The origin of the Eight Immortals and their names.

Let's talk about Tie Guai Li first. Tie Guai Li is the first of the folklore of the Eight Immortals. Some books say that his surname is Li and his name is Hong, and he was born in Xia Dynasty. Lu Xun's A Brief History of Chinese Novels says that his surname is Li and his name is Xuan. Zhao Yi's Yu Cong Kao also said that his surname was Liu. It is said that he was a man between Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Dali, and he studied Taoism in Zhong Nanshan. As soon as Yuan Shen came out of his shell, he never imagined that his body would be eaten by a tiger, so he had to dedicate himself to a lame beggar. According to "Fairy Mirror of Past Dynasties", her handsome husband, who is good at Taoism, will lead to the derivation of Shen Yuan's magic and practice it in Dangshan Cave. On one occasion, at the request of Lao Tzu's master, she went to Huashan, thousands of miles away, and came back a few days later, only to find that her body was burned by a disciple by mistake. Suddenly she saw a hungry ghost nearby and said with a brainwave, ". That is, from a hungry forehead, he became an ugly man with a hairy beard, a black face and huge eyes, and a lame right foot. It seems that he is a Taoist immortal, and everything is attached.

Zhong Liquan

In the Eight Immortals, Zhong Liquan is second only to Tie Guai Li in fame. He has a high position among the Eight Immortals, especially because he is highly respected by Taoism. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jin Zhendao was regarded as the "ancestor of Zhengyang". The archetypes of his characters appeared in the Five Dynasties and the early Song Dynasty. His deeds were recorded in the Chronicle of Xuanhe, Jane Yizhi and History of Song Dynasty. It was only later mistaken for the separation of Korea and China and attached to the Han Dynasty. Books such as "The Mirror of Immortals in Past Dynasties" and "A General Examination of Continued Documents" say that Zhong Liquan and Li Zhongfu are named Yunfangzi and Zhengyangzi. A native of Xianyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty, his father Zhong was a general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his brother Zhong was a corps commander, who later became an immortal. In the Tang Dynasty, there was indeed a man named Zhong Liquan. His three quatrains are recorded in all Tang poems, and it is said that "Xianyang people, when they meet an old friend, get a fairy trick, and when they meet a real person in Huayang, they go to Wang Xianren and spread to Kongtong Mountain. They were named Mr. Fang Yun, and then they went immortal. " The poems he left in the world are called Three Poems to Avoid Chang 'an Restaurant, including "Always bring a pot of wine when sitting and lying down, and don't teach your eyes to know the imperial city", "It's not easy to get the word, so I'm willing to follow it when I return", which is quite "fairy flavor" and should be a good man.

Zhang

Zhang is an old folk fairy named "Zhang Guo". Because he is the oldest person, people call him "Zhang". There is a real Zhang Guo in history, and the old and new books in the Tang Dynasty are all rumors. When Wu Zetian lived in seclusion in Zhongtiao Mountain, everyone said that he had the secret of immortality. He claims to be several hundred years old. Wu Zetian sent messengers to summon him, but Zhang pretended not to go. In the twenty-first year of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Wei Ji, the secretariat of Hengzhou, played his anecdotes to the emperor. Xuanzong called him, and Zhang Guo pretended to be dead. It took him a long time to wake up, so the messenger was afraid to go forward. Xuanzong heard about it and sent Xu Jiao to invite him. Zhang Guo has to go to Beijing. It is said that Tang Xuanzong doubted his rumors. He once asked Xing Hepu, who was good at calculating the good and evil of dying young, to tell Zhang's fortune. I don't know Zhang Jiazi, but a teacher is good at ghosts. Xuanzong asked him to see Zhang Guo, but he asked, "Where is Zhang Guo?" I didn't see it across the street. According to historical records, Zhang Guo was just an old liar with a guilty conscience. Otherwise, why not play dead a few times to avoid being drafted? At best, it is an illusion. Therefore, the fairy tales about him are all fabricated by Taoism for the purpose of propaganda, relying on folk rumors and exaggeration. "Tai Ping Guang Ji" also records that Zhang claimed to be Emperor Yao. When Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty asked the warlock "Ye Fashan" Zhang about his origin, Ye Fashan said, "If you dare not speak, you will die." Later, he said, "Zhang Guo is a white bat essence in the beginning of chaos." He fell to the ground dead. After Xuanzong intervened, Zhang Guo saved him.

