What is a yin-yang fish? Symbolize what? Is it related to gossip?

Taiji map is called "the first map of China". From the beams and columns of Dacheng Hall of Confucius Temple to the landmarks of Louguantai, Sanmao Palace and Baiyun Temple; From cassock to fortune teller's divination booth; From the book covers and emblems of Chinese medicine, Qigong, martial arts and China traditional culture, to the Korean flag pattern, the Singapore Air Force machine emblem, the Boer Medal family emblem, etc., Tai Chi pictures are vividly displayed. This well-known Tai Chi map is called "Tai Chi Map of Yin and Yang Fish" because it looks like a combination of Yin and Yang fish.

Since "Taiji Map" has been popular for so long and spread so widely, naturally its origin and evolution have become the focus of people's interest. Before investigating its origin, we should first understand the relationship between the name of "Taiji Diagram" and the figure. There are two situations here. One is the same name, but it refers to different graphics. In addition to the Yin and Yang fish figures, there are five layers of figures (namely, Zhou Dunyi's Taiji), hollow circle figures, black and white semicircle figures and so on. (In fact, the latter figures are called Tai Chi much earlier than the former); One is the same figure, but with different names, such as Yin-Yang fish Taiji diagram, which was called congenital diagram, river diagram, congenital natural river diagram, congenital natural diagram and ancient Taiji diagram in the early days. The five-level Taiji diagram is also called "Infinite Diagram", "Taiji Diagram", "Taiji Diagram" and "Dandao Diagram" (of course, the two Taiji diagrams are slightly different). In this paper, only the Taiji diagram of Yin and Yang fish (hereinafter referred to as "Taiji diagram") is investigated, and the textual research on the five-layer Taiji diagram will be written in another article.

In modern times, many people think that Tai Chi map originated from primitive times, and some even think that it is a gift from aliens to the earth in ancient times, or the only token left over from the last or even two or three times of civilization destruction before this human civilization. What is the basis for the evolution of Taiji diagram? Mr. Chen Lifu thinks: "The ancient Taiji map unearthed in Chinese mainland is three or four thousand years earlier than Zhouyi and Ganzhi Shu. For example, the "Ancient Tai Chi of Shuanglong" on the painted pottery pot unearthed in Yongjing, Shaanxi (Fuxi era) (collected by the Swedish Far East Museum) was drawn by the center with a brush, 4000 years earlier than Confucius. Many bronzes unearthed in Shang Dynasty and Western Zhou Dynasty also have Tai Chi pictures of male and female Ssangyong intertwined. " ("Several Questions about Taiji Diagram") Teacher Chen directly called the diagram interwoven with Ssangyong "Ssangyong Taiji Diagram". The winding diagram of Ssangyong is actually the "mating diagram" of Fuxi Nuwa, the ancestor of China. In addition, some people think that Taiji diagram is derived from symbols (such symbols are engraved on Neolithic pottery unearthed from Liuwan, Ledu, Minhe County, Qinghai Province, Shipengshan, Wengniute Banner, and Shi Xia Middle Site in Qujiang, Guangdong Province), double fish pattern (painted pottery pot with fish pattern unearthed from Banpo site in Xi, Shaanxi Province) and double peak pattern (such patterns are found in Neolithic bone carvings and pottery paintings and Hemudu culture).

Are these figures the source of Taiji diagram? If it is only this graphic mode, it is obviously impossible to directly derive the Taiji diagram. Because similar patterns in other ethnic groups have not yet evolved into Tai Chi diagrams, such as the pattern of two snakes twining and mating in Babylon, and the relics of ancient Greece, ancient India, Caucasus, Asia Minor and other places (silver ornaments, copper pots, vases, etc. ) there are patterns, but these ethnic groups don't have taiji diagrams. As for the "whirlpool", it is even more absurd. Vortex is everywhere. If we can see the Taiji diagram from it, wouldn't it be well known all over the world?

But judging from the ideas implied in these figures, it can't be said that it has nothing to do with Tai Chi. These figures are formed by the intersection of two pairs, or a double dragon, a double snake, a double fish and a double phoenix. Even ""is formed by the intersection of two identical symbols, which is the product of reproductive worship in primitive society. Double stripes, or male and female (Fuxi, Nuwa), or male and female (Pisces, double snakes, double dragons, double birds); The intersection of pairwise reflects primitive people's intuitive understanding of sexual intercourse between men and women. From the human phenomena, biological phenomena and natural phenomena such as hermaphroditism, men and women, the sun and the moon, we gradually realize the concept of "Yin and Yang", as well as the ideas of androgyny, the relative and intersection of Yin and Yang (treatment and unity), the interaction of Yin and Yang, and the mutual transformation of Yin and Yang, which determine that the traditional culture of China is Yin and Yang culture in a certain sense. The Yin-Yang hexagrams and Yin-Yang hexagrams in the Book of Changes are symbols of Yin-Yang thoughts (line symbols), and the combination of black and white in Taiji diagram is the best illustration (graphic symbol) of Yin-Yang's thoughts of unity, popularity and interaction.

