folklore

Chinese folk

China folk oral narrative literature. It consists of stories related to historical events, historical figures and local scenery.

Characteristics In the folklore of China, the protagonists of stories are generally well-known and surnames, some are famous figures in history, and the events have a specific time and place, and some also involve major events of the country and the nation; The results of human activities or events are often associated with some historical and geographical phenomena and social customs, which often give people an illusion that it is real history. But there are essential differences between folklore and history in a strict sense. Legend is neither a biography of real people nor a record of historical events (which may contain some real historical factors), but an artistic creation of the people. Many legends rely on a historical figure, event, natural object or man-made object to realize the organic integration of historical factors, historical methods and literary creation through artistic generalization, making it an art history or a historical art.

Folk themes involve national affairs, class struggle, production struggle, cultural creation, contributions of outstanding figures, family, marriage, folk customs and so on. Its content can be roughly divided into three categories: ① Legend of characters. Such legends are people-centered, telling their deeds and experiences, and expressing people's comments and wishes. For example, the narration of Qu Yuan's Li Sao was sung loudly, which moved all Shan Gui to sob. Legends also include emperors and generals, peasant leaders, cultural creation celebrities, revolutionary leaders and heroes. In addition, there are some legends whose names can't be found in historical records, such as the legend of Liang Zhu, the legend of Meng Jiangnv, the legend of Yong Dong selling herself to bury her father, and the legend of singer Liu Sanjie. (2) Historical legends. Such legends mainly describe historical events. For example, the legend of Liang Shanbo, Yang Jiajiang, the Boxer Rebellion, Zhang Xiumei, the Red Army's Long March and the Eighth Route Army's Anti-Japanese War. The Tibetan legend "The Suitor of the Tibetan King" tells the story of the marriage between Han and Tibetan in the Tang Dynasty. Princess Wencheng married the Tibetan king Songzan Gambu. (3) the legend of local scenery. Such legends describe the origin and naming of local mountains and rivers, flowers and birds, insects and fish, local customs and local specialties. Narrative objects are often given meaningful or interesting explanations, which show people's feelings of loving the countryside and their ideals and beliefs about life. Legends about Baoyu Pagoda, early balconies and Laifeng Pavilion of West Lake, Sun Moon Lake of Gaoshan nationality in Taiwan Province, Ma Touqin of Mongolian nationality and Water-splashing Festival of Dai nationality all illustrate their origins in legends. Some supernatural legends, such as the legend of the Eight Immortals and the legend of the Kitchen God, are the products of people's beliefs.

The spread of folk customs is often regional. Some far-reaching folk stories are often combined with local customs and habits in the process of circulation and refined. Folklore is usually legendary. The story is not only directly related to human reality, but also conforms to the internal logic of life. At the same time, the development of the story is triggered by accidental, coincidental, exaggerated and transcendental plots, which makes the real scene and strange things organically unified, full of life breath and bizarre and touching. The creative characteristics of folk customs are unique.

There are mainly the following 12 kinds of popular and far-reaching folklore in China:

(1) the legend of Dayu. Ancient folklore. Yu is the legendary ancestor of the Xia Dynasty. His main achievement is to control water. According to ancient records, according to legend, during the reign of Emperor Yao, there was a flood, and the emperor ordered him to treat it. Gun failed to control water and was killed in the feather suburb. His son inherited his father's business and finally calmed the flood in 13. The post-Shun Zen was located in Yu, from which the Xia Dynasty was established. In addition, there are some stories in the legend, such as he killed Xiang embroidery through * * *, and Ying Long helped him control the water. Yu legend originally contains many mythological factors. In the long-term circulation, myths and legends about him have been "historicized", and there are more plots of political activities. For example, he sent people to survey the earth, called people to hold meetings to discuss, rewarded and punished meritorious deeds, and sought talents to create a prominent genealogy for him. This makes Yu, a legendary figure, gradually break away from his true colors and become an imperial model in line with Confucian concepts. But among the people, Dayu is mainly a water control hero with miraculous colors.

Legends about Yu's water control are often associated with local scenery. For example, it is said that he carried ninety-nine stones from Mount Tai to build a weir to store water. These stones later became nine Changbai Mountains in Shandong. There is also a legend in Shanxi that Dayu governs Jinyang Lake. This kind of legend embodies his great spirit of taking risks and benefiting the people, so as to educate future generations.