Lv Dongbin

Lv Dongbin is the most popular story in the Eight Immortals. In Taoism, Quanzhen Taoism regards him as "the ancestor of Chunyang", also known as "Lv Zu". Traditionally, most researchers believe that Lu was born in the late Tang Dynasty. His poems were included in the Summary of Jin Tang's Poems and Songs. In the Song Dynasty, Luo Dajing's A Record of He Lin Yu, Hong Mai's Jian Yizhi and Ji Xian Zhuan all recorded it. It is said that he was from Jingzhao (now Shaanxi An), and Tang Xiantong was in the Central Plains. He served as a county magistrate twice. It is said that he is from Jiujiang, originally an imperial clan of the Tang Dynasty, and his surname is Li. In order to avoid the disaster of the marquis of Wu, he changed his surname to Lu. He made his debut as Shao Guang, who spent more than 20 years in the imperial examination, so he traveled around the world and was enlightened by Zhong Liquan. He is one of the most humane Eight Immortals. He is handsome and funny, and he is good at eliminating violence for the people. He is also good at drinking and lusting. There is a legend of "Three Performances by Lu" in the world. There are numerous legends about him, but we can also see that he was originally a scholar who longed for Taoism in the Tang Dynasty, and was later deified into a fairy.

he xian gu

He Xiangu is the only female of the Eight Immortals, and there are different opinions about her life experience. She comes from the Tang Dynasty. At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, Guang Yi was quoted as "He Erniang" in Taiping Guangji. She is a peasant woman who knits shoes. Later, because her home was too stuffy, she swam in Luofu Mountain, lived in a mountain temple, and often collected wild fruits for monks to eat in. Once, a monk from Zhou Xun Mountain Temple, 400 miles away, came to Luofushan Temple and said that one day a fairy went there to pick bayberries. It was verified that that day was the day when Ernian picked the fruit. Besides, everyone doesn't know where Ernian picked so many wild fruits, so she thinks Ernian is a fairy who picks fruits in Zhou Xun Mountain Temple. From then on, Ernian became famous and no longer lived in a mountain temple. "Continued Examination" said that when Tang was born, He Xiangu was from Zengcheng, Guangdong. He was born with six lights on his head and a "fairy family". When he was thirteen, he met a Taoist in the mountains and ate a peach. From then on, he was neither hungry nor thirsty, and he was as light as a fly, and he could foresee the fortunes of life. Later, she was called to Beijing and left halfway. She is from the Song Dynasty. The notes of some scholars in the Song Dynasty often refer to her as a native of Yongzhou (Lingling) in the Northern Song Dynasty. Some people say that when she was young, she met strangers and became famous for eating peaches. It is said that she was grazing in the country, and when she met a stranger, she gave dates and ate them and became immortal. The notes of the Song Dynasty also recorded some deeds of He Xiangu in divination, and predicted fortunes. At that time, scholars and curious people went to other places for divination, which showed that she was just a folk witch who was good at divination.

Lan Caihe

In the Eight Immortals, there was a cynical and crazy beggar named Lan Caihe. His deeds are recorded in Shen Fen's Biography of Immortals in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Tai Ping Guang Ji in the Early Song Dynasty and Lu You's Book of Southern Tang Dynasty. He was from the late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties. He is eccentric and likes drinking and singing. He usually wears a tattered blue shirt, boots on one foot and bare feet on the other. What's more unnatural is that he wears cotton-padded clothes in summer, but he lies in the snow and is steaming in winter (continuing fairy tales). Usually, he holds a big clapper more than three feet, while playing bamboo boards, while begging along the street. He sings a lot of songs, most of which are touching the scene, which makes the world feel unfathomable and fairy-like. A cloud said, "Lan Cai He, what can the world look like? Beauty is like a spring tree, and time flies. The ancients have gone and never returned, but more and more people are coming today. Ride a couple to Bibo, and watch Sang Tian give birth to Bai Bo at dusk. Changjing Minghui is in the air, and the gold and silver palace is high. " He's crazy. When someone gives him money, he will probably donate it to the poor. Lan Caihe has no fixed place to live, and is at home everywhere. The prototype of this immortal is a tramp. Just because of his madness and kindness to the poor, he is loved and deified as an immortal.

