious meanings.

The rock carvings of music and dance and Baixi on the east wall of the stone tomb in the late Eastern Han Dynasty in Beizhai Village, Yinan, Shandong, provide us with the image data of the fish and dragon play in the Han Dynasty. The dragon has two horns, scales, wings, and long tail. On its back is a large round-mouthed amphora; on the bottle stands a child who plays the role of a feather man , holding a long building with Yubao in his hands and playing jokes. In front of the dragon, there is a person holding a short stiletto in his left hand and a drum in his right hand swaying towards the dragon; the queen of the dragon has a person holding a whip in his left hand and an oscillating drum in his right hand to lift the pinch, and the atmosphere is warm. The shape of this dragon is very much like the shape of a horse.

The second month of the second month of the lunar calendar is the "Dragon Rising Head Festival" of the Han nationality. At this time, it is the ruler sting and the vernal equinox. Folklore believes that the dragon that has been dormant for winter is raising its head and moving on this day, and there will be more rain in the future. Ming Dynasty Shen Bang’s "Miscellaneous Records of Wan Shu" contains a record about “In February to attract dragons and smoke insects”: “Wan people call for the dragon to raise its head on February 2. The villagers use ashes from outside the door to wind into the kitchen, Swirl around the water tank and call it "Yilonghui". Spread pancakes with noodles and smoke the bed to prevent insects from growing." Due to the drought and less rain in northern China, it will be introduced into the home. On the second day of the month, the dragon raised his head; the big warehouse is full, the small warehouse flows." On this day, people eat dragon beard noodles, dragon scale pancakes, dragon ear pancakes and so on.

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the " Dragon Boat Festival ". Calculated according to the Earthly Branches, "Five" is "Noon", Mr. Wen Yiduo once called the Dragon Boat Festival "Dragon's Festival". Dragon boat racing is an important part of the Dragon Boat Festival. In ancient times, the production of royal dragon boats was extremely luxurious. For example, the large dragon boat in "Zhongtian Drifting in the Water" painted by Li Song by the Southern Song Art Academy has carved gold ornaments on its head, tail and scales. The boat is built on top of the platform, with a throne set on the threshold, and three oars on each side. It is majestic and magnificent.

There are dragon robes in ancient imperial costumes. It is recorded in the "General History of the Qing Dynasty·Qifulu": "The emperor's dragon robe, the color is bright yellow, and the cotton jacket is gauze. However, at that time, the leader has a stone green piece of gold and green, embroidered with gold dragon nine, a series of twelve chapters, with five strokes in between. The shape and color are removed. The front and back of the collar is a dragon, one on the left and right of the placket, and one on the left and right of the placket. The bottom is eight treasures and the water is left and right." In the Qing Dynasty, nine dragons were generally embroidered, but from the front or back, there are five. Dragon, the title of emperor of "Ninth Five-Year". There are many "water feet" lined up on the bottom of the robe, embroidered with waves on the water, commonly known as "sea water and Jiangya". Contains the meaning of unification of the country and continuity. ( Chinese Zodiac http:///shengxiao/)

The Zhuang and Yao nationalities in the central and southern regions and the Hani nationality in the southwest have the "Dragon Festival". The Dragon Sacrifice Festival of the Zhuang nationality takes place in the second month of the lunar calendar. During the sacrifice, two or several households in the village take turns to bear the sacrifices of chickens and pigs for the sacrifice. It is believed that killing pigs and offering sacrifices to dragons can guarantee the safety of humans and animals. The Yao Nationality’s Dragon Sacrifice Festival is on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar. Activities include seeking the soul of the valley, offering sacrifices to the goddess, offering sacrifices to Pangu, offering sacrifices to the Jade Emperor, and offering sacrifices to Shennong. The sacrifice is a pig purchased by the whole village with money. After the sacrifice, the whole village will share the food, and women are not allowed to participate in the ceremony. Dragon lanterns are popular among the Dong people in Guangxi. A dragon with a length of 30 to 40 centimeters is made of bamboo, and there is a bag under the dragon's whiskers to light candles and play in the evening of Lantern Festival . When playing, set up a table of Eight Immortals, two-sided and three-sword people dance around the table, jumping and playing, chasing each other, and then playing with rhythmic instruments, which is vivid and interesting.

Dragon