(2) the legend of Gong Yu moving mountains. Ancient folklore. It is said that in ancient times, there was a Gong Yu in Beishan, who was nearly ninety years old, and made up his mind to level the Taihang Mountain and the Prince of Wu, because they blocked the access. Family and neighbors came to help. They chop mountains and haul earth all day long, and travel between Bohai Sea and Taihang Mountain all the year round. Does Hequ know that Gong Yu is "stupid"? Yugong said to Zhicuo, "Although I am dead, I still have a son. Children have grandchildren, and grandchildren have children; A son has a son and a son has a grandson; Children and grandchildren are infinite; If the mountains don't increase, why bother? " Their spirit of digging mountains every day touched God, and God sent sunflower and moth Er Shen to carry the mountains away. This legend contains the idea that "where there is a will, there is a way" and that human beings can conquer nature. Ancient and modern writers, artists and politicians have all used this legend. Mao Zedong used the story of Yugong moving mountains to inspire and educate people to carry forward the spirit of hard struggle.

③ Legend of Luban. The folklore of ancient craftsmen. Lu Ban was a craftsman of Lu at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. He was highly skilled and a native of Lu, so people later called him "Lu Ban". It is recorded in ancient books, some notes and local chronicles. During the Warring States period, what was originally the loss of historical figures gradually became a folk legend.

There are two kinds of legends about Lu Ban. One is to tell the story of his invention. The other is a story about him building famous bridges, temples, temples and other buildings all over the country. Artisans of all ages hope to improve their ability to conquer nature and improve their skills, and imagine Lu Ban as a technician with magical skills and infinite wisdom. In the old society, carpenters, masons and masons all worshipped Lu Ban, which was also reflected in their folk activities, in which he was regarded as the "ancestor" to build temples to worship him. The legend of Luban has played a great role in educating and uniting craftsmen.

④ Legend of Meng Jiangnv. Ancient folklore. This legend has been circulated for more than 2,000 years, and after several evolutions, the plot is constantly enriched and the theme is increasingly distinct. The prototype of Meng Jiangnv is the wife of Qi Liang in the Spring and Autumn Period, and she is a courteous female image in Zuo's Biography. The Great Wall was built repeatedly in the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the corvee was heavy. Many people levied husbands and resented women. People associate the reality with the hard work of building the Great Wall in Qin Dynasty, which makes the legend become a new form of anti-construction corvee theme. Since then, Qi Liang has changed from a war general who died for Qi to a civilian who was killed, and Qi Liang's wife has also become a legend who cried over the Great Wall.

Stories after the Ming and Qing Dynasties described Meng Jiangnv as a gourd. Because this gourd is associated with two Meng Jiangnv families living next door, they are called Meng Jiangnv. After Meng Jiangnu cried down the Great Wall, Qin Shihuang saw her beauty and wanted to be a princess. He accepted three conditions put forward by Meng Jiangnu, that is, wearing linen Dai Xiao and holding a mourning staff to mourn for Qi Liang. Finally, Meng Jiangnv threw herself into the sea.

The story of Meng Jiangnv in modern times spread almost all over the country, with far-reaching influence, and many different languages appeared everywhere. Because of the different times, the theme and ideological tendency of the works are more complicated.

1928, The Tales of Meng Jiangnv edited by Gu Jiegang was published. This anthology is a special collection to study the legend of Meng Jiangnu. The questions and conclusions raised by the research on the historical evolution of this legend still have considerable scientific value. In terms of research methods, linking historical documents with folk oral legends and comparing history and geography had a great influence on China's later folklore and myth research.

⑤ The legend of Cowherd and Weaver Girl. Cowherd and Weaver Girl originated from the star name of Cowherd and Weaver Girl. During the Han and Wei Dynasties, there was this story among the people. In the story, the cowherd is the cowherd of mankind, and the weaver girl is the daughter of the Emperor of Heaven. The Weaver Girl married the Cowherd and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Finally, the Queen Mother took her back and drew a Tianhe between them. They can only meet each other at the magpie bridge in Chinese Valentine's Day every year.

The legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl has been a household name for thousands of years. Its source can be found in The Book of Songs Xiaoya Dadong. There are also songs about it in Nineteen Ancient Poems Altair. This story also gave birth to many variants of folk oral stories. Some combine the stories of two brothers. Cowherd is said to be the younger brother who was abused by his brother and sister-in-law. Some also combine the story of feather clothes, and the Weaver Girl is said to be the goddess who came down to take a bath. Old Niu Jiao Cowherd hid the clothes of the Weaver Girl and got married. Finally, the Weaver Girl found the clothes and flew back to the sky. The cowherd put on the old cowhide and went to heaven to meet the Weaver Girl. The legend of Cowherd and Weaver Girl is an artistic reflection of the economic life of small farmers in China feudal society. Based on the feudal family life, it reflects the family relationship under the feudal patriarchal clan system and its marriage tragedy through the fantasy that cowherd and weaver girl can only meet once in the sky. Later generations of scholars used this legendary theme to write operas such as Tianhe Pei, which further expanded their influence. It, together with the legend of Meng Jiangnu, the legend of White Snake and the legend of Liang Zhu, is called the Four Legends of China.