han xiang zi

Generally speaking, Han Xiangzi is the nephew of Han Yu, a famous writer in the Tang Dynasty, and has been introduced in Tang Shu, Prime Minister's Lineage Table, Youyang Miscellanies, Taiping Guang Ji, Fairy Biography and other books. A nephew named Han Yu. Historically, Han Yu did have a grandnephew named Han Xiang, who used to be an official in Cheng Dali. Han Yu once wrote a poem, "Moving to the left to show the grandnephew and grandson": "A letter plays in the sky, and the road is eight thousand. If you want to eliminate disasters for the holy dynasty, you are willing to decline and cherish the old! Where is the home of Yunheng Qinling? Snow White brought Blue Horse back. I know you should be interested in collecting my bones in the river from far away. " The legend about his immortality was first seen in Youyang Miscellanies in the Tang Dynasty. The book says that Han Yu has a nephew who lives in a house. He is young, frivolous and uninhibited, and doesn't like reading. Han Yu once scolded him, but he was able to change the color of peony flowers according to his uncle's request within seven days, and there was a poem on each flower, "Where is the home of the cloud beyond the Qinling Mountains?" Han Yu was extremely surprised. It is also said that Han Xiangzi is Han Yu's nephew, and his deeds are similar to those in Youyang Za. Han Xiangzi's character prototype is Han Yu's nephew, immortal for five generations.

Cao Guojiu

Cao Guojiu, the last of the Eight Immortals, appeared the latest and had fewer fairy tales. His life experience and stories are similar, and they are all related to Cao Empress. There is a legend in the history of Song Dynasty, Cao Shu, the word Gong Bo, the grandson of Cao Bin, and the brother of Cao Empress. He is gentle and easy-going, familiar with temperament and loves to write poems. He was crowned King of Jiyang County, and he lived a smooth life at the age of 72. As Xianjing said, Cao Guojiu was pure and kind, did not like wealth, but yearned for the immortal way, while his younger brother was arrogant and illegal, relying on the situation to run amok. Cao Guojiu was deeply ashamed of his evil deeds, so he went into the mountains to practice, met Zhong Liquan and Lv Dongbin, and became a disciple. Cao Guojiu soon became a fairy road. Cao Guojiu described in The Journey to the West is similar to the above.

Eight immortals of darkness

Every Eight Immortals has one or two treasures or utensils, which are generally called "Dark Eight Immortals" or Eight Treasures. They often appear in embroidery and folk art, both of which represent auspicious meanings and change with different scenes. Among them, the more popular dark eight immortals are:

Banana Fan (Zhong Liquan)

Hulu (Tie Guai Li)

Flower Basket (Lan Cai He)

Lotus (He Xiangu)

Sword (Lv Dongbin)

Flute (Han Xiangzi)

Yugu (Zhang)

Yuban (Cao Guojiu)

Myths and legends

Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea is one of the most popular stories of the Eight Immortals, which was first seen in the zaju "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea to Get Jade Board". According to legend, when the peony in Penglai Xiandao was in full bloom, Baiyun Fairy invited eight immortals and five immortals to hold a grand ceremony. On the return trip, Tie Guai Li (or Lv Dongbin) advised them to find a way by themselves, instead of taking a boat. This is the origin of "the Eight Immortals show their magical powers when crossing the sea" or "the Eight Immortals show their magical powers when crossing the sea".

