Cultural connotation of the zodiac tiger. Tiger culture is an extremely important part of China's cultural tradition. For a long time, it has been regarded as a symbol of power and strength and respected by people. Do you know the cultural connotation of the Zodiac Tiger? Let's have a look.
The cultural connotation of the zodiac tiger 1 1 is the "tiger culture" that has been passed down through the ages.
Tigers are gorgeous and fierce, and they have always been regarded as the king of beasts. Its beauty and deterrence, as well as its multiple meanings in China culture, are always the contents that painters are keen to express, the themes that poets are endlessly chanting, the themes that scholars are deeply interested in, and the words that people talk about the land.
Tigers are magnificent, running like the wind, screaming in the sky, and all animals change hands. The ancients thought that "the wind follows the tiger", and when the tiger appeared, even the wind was there. This is probably because the tiger left the most thrilling feeling. Even today, the roar of captive tigers behind the zoo fence can still make people feel a little scared. Even if you die of old age in the mountains, you can still shock other animals. The so-called "tiger dies with dignity" is also true.
Ancient generals often hung tiger skins in tents or spread them on seats to enhance their military strength with the help of tiger power. The general's camp is "tiger tent", the general's prestige is "tiger potential", the brave general is called "tiger general" and the brave man is called "tiger Ben". In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu and other five Shu generals will be called "Five Tiger Generals", and there are also many "Tiger Generals" and "Tiger Generals" among military attaché s in past dynasties. Today, the brave generals and competitive masters in the army are still called "tiger generals", and the ancient emperors also used bronze tiger-shaped bugles to mobilize the army, which shows that the tiger's reputation has been borrowed for thousands of years.
Folk Culture of Tiger in the Zodiac
The tiger's prestige is not only used by people to strengthen military strength, but also used by people to enrich the expressive force of language. There is an idiom "the fox pretends to be a tiger" from a fable: the fox claims to be the king of beasts, but the tiger certainly can't agree. The fox lied to the tiger and said, "If you don't believe me, come with me and see how everyone treats me." The tiger patrolled the forest with the fox, and all the animals were scared to hide when they saw the tiger. The honest tiger thought it was the majesty of the fox, but he didn't know that his prestige was borrowed by the fox. "Smith" is often used to satirize villains who do bad things with the help of others.
Tigers are one of the strongest carnivores on land. Tigers have high requirements for the environment and are at the top of their food chain. They have no natural enemies in nature. People often use "tiger's den" and "tiger's mouth" to describe dangerous situations. Avoiding a disaster is called "escape for the rest of my life", and taking risks is called "close escape". "Close escape" is simply a matter of life. Confucius strongly disapproved of "violent tigers and abundant crops" Beating a tiger with bare hands is more reckless than brave. However, Song Wu in Water Margin broke the whistle and had to fight the tiger with his bare hands, which made him a legendary hero. "Accompanying the monarch is like accompanying the tiger" is to describe the autocracy of shocking the emperor with the power of the tiger. The strategy of "drawing the tiger out of the mountain" in Thirty-six Strategies, "sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight" in Sun Tzu's Art of War, and "nothing ventured, nothing gained" in The Romance of Three Kingdoms all reflect the special position of the tiger in the war culture.
2. Take the tiger as a totem
There are many ethnic groups who worship tigers in China, especially the Yi people. Their zodiac is headed by a tiger, and they think that everything in the universe is made up of tiger corpses. The Genesis epic "Meige" says that the tiger's head is the sky, the tiger's tail is the tail of the ground, the left eye is the sun, the right eye is the moon, the tiger's beard is the sunshine, the tiger's teeth are the stars, the tiger's oil becomes the clouds, the tiger's belly becomes the sea, the tiger's intestines become the river and the ribs become the road. According to ancient records, Yunnan barbarians called the tiger "Luo Luo", but when they were old, they became tigers. Yi people call themselves "Luo Luo" and believe that they will become tigers when they get old.
Tiger in the Zodiac —— Folk Culture of Tiger Fighting in Wusong
3. The "tiger" in fairy tales
Tigers are upright animals. Zoologists believe that tigers generally don't attack people, and only some tigers with old diseases will attack people when hunting is difficult. In the natural food chain, people and tigers could have lived in peace, so there are many touching stories about people and tigers from ancient times to the present. For example, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Wen Zi, the Lingyin of Chu State, was abandoned at birth, raised by a tiger, and later became an excellent politician. The story of the tiger sending the bride to the wedding in the first year of Gan Tang is more romantic. For a time, tiger media shrines were widely established in Guizhou, Shaanxi and other places, and all lovers hoped that the tiger god would bless a happy marriage. The story in Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio is even more touching: an old woman's son died of a tiger, and the local magistrate sentenced the tiger to die for the old man. Tigers feed their prey for the elderly every day. After the old man died, tigers go to the grave and howl.