6. Legend of the White Snake. This paper mainly describes the love and marriage tragedy between White Snake and young Xu Xian. The White Snake and the maid Xiaoqing Qingming were caught in the rain in Hangzhou West Lake, and Xu Xian borrowed an umbrella. They met and got married. Fahai monk of Jinshan Temple met Xu Xian and said that he had an evil expression on his face, and told him to let Bai Niangzi drink realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival. The appearance of the white snake scared Xu Xian to death. The White Snake and Xiaoqing stole Cao Xian to save Xu Xian, but Fahai separated the couple. The White Snake arrived in Suofu, and after flooding Jinshan, she met Xu Xian, who had broken the bridge, and reunited. Fahai was destroyed again, and Bainiangzi Town was under Leifeng Tower.

The legend of the white snake originated from the rumor that the python was found among the people. It was also influenced by the legendary white snake in the Tang Dynasty. It also absorbed some legends of the original monk Long Dou in Jinshan. The Three Pagodas of the West Lake further embodies the outline of the story of the White Snake, in which the color that the shemale can't live in * * * is added. There is a popular novel "Bai Niangzi Yong Zhen Leifeng Pagoda" in the book "Warning Records" compiled by Feng Menglong at the end of Ming Dynasty, and the trend is the same. The legend of Leifeng Pagoda in the early Qing Dynasty weakened the evil spirit of White Snake and highlighted her brave character of resolutely pursuing free love. The story has certain anti-feudal significance. The Legend of the Demon of Righteousness and The Legend of the White Snake also showed the same tendency, among which Fahai became the representative of evil forces. After the legend of the White Snake entered the drama, the plot became richer and the characters became fuller. The legend of White Snake has developed from the initial embryonic form to the basic stereotype, influenced by folk literature itself and popular literature such as rap, novel, baojuan and opera.

The legend of Liang Zhu. China's famous folklore. The story shows the marriage tragedy of a young man and woman who failed to combine because of hatred under the feudal system. It was first seen in Liang Zaiyan's Ten Ways and Four Stories in the early Tang Dynasty. In the late Tang Dynasty, Zhang Du's Xuanshizhi recorded the whole story and was named Yi Fu's Tomb. Its basic plot is: Yingtai, the daughter of Zhu in Shangyu, pretending to be a man's clothing, and studying in Huiji. I wish I could go home first. Two years later, Shan Bo came to me. I knew she was a woman and told her parents to look for a job. I wish I was named Ma Ziyi. After Shan Bo, Yin Ling died of illness and was buried in the west of the city. I wish Sima, the ship passed the ancient tomb, and the wind and waves could not get in. Ask if there is a tomb of Sambo. I wish I had boarded the ship, and the ground suddenly cracked and sank. I wish I could be buried together. Xie An, the prime minister of Jin Dynasty, wrote his tomb and said: The tomb of the adopted daughter. There are several legends of women disguised as men in the Collection of Comments compiled by Feng Menglong in Ming Dynasty, and their stories are also found in ancient and modern novels Li, Li, Li and Li. Legends are not only told in scripts, but also made into operas. After the re-creation of scripts and operas, the anti-feudal significance has been increased. The Legend of Liang Zhu, based on real life, is legendary, with a harmonious and unified tragic ending and idealized ending. It exposes the evils of feudal arranged marriage and praises pure and free love. Liang Zhu's story begins with a woman disguised as a man and ends with an anti-feudal theme, which is an important development. The legendary anti-feudal thought is getting stronger and stronger, so it is more popular with the people.

Legend of Liu Sanjie. Folk customs of Zhuang nationality in China. According to legend, there is a third-ranked woman named Liu Sanjie in Zhong Jian Village, Xiajianhe, Yishan District, western Guangxi, who is reborn as an oriole and likes to sing folk songs. Young people from far and near sing the opposite, but they can't win. Hard-working and simple Li Dongyang Shi Tian asked to learn songs from Third Sister. Mo Huairen, the rich man, saw that Third Sister was beautiful and could sing. He wanted to be a concubine and hired someone to sing against Third Sister, who was defeated. At this time, Li has learned a good song and often sings it with Third Sister. Mo Huairen bears a grudge. Finally, Third Sister fell into the river. Third sister drifted to Longzhou, sang songs with Li for three days and nights, and drifted away. Later, they sang a duet in Qixingyan, Guilin for 7 days and 7 nights and became a pair of orioles.

The legend of Liu Sanjie fully embodies the thoughts, aspirations and creative talents of the Zhuang people. It is of reference value to the study of social customs and folk literature and art of all ethnic groups in southern China.

Pet-name ruby local scenery legend. Illustrative legends about mountains, rivers, landscapes, etc. In a certain area. The basic feature is to explain the origin, characteristics and naming reasons of specific natural or artificial objects through vivid storylines. It often combines three components: landscape introduction, story and explanation.