At this time, the Li Tie monster dropped his other musical instrument-the iron crutch (or gourd), Han Zhongli threw a banana fan, Zhang put down his mount "paper donkey", and other immortals also threw their musical instruments into the water and crossed the East China Sea. Because the behavior of the Eight Immortals alarmed the Dragon Palace, the Dragon King of the East China Sea led a group of soldiers and crabs to theorize. Unexpectedly, there was a conflict, and Lan Cai He was taken back to the Dragon Palace. After the Eight Immortals killed the dragon, the Dragon King of the East China Sea cooperated with the Dragon Kings of the North Sea, the South China Sea and the West Sea, and suddenly the waves were stormy. At this time, Cao Guojiu took out the jade board and opened the way, forcing the huge waves to both sides and crossing the sea smoothly. Finally, the South China Sea Guanyin Bodhisattva (or Tathagata) intervened and asked the Dragon King of the East China Sea to release Lan Caihe, and the two sides stopped fighting.

In addition to the above, there are some folk legends about the Eight Immortals, including the tragic story of "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea".

During the Stegosaurus period in the Northern Song Dynasty, Shamen Island (now Temple Island) was the place where the imperial court imprisoned prisoners. From the third year of Stegosaurus, all illegal soldiers were sent to Salmon Island. Year after year, there are more and more prisoners on the island. However, the imperial court only distributes food rations to 300 people in the whole island every year, and the food is becoming more and more insufficient. Later, Li Qing, the guard leader of Shaman Island, thought of a vicious method: when more than 300 people were captured, some of them were bound by their hands and feet and drowned in the sea, so that the number of prisoners on the island was always less than 300. In this way, more than 700 people were killed in two years. In order to survive, prisoners often jump into the sea to escape, but most of them are swallowed up by the rough waves. At one time, more than 50 prisoners were killed. About 30 miles from Shamen Island to Penglai, most of the prisoners were exhausted and drowned in the water, leaving only eight swimmers with strong martial arts and strong physique. They swam downstream to the shore and hid in the lion cave at the foot of Ya Dan Mountain in the north of Penglai. The next day, fishermen found them. They were all very surprised when they heard that eight people had crossed the ocean from Salmon Island to come here. They called it "God", and the story spread among the people, known as "Eight Immortals", evolved into the story of "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" today.

Because the Eight Immortals have crossed the sea, most coastal people have the taboo of "seven men and one woman in different boats". Barber industry regards Lv Dongbin as the granddaddy. According to legend, the so-called birthday of Lv Zu is on April 14 of the lunar calendar, and the barber industry everywhere is generally busy. People should play the role of the Eight Immortals in celebrating their birthdays to create a happy atmosphere.

Su Dongpo visited the Eight Immortals.

Although Su Dongpo was from the Northern Song Dynasty, the Eight Immortals were formed in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and Penglai just invented a legend of Su Dongpo's visit to the Eight Immortals.

Legend has it that Su Dongpo wanted to visit the Eight Immortals when he was an official in Dengzhou, but he didn't know where to find it. Inquired about it, an old man with white hair and beard told him that every year on March 3, the Eight Immortals would hold a banquet in Penglai Pavilion. As for whether we can meet, it depends on fate.

In the early morning of the third day of March, Su Dongpo went to Penglai Pavilion, but he didn't see the shadow of the Eight Immortals. Bored to the door of epiphany, I saw two old men playing chess, a red face and a black face, both over 80 years old, with white hair and beard. The red-faced old man saw Su Dongpo coming and waved him to be the referee. Su Dongpo, a very talented person, can watch the chess game approach, dumbfounded, unable to understand the chess path. In order not to lose face, find an excuse to refuse something. The red-faced old man said to Su Dongpo, "The person you are looking for will definitely come today, and we will wait for them here. Anyway, being idle is also idle, so don't mention it. " Su Dongpo was amazed: How did he know that I was looking for someone? This old man is not an ordinary person. Listen to him. That's right. So I settled down to watch the chess game, slowly saw some doorways, and didn't think much.