There are also endless myths and legends about tigers and related folk customs. According to legend, in ancient times, Shen Tu and Lei Yu were good at catching ghosts and then feeding them to tigers. The bronze tiger cannibal in the late Shang Dynasty is a kind of wine vessel, and its shape shows the theme of tiger eating ghosts. Tigers have the power to kill ghosts and ward off evil spirits, so the ancients painted tigers on the doors on New Year's Eve, and later they became door gods. In the past, the Dragon Boat Festival had the custom of hanging Ai Hu, eating zongzi and racing dragon boats. Folium Artemisiae Argyi can repel insects and cure diseases, and it looks like a tiger, and has the function of expelling diseases and restraining evil spirits. In some places, realgar is also used to draw the word "king" on children's foreheads, imitating the pattern of tiger heads, which of course means borrowing tigers to exorcise evil spirits.
The Folk Culture of the Tiger in the Zodiac —— Tiger Head Shoes
4. Folklore related to tigers
Married women in Guanzhong area of Shaanxi Province must be accompanied by a pair of oversized tigers, which are carried on the lacquer cabinet when entering the door and walk in front of the farewell team. This may be the legacy of Hupu Media. After getting married and having children, grandma will give a mud tiger as a full moon gift. As for wearing a tiger's head hat, hugging the tiger's mouth, wearing tiger's head shoes and pillows, it is a national parenting custom. These tiger-shaped daily necessities are entrusted with the deep affection of their parents, hoping that tiger dolls and tigers will thrive. There are many kinds of tiger-shaped toys, the most common one is the cloth tiger. Now almost all middle-aged people in China have memories of playing with cloth tigers as children. These toys and articles are not as powerful as the roaring tigers in the mountains, but they add naive childlike interest. It can be seen that people's awe of tigers has evolved into a deep love, and in the minds of ordinary people, there is a strong sense of fighting tigers to protect the auspicious.
In a word, the tiger culture of Zodiac is a treasure of China traditional culture, which embodies the wisdom and painstaking efforts of people for thousands of years. The symbolic meaning of the essence of tiger culture is full of positive energy, which has the spiritual significance of inspiring people to work hard to realize their ideals.
The Cultural Connotation of the Zodiac Tiger Chapter II Tiger is one of the 12 Zodiacs, ranking third, and is called Yin. Tiger worship originated from the tiger totem worship in Chu culture. The tiger has always been worshipped by the Han people, and it is a symbol of justice, courage and majesty. According to textual research, the image of tiger also appeared in ancient Qiang and Rong nationalities, but it was most popular in southwest China.
Jade cong of Liangzhu culture in Neolithic Age and bronze wares in Yin and Shang Dynasties have similar animal faces and tiger images. To this day, the Yi, Bai, Buyi, Tujia and other ethnic groups in China still call tigers their ancestors. People in the Han Dynasty regarded the tiger as the king of beasts.
The white tiger is a tiger that can only turn white in 500 years. It's a sacred object. Immortals often ascend to heaven through tigers, which are beasts in the west of the town. Since the Han Dynasty, the tiger has always been the favorite protector of the working people, but it is not a symbol of the emperor. After a long historical evolution and development, the cultural awareness of tiger worship has become an unchangeable cultural concept of the Chinese nation.
The first symbolic meaning of the tiger: majesty and strength
Although the west regards the lion as the king of animals, in ancient China, the king of animals was the tiger! China regarded tigers as inviolable animals since ancient times, and he was really afraid of tigers. People's faces change at the mention of tigers. When they see tigers, they may be scared to death.
The pattern on the tiger's forehead constitutes the word "king" of China. In fact, China's word "king" comes from the tiger. The tiger is the king of the forest, so people in China skillfully use the pattern on its forehead as Chinese characters, meaning ruler. Today, this word has become one of hundreds of surnames.
It can be seen that the tiger is a symbol of majesty and strength, and its manner is awe-inspiring, inviolable, offensive and provocative. Therefore, there is a saying in folk proverbs: "You can't touch the tiger's ass" and "Who dares to touch the tiger's beard?" "Tigers don't eat people, but they look like killers" and so on.
The second symbolic meaning of the tiger: bravery and fearlessness
Because of its majestic image, tigers have been used to symbolize the courage and strength of soldiers since ancient times, such as tiger generals, tiger ministers and tigers. In ancient times, a tiger was carved in gold on the military symbol of dispatching troops, which was called the tiger symbol. Another example is "The Teacher of the Tiger and the Wolf". The popular understanding is that the army is like a tiger, which is a metaphor for the strength of the army and the strength of its combat effectiveness! "Tiger Ben" symbolizes the warrior, Ben and Ben run together, which means that the rainbow and the tiger dance and run together, as brave and powerful as the tiger.