It can be seen that these patterns in primitive times are only the ideological origin of Taiji diagram, and it is impossible to directly evolve into Taiji diagram. Where did the Taiji diagram come from? When and who made the earliest Tai Chi map? Let's take a look at the previous discussion first.

In the works of Song people, it is basically believed that the "congenital map" (which should include "Yin-Yang Fish Map" or "Yin-Yang Fish Map") was handed down by Chen Tuan in the early Song Dynasty of the Five Dynasties. The most famous is Zhu Zhen's exposition: "Chen Tuan spread the seed and released it, and it was spread to Muxiu with a congenital picture, and Muxiu was spread to Li Zhicai before it was spread to Shao Yong." ("Book of Changes in Han Dynasty, Jin Yi Shuo Biao")

In fact, Chao Shuozhi, who was earlier than Zhu Zhen, has described the spread of the congenital map: "Mr. Song Huashan, Mr. Tu Nan of Chen Tuan, granted the title of" Yi "to the southern species, granted Wen Yangmu to join the army to repair Bochang, and some martial arts experts tried to learn from Bochang. Bo Chang gave Li Qingzhou Zhicai a good job, and he gave it to Mr. Yong Fuyao from Shao Kangjie, Henan. " ("Song Shan Ji" Volume 18, Hall Wesley Wang)

Let's see what Shao Yong's contemporaries said. Brother Cheng, who has lived in the same alley with Shao Yong for more than 30 years, said, "Mr. Du's knowledge has also been handed down. Mr. Wang is, and Mu Bochang is. Pushing its source and flowing is far from exhausted. " (Cheng Hao's "Mr. Shao's Epitaph") Shi Cheng only pushed it to Mu Xiu, who omitted the sentence "profound".

Shao Bowen, the son of Shao Yong, said, "My father was a member of the Youth Society, and his words were very true. As an attractive person, I studied under Wenyang Muxiu. I heard that my late master was eager to learn ... so I passed on his knowledge. ..... Bo Chang, there is a biography of National History, and his teacher is Chen Tuan. " ("Yi Xue Bian Confusion")

This shows that Zhu Zhen's inheritance relationship is basically credible. Unfortunately, this "congenital map" has not been handed down with the above words, so today people can't confirm whether it is a "fish map of Yin and Yang", "innate gossip orientation map sequence map" or something else.

Later, Jue Yuan of the Yuan Dynasty elaborated on the evolution of Yi Tu. In his preface to Xie Zhongzhi's Yi San Map at the end of the Song Dynasty, he said: "Mr. Xie in Shangrao escaped from Fan Yang in Jian 'an, and Wu Shengchan defected to Yi, and then made plans. "And Xie Zhongzhi got it from Peng Weng, who got it from Wu Yijun. Wu Yijun may be Bai Yuchan (No.Bai Yuchan Road. Wu Yiweng). Jue Yuan said: "Only in Jingzhou, Yuan Diversion Street was influenced by Xue Weng, and it was easy to pass on. Yuan Nai awarded Yongjia Xue ... Finally, Zhu Wengong's friend Cai Jitong, like Jingzhou, re-entered the gorge and got three pictures. ..... his grandson won't come back. ..... Today Peng Weng suspects Cai's family. " (quoted from Hu Weiwei's "Yi Tu Bian" Volume III) According to Yuan Gui, the spread of Tu is roughly as follows:

Xue Wengyuan changed to Xuan Ji (a hermit in Shu)-Cai Jitong-Favor Cai ... Wu Yijun (Bai Yuchan)-Peng Weng (Peng Gui)-Xie Zhongzhi (Xie Fangde)-Wu Chan.

So what are the three paintings that Cai visited from Sichuan? Or what does Xie Zhongzhi's Yi San Map look like? I can't see it today, and Jue Yuan didn't explain it at that time. Hu Weiwei speculates: "So there are three pictures obtained in the first season, one of which is the congenital Tai Chi map. The second is to cover Nine palace map and the five elements of the map. "