I don't know how long it took, but an old beggar came over and greeted an old man who was playing chess: "Old chap, it's my treat today. Go, go! " The red-faced old man pointed to Su Dongpo: "There is another one here." Lao Jiaohua glanced at Su Dongpo and said, "Then come along." Su Dongpo looked at the time-honored brand, and he wanted to bury it as much as possible. He is too dirty to see the color clearly, and the grease on his face is thick enough to show the next layer. I didn't want to follow, but when I thought I suspected the old man of playing chess just now, I followed.

When I went to Penglai Pavilion, I saw seven people in the pavilion, tall, short, fat and thin, and one of them was a woman. There are two small pots and a rice cake on the high square table. The old beggar said to the crowd, "There is nothing to entertain today, so I made three side dishes. You can eat together! " Su Dongpo looked around and saw a half-baked dead dog, a dead child with crooked eyes and a moldy rice cake on one side. None of the gang was polite, so they grabbed it and ate it with relish, even boasting that it was delicious. Su Dongpo only felt sick, especially the dead child, who made the gang pull their arms and legs and bleed profusely, which made people tremble with fear. He wanted to try the rice cake, but when he saw blood, he gave up. The two white-haired old men let Su Dongpo settle it, but how dare Su Dongpo eat it? Seeing people wolfing down their food, they left, leaving only two old people playing chess.

The old man called Su Dongpo to his side and asked, "Guess who we are?" Su Dongpo shook his head. The red-faced old man said, "I am an Antarctic fairy, and he is the king of Polaris. The eight people present just now are the Eight Immortals you are looking for. I'll tell you three dishes on the table: a dead dog is a long-lived dog; The dead child is a thousand-year-old ginseng; That moldy rice cake is a birthday cake. Eat one bite for a hundred years, eat two bites for two hundred years ... It took Tie Guai Li a lot of time to get these three things! " Say that finish, two white-haired old man suddenly disappeared.

Su Dongpo regretted it. Why doesn't he bite the bullet and have a taste? !

Jiuding Huixian Mountain

There is a weiyang mountain more than thirty miles southwest of Penglai city. There are nine peaks on the mountain with different shapes, big and small. According to folklore, these nine peaks are also related to the Eight Immortals.

According to legend, the Eight Immortals went to Penglai Pavilion for a party on March 3, and were attracted by the beautiful scenery there when passing by Weiyang Mountain. They pressed the clouds and enjoyed the scenery on the mountain. Lv Dongbin happily took off the cassock and put it on a huge blue stone. He cast a spell and turned into a banquet. The immortals sat on the floor, enjoying the mountain scenery and having a drink for a change. Soon, they were drunk. Tie Guai Li leaned against the treasure gourd and said vaguely, "This time, if you want to visit friends across the ocean, you just need to lie on my treasure gourd, and it will pass in a moment ..." Zhang glared at everyone and said unconvinced, "Who wants your broken gourd? I rode a donkey and it passed with a slap. " Several others also boasted about their abilities. Seeing that the quarrel was fruitless, Han Zhongli stood up with a big belly and said, "Today, we still have to use our magical powers to cross the sea. Please judge. Whoever has great ability will know when the time comes. " So Lv Dongbin took off his cassock, sat cross-legged, respectfully, closed his eyes slightly, and cast magic. A wisp of smoke rose from Ran Ran's head and turned into a golden light, soaring into the sky.

About a pack of cigarettes, a piece of auspicious clouds floated in the southwest sky, and the old man came riding a green cow. The Eight Immortals cleaned up their drunkenness and stood in awe. Grandpa Laojun hung his head and asked, "Dong Bin sent me a golden invitation in a hurry. Why? " Lv Dongbin leaned forward, bowed and said, "Master, I have something difficult to decide, so please come." Then he told me about the magic competition. Grandfather listened to this and said thoughtfully, "The skill of crossing the water is only a small skill, not enough! As a yogi, how can you relax your competitive spirit? " Hearing this, all the immortals were ashamed. The old gentleman added, "Doing good with fate and spreading good news widely is the right way to practice Buddhism. The scenery here is very beautiful. Why not use your own spells to benefit the mortal world? " The immortals suddenly realized and went forward together to give thanks. Then, Lv Dongbin put on his staff and sword, stepped on the detective with the highest plow, murmured, sharpened his sword, and shouted "Go", and a steep mountain suddenly appeared. Zhang was full of energy and went for a ride on a donkey. A grotesque mountain peak appeared before him. Then, Tie Guai Li, Han Zhongli, Cao Guojiu, Han Xiangzi, He Xiangu and Lan Caihe also used their magical powers to build mountains. When the old gentleman saw it, he was overjoyed and said, "Stand aside and wait for the old lady to build one. I'm glad you came." Then, with a wave of his hand, a mountain rose from the ground, magnificent and vast, majestic far above other peaks, which amazed all the immortals. By the time the Eight Immortals came to their senses, the old gentleman had already stepped onto the green cow and walked to the palace.