The third symbolic meaning of the tiger: praying for good luck and avoiding evil spirits.
In the legend of China, people believe that tigers are extremely powerful animals, and they can drive away three disasters in the family: fire, theft and evil. Tiger paintings are often hung on the wall, facing the gate, so that demons are afraid to go in. Even in contemporary China, some children wear tiger hats and shoes to ward off evil spirits, while others sleep on tiger pillows to make themselves stronger. In the Year of the Tiger, the red word "Wang" is written on children's heads, which seems to enhance their energy and vitality.
People in China love auspicious things, so tiger symbols and tiger flags have become the targets of catching opponents, and people have always been happy to use tiger paintings, tiger faces and Humen gods to pray for good luck and ward off evil spirits. This custom has been circulating for thousands of years.
The Cultural Connotation of the Zodiac Tiger Chapter III The Symbolic Significance of the Tiger
Tigers symbolize majesty and strength.
The tiger's character is brave, powerful and violent, which makes people afraid and afraid to approach, just like in front of the "emperor" or authority. In people's minds, the tiger is a symbol of majesty and strength, and its expression is awe-inspiring and inviolable. It is not to be offended or provoked, so there is a saying in folk proverbs: "You can't touch the tiger's ass" and "Who dares to touch the tiger's beard?" "Tigers don't eat people, but they look like they want to kill people." .
Some proverbs show the tiger's habits and its special relationship with human beings, the environment and other animals. The former is like "tigers sometimes take a nap" and "tigers hide in holes without showing prestige"; The latter, such as "the front door refuses the tiger, the back door enters the wolf", "the sheep runs into the tiger group", "the tiger enters the city, and every family closes the door", "a good tiger can't hold the wolf group" ... Some proverbs, in addition to superficial metaphor or symbolic shallow meaning, have a deep meaning of their essence, which is manifested as or has a certain philosophy of life, or prompts the essential characteristics of things, or summarizes people's life experience. This proverb is actually a metaphor, perhaps a symbol, a beautiful flower of thought, conceived or invented by people for a certain purpose. Such as "flying on the tiger's head", "scratching on the tiger's head", "Two tigers are bound to get hurt when they fight", "Sheep are still afraid when they see the tiger", "Sheep and tigers will lose one day when they make friends", "Pigs pay a New Year call to the tiger and never come back", "tyranny is fiercer than tigers" and "Never enter the tiger's den". "There is no tiger in the mountain, and the monkey is called the king" ... These proverbs all have meanings and have the characteristics of duplicity. Some of them can even be the generalization and condensation of fables, which are extremely exquisite language arts.
Introduction to the Year of the Tiger Zodiac
Tiger is one of the 12 Zodiacs, ranking third, and is called Silver Tiger.
Tiger Totem Worship and Cultural Inheritance
The traditional folk ceremony "Jumping Yu Tu" (that is, "Jumping Tiger") is a relic of the totem worship of the ancient Qiang tiger. At present, it only exists in Nianduhu Village, Tongren County, Huangnan Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Every year, from the fifth to the twentieth day of the first lunar month, "Wu Tú", or "Jumping Tiger", is held to drive away evil spirits and epidemics. On May 20th, 2006, Turkish Yu Tu was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.
The worship of tigers should originate from the totem worship of tigers in Chu culture. The tiger has always been worshipped by the Han people. It is a symbol of justice, courage and majesty. According to textual research, the image of tiger also appeared in ancient Qiang and Rong nationalities, but it was most popular in southwest China. Jade cong of Liangzhu culture in Neolithic Age and bronze wares in Yin and Shang Dynasties have similar animal faces and tiger images. To this day, the Yi, Bai, Buyi, Tujia and other ethnic groups in China still call tigers their ancestors. People in the Han Dynasty regarded the tiger as the king of beasts. The white tiger is a tiger that can only turn white in 500 years. It's sacred. Immortals often ascend to heaven by tigers. It's the beast of Zhenxi. Since the Han Dynasty, the tiger has always been the favorite protector of the working people, but it is not a symbol of the emperor. After a long historical evolution and development, the cultural awareness of tiger worship has become an unchangeable cultural concept of the Chinese nation.
Tiger related culture
Shu Wei, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, wrote a poem "Red Seedlings on Bamboo Branches in Qian Miao": "Weaving silk is not with people, but turning bronze drums to compete with mountain gods, and they are speechless. Tonight is empty to avoid shade. " (Note: Hongmiao is only available in Tongren area, and the clothes are all made of silk, which is the service of the needlework. Beating a bronze drum is called drum tuning. On the fifth day of May every year, the couple stay up late and dare not talk, thinking that they have committed a tiger wound. ) In other words, Yin is a tiger, who dares to violate the custom of avoiding Yin? If couples sleep together in the shade in May, tigers will hurt them.