China's famous mountains and rivers, famous buildings, local specialties, local customs and customs all have vivid legends and stories to explain. Local scenery legends contain a lot of knowledge about specific scenery, mountains and rivers, architecture, specialties and folk customs, reflecting a wide range of social life. It shows the people's hard struggle to conquer nature and change mountains and rivers, and shows the people's miserable life and various forms of resistance under the oppression of the ruling class in the past. In local legends, people express their joys and sorrows, express their ideals in life and affirm their faithful love.

A large number of works in local landscape legends are created by using wonderful fantasy, supernatural images and magical changes. It is also fascinating by describing the creative methods in real life. The local legends of local scenery are very obvious. Many legends are unique to a certain place, but some stories are widely circulated.

There are many works in local scenery legends that localize the stories of historical figures and mythical figures, sometimes personify mountains and rivers with fables, or put ordinary folk stories into specific local scenery, forming various colorful and distinctive folk legends.

Attending the anti-imperialist legend. It refers to the legend that China opposed the invasion of foreign powers in modern times. From 1840 to 1949, China was repeatedly invaded by foreign powers, and the people of China waged many anti-aggression wars. During this period, many legends and stories with the theme of opposing the invasion of foreign powers were produced among the people, which were collectively called anti-imperialist legends.

Anti-imperialist legends can be divided into two categories: the first category is directly based on previous anti-aggression wars. For example, the ambition of the Boxer Rebellion never dies, and Commander Yang outsmarted Tonghua. The second category does not directly reflect a specific war, but widely exposes the plundering activities of the aggressors. Most incidents revolve around the theft of treasures by foreign invaders, such as golden phoenix, a treasure ship that cannot be stolen.

Anti-imperialist legends mainly praise the heroes who fought against the enemy, including the courage and wit of historical celebrities and ordinary people. Although some stories are about some kind of objects, scenery, or materials of a certain war, or even a battle story of a real person, the plot of the story is not all historical facts, and the second kind of stories are more imaginative. The historical value of this kind of legend mainly lies in that it shows the strong will of the people of China against aggression and the patriotic spirit against foreign enemies.

The legend of peasant uprising. Many peasant uprisings broke out in China's long feudal society. Some of these large-scale movements have left a far-reaching impact on the masses. After people's constant memories and narratives, it gradually evolved into a legend. In its early days, such legends were often attached to real people. In the long-term circulation, due to the continuous artistic processing of many oral narrators, these legends gradually broke away from the prototype of real characters and stories and became fictional or basically fictional oral artistic creations.

The legend of peasant uprising mainly reflects historical events, focusing on the rise and growth of struggle; Or focus on characters, focusing on the heroic image and character of uprising leaders or rebel figures; Or focus on a certain battle, focusing on the brave and indomitable fighting deeds of the insurgents; Or highlight one thing and one thing, focusing on the military-civilian relationship between the uprising troops and the masses; Or reflect the people's nostalgia for the insurgents.

As a mass oral art creation, The Legend of Peasant Uprising is not strictly scientific and historic. It is an important literary means used by working people to reflect their own revolutionary struggle history. Through the listening, listening and personal experience of many contemporary speakers, we can often make a fair evaluation of the uprising and its leaders, and truly reflect the social essence and people's suffering and expectation at that time from different aspects of life.

Legend of the red army. Refers to the legend about the Red Army during the Second Revolutionary Civil War. It is the oral creation of the people in the old revolutionary base areas. Widely spread in Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia, Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan and other old revolutionary areas. Against the background of the magnificent armed revolutionary struggle led by China * * * Production Party, it shows the agrarian revolution and struggle life during the Second Revolutionary Civil War, and enthusiastically praises the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army.

The legend of the Red Army embodies the revolutionary discipline, fine style and new military-civilian relationship of the Red Army, and reflects the position of the Red Army in people's minds. The content can be divided into two categories: one shows the people's understanding of the Red Army and contains the infinite affection of the people. Like a strange yard. The other, with the help of legendary imagination, shows the people's yearning for the Red Army in the old revolutionary base areas and their confidence in the victory of the revolution. For example, red star kettle, red army hat. The Legend of the Red Army has a distinct revolutionary consciousness and a strong revolutionary atmosphere. Its basic theme is not only to praise the Red Army, but also to praise the revolutionary leaders and the mass struggle. Legends of the Red Army often endow the legacy of the Red Army with magical power through the expression of traditional stories. With this artistic imagination, the creator shows the firm belief that the people and revolutionary forces will eventually defeat the counter-revolutionary forces, and integrates revolutionary thoughts and feelings with the unique techniques of legendary stories, showing the characteristics of combining revolutionary realism with revolutionary romanticism. Because the legend of the Red Army showed the people's deep feelings for the revolutionary army, it was also circulated in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, which had a great influence.