This is the origin of Weiyang Mountain Jiu Feng. Later, the "Jiuding Mountain Temple Fair" was formed on the third day of March every year. In the inscription of two giant faucets standing in front of the mountain gate, there is a record of "Nine Huixian Mountain".

Tang Huai

There is a pagoda tree in the Tang Dynasty in the Tianhou Palace of Danyashan, Penglai, but it is said that there was no such tree long ago. After arriving in Penglai, I played chess with Zhang (Zhi) in this yard, and the sun was shining. Tie Guai Li poured a seed from his gourd and buried it in the ground. He casts spells and recites spells. In a blink of an eye, the earth germinated and turned green, and soon it grew into a big locust tree with lush foliage and umbrella crown. Erxian continued to play chess under this tree.

It is said that this tree has not changed since it grew up. Because it is generated by the magic of immortals, it will not continue to grow and will not die. Always like this. During the light years of the Qing Dynasty, the Tianhou Palace caught fire and burned down more than 30 temples overnight, but this pagoda tree survived, which makes people think: Is this pagoda tree really planted by the Eight Immortals?

There are many legends about the Eight Immortals in Penglai, but most of them are related to the origin of the following place names, such as Tongjing, Nantianmen, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Xizu Temple, Fairy Cave, Shoudan Stone and Siyanjing. Limited by space, I can't elaborate on them one by one. It's better to listen to them in Penglai. The folk stories told by ordinary people may be far better than an armchair strategist.

Baxian Palace

The Eight Immortals Palace, also known as the Eight Immortals Temple, is located in the northwest of China, a suburb of Xi, Shaanxi Province. This is the only existing Taoist temple in this area. 1983 was listed as a national key Taoist temple by the State Council. This is a place where the Eight Immortals are worshipped, and its creation is directly related to the story of the Eight Immortals.

The story of the Eight Immortals is one of the most popular Taoist myths in China. Legend has it that the Eight Immortals often do some good things for mankind and are widely worshipped by people. The location of the Eight Immortals Palace was originally the former site of the Tang Dynasty Palace. It is said that a Taoist priest in the Song Dynasty saw the Eight Immortals here and began to build a Taoist temple. /kloc-in the 0/2 century, Taoism Quanzhen religion prevailed, and Taoist temples were built on a large scale here, laying the present scale. It was very famous in the Ming Dynasty, and it became one of the centers of Quanzhen religion by Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty. In its heyday, it covered an area of more than 6000 square meters. The existing buildings mainly include the mountain gate, Lingguan Hall, Eight Immortals Hall, Bell and Drum Tower and so on. , the layout is rigorous. Sun Simiao, the God of Medicine King, is also enshrined here. He is a great physician and a famous Taoist in ancient China.

After 1985, with the support of China government, the Taoist temple was restored, with a total area of 10000 square meters. Now, it is not only an important cultural relic protection unit, but also a famous tourist attraction in Xi.

the Eight Immortals

In Wanzai, northern Jiangxi Province, those who carry coffins at funerals are called the Eight Immortals. Because it consists of eight people. At the funeral, the Eight Immortals gathered at a table. When going up the mountain, the Eight Immortals drank wine first, and then watered the coffin-carrying utensils. Then they lifted the coffin and kicked down the bench that supported it.