White Tiger
So some places have the custom of avoiding shade.
White Tiger God is the patron saint of ancient Taoism in China. It was originally the name of an ancient star official. Because it was tiger-shaped, located in the west, with five elements and five colors, it was named after the western seven fates among the 28 stars. It is also one of the four gods. "Book of Rites Quli" has the saying that "Suzaku is in front, Xuanwu is behind, Qinglong is on the left, and white tiger is on the right". Most Tujia people believe in the White Tiger God. When Tujia people in Hubei offer sacrifices to the white tiger, the altar owner will kill the pig and cut blood, drop it on paper money, hang it up and burn it. Children of Tujia people in Hunan are often considered to be caused by white tigers, so wizards must be asked to drive them away. When driving away, put a chair outdoors, tie bamboo with branches and leaves, and tie a white rooster. Wizards will cast spells indoors. When the rooster crowed, the white tiger was driven away. Shaanxi has the custom of sending cloth tigers to raise children. When the child is full moon, my uncle's family will send a tiger made of yellow cloth. When I enter the gate, I will break a tiger's tail and throw it outside. Giving cloth tigers is to hope that children will be as powerful as tigers when they grow up; Breaking the tiger's tail is to hope that children will avoid disasters and difficulties in the process of growing up. The custom of giving tiger pillows is popular all over Shanxi. Whenever a child has a birthday, an uncle will give his nephew a tiger pillow or a pair of tiger pillows, which can be used as pillows, toys and blessings.
Sun Yat-sen (Tiger)
The marriage custom of "hanging tiger buns" is popular in hua county, Shaanxi. Before the Chinese New Year, the man would steam a pair of tiger buns and tie them together with red ropes. When the bride arrives, she will hang the tiger buns around her neck and take them off after entering the door. The bride and groom will share food, indicating that they will be together forever. It is worth mentioning that this kind of steamed bread is also divided into male and female. There is a word "Wang" on the head of Gonghu steamed bread, which means that the man should be the head of the family. The tigress has a pair of birds on her forehead, which means that her wife flies with her husband. There is also a little tiger in front of each tiger's neck, which means wishing the newlyweds an early birth.
Idioms related to China Zodiac Tiger
When two tigers fight, one will always get hurt: when two fierce tigers fight, one of them will get hurt. To make a metaphor, the strength of both opposing sides is very strong, and the result of fierce struggle is that one side suffers.
Feng He: Tigers pounce: Fighting tigers with empty hands; Feng He: Wade across the river. Metaphor is foolhardy and reckless.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained: Yan: What. Nothing attempted, nothing gained. Metaphor means that you can't succeed without experiencing danger.
Help the tiger eat: a metaphor for helping the wicked do bad things.
Crouching tiger, hidden dragon: refers to hidden undiscovered talents, and also refers to hidden talents.
Eye-catching tiger kiss: owl: kite, a kind of raptor; Kiss: On the lips. Describe a person's sinister appearance.
Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers: a metaphor for young people who have less worries and dare to do things.
Spring ice tiger tail: step on the tiger tail and walk on the ice that will thaw in spring. Metaphor is dangerous.
Casual eye: deliberately playing dumb and cheating.
Tiger change: tiger change: such as the change of tiger body pattern. The source of metaphor is unpredictable.
Great Sage Tiger Change: Tiger Change: Such as the change of tiger body pattern. The source of metaphor is unpredictable.
Move the tiger on the mountain: try to get the tiger away from the original hill. Metaphor uses tricks to make the other party leave the original place, so as to take the opportunity to act.
Evil tigers don't eat children: even fierce tigers don't eat their own cubs. Metaphor does not hurt close people.
The hungry tiger and the hungry eagle: the metaphor of cruelty and greed.
Hungry tigers pounce on food: just like hungry tigers pounce on food. Metaphor action is fierce and rapid.
Hungry tigers pounce on sheep: just like hungry tigers pounce on food. Metaphor action is fierce and rapid.
Hungry tiger: a metaphor for a very dangerous place.
Release the tiger to the mountain: release the tiger to the mountain. Metaphor sent the bad guys back to their lair, leaving a curse.
Self-defense: Self-defense. Metaphor uses bad guys to cause disaster.
The wind follows the tiger and the cloud follows the dragon: a metaphor for the mutual induction between things.
Wind, Tiger, Yunlong: Tiger roared to generate wind, while dragon generated clouds. Refers to the mutual induction of similar things. In the old days, it was also a metaphor for the sage of the Lord who met the wise monarch.
, Fu; Gave in; Surrender: To cause to yield by force. Use strength to bring tigers and dragons to their knees. Describe the powerful, can overcome all enemies and difficulties.