A ring is a ring, which is also called a contract. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, the book Mao Zhuan recorded a gold and silver poem marked by "ring". Jingnv ". But at that time, it was not called a ring, but a "note". Later, with the popularity of rings among the people, there are more and more names, such as "about finger", "on behalf of finger" and "driving ring".
If we use archaeological data, it is not difficult to find that in primitive society, rings as decorations have already been produced. Take Dawenkou site named after Dawenkou culture in Tai 'an City, Shandong Province as an example. Only when 1959 first excavated, 20 rings were found. Nine of them are still on the victim's phalanx. It is made of materials such as bones and jade. Judging from the unearthed situation, in the primitive society of four or five thousand years, both men and women wear rings, and there are also left and right points. It belittles people's aesthetic objects and goes down in the history of primitive human spiritual life.
The first person to wear a ring was an Egyptian. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, the ring represents eternity, and people's love and marriage also look forward to eternity. Rings, once used as decorations, soon became a sacred symbol of marriage between men and women.
As early as the early Han Dynasty in China, wearing rings was popular in the court. If the maid-in-waiting wears a silver ring on her left hand, it will be clear that she is menstruating or pregnant, and it is forbidden to approach the emperor. If you serve the emperor, you will be given a gold ring to wear on your right hand. The sun and the moon are recorded in the female history books. As for the marriage vows between men and women, it probably began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
There is also an interesting legend about the ring: in ancient times, there was a prime minister who was fair, but he was impatient. When something goes wrong, he flies into a rage, slams tables and boxes, and often scares his subordinates into silence. He felt it was wrong to lose his temper like this, but there was nothing he could do. what should he do ？ Thinking about it, I finally came up with a "coup" to make a copper ring and wear it on my finger. When you lose your temper and strike the table, the copper ring will shake your fingers and warn yourself to suppress your anger. This method really worked, so some impatient and angry officials followed suit and put on copper rings to control their anger. Because the copper ring is worn on the finger, it plays the role of warning and restraint, so it is called "ring".
Nowadays, rings, as an ancient ornament and token, are widely loved by people. Both men and women wear it. Its symbolic meaning dilutes the connotation of "engagement". The ancient history has been integrated into the imprint of the new era. The ring symbolizes marriage, and different ways of wearing it mean different things.
All kinds of rings:
1. Ring symbolizing the sun and the moon: In ancient society, rings were not only worn on people's fingers, but also enshrined on mounds around temples, Buddhist temples and people's houses. These rings are usually made of beautiful jade. Archaeologists and anthropologists have found that this kind of ring is the symbol of the sun god, the Lord of all things that human beings worship most in ancient society, and think that it gives people warmth like the sun god and guards human happiness and peace. At the same time, it symbolizes virtue and eternity, and represents truth and belief. Until modern times, there was a legend in Russia: the groom wore a gold ring, symbolizing the fiery red sun; The bride wears a silver ring symbolizing the bright moon.
2. Ring representing freedom and dignity: In ancient Greek society, rings were worn by liberated slaves-free folk music, because they thought rings symbolized freedom and dignity. Wearing a ring also has different customs and norms. In ancient Rome, wealthy citizens wore different rings in different seasons. In winter, they wear heavy and generous rings, and in summer, they wear light rings. Bronze rings can be worn on both hands at will, and gold and silver rings are generally worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. As for rings inlaid with precious stones and jade, men wear them on their left hands and women wear them on their right hands. Some of them are still in use today. For example, nowadays people wear gold and silver rings, and most people are still used to wearing them on the fourth finger of their left hand.
3. Rings as amulets and souvenirs: citizens of the ancient Roman Empire wore rings inlaid with jade and amber as amulets to protect themselves. Nobles wear gold and silver rings inlaid with rubies, because rubies that shine brightly are symbols of wealth and glory. Kings carved royal seals on their rings, which are called seal rings. This kind of ring is not only worn by the king, but also a token of the king's command. The king's herald holds a ring engraved with the king's seal to convey orders, which makes his subjects more convinced and can faithfully carry out the king's orders.
4. Rings are also related to medicine and religion: according to legend, transparent emeralds can avoid plague, so priests wear emeralds for patients in witchcraft rituals to pray for their early recovery.
5. Key ring: In ancient Roman society, there was a special custom of wearing a ring. When the bride enters the bridal chamber after the wedding, her mother-in-law puts a key ring on the bride's finger, and the key on the ring is used to open the door lock of her family. Wearing this key ring on the bride's hand means that she has entered a new home and assumed the responsibilities in the new family, that is, taking care of her husband, educating her in-laws, raising children and doing housework. If this key is removed, people will laugh at it and think it is an ugly thing.
6. Engagement ring: After the 6th century, men and women exchanged rings at the engagement ceremony. An engagement ring is a pair of rings that meet each other. The shape is a pair of clasped hands, indicating that both sides will never change their minds. At present, engagement rings of this shape are rare in the west. Most engagement rings are inlaid with crystal clear pearls or diamonds, showing the purity of love and the loyalty of both parties.
7. Wedding Ring: In ancient Egypt, the ring that the groom gave to the bride on the morning of the wedding was unadorned. It symbolizes eternal love and loyalty, and the groom uses it to express his trust in the bride. Later, the wedding ring developed into the shape of holding a sweetheart in both hands and inlaid with gems, which was worn by the groom on the middle finger of his left hand and given to the bride at the wedding. In addition, when westerners hold a wedding, some brides will give the ladies attending the wedding a ring engraved with patterns, which is the wedding commemorative ring. /kloc-In the 9th century, Queen Victoria of England gave ladies more than 70 wedding commemorative rings at her luxurious and solemn wedding, which became a beautiful talk for a while.
8. Bishop's Ring: In the Middle Ages, the Pope had supreme status and the greatest power. They are wearing rings inlaid with huge gems. This ring is heavy and solemn, representing the authority possessed by the Pope. In the 0/5th century A.D./KLOC, the rings worn by popes were inlaid with precious stones on the top and decorated with winged lion reliefs on both sides, showing a dignified and solemn style. A gold and silver ring inlaid with sapphire and amethyst is also a kind that bishops often wear, because sapphire and amethyst symbolize God's love and strength, and also represent bishops' unswerving focus on their duties, kindness and forgiveness, purity and elegance. Some bishop's rings are engraved with the name of the wearer.
9. Palace rings: In the 17 and 18 centuries, it has become a trend to exchange rings at banquets, dances and other social occasions. To this end, the rich women of princes and nobles rushed to hire jewelers to make rings with unique styles. Some rings are painted with portraits of kings and nobles on tiny enamel, which are not only meticulous in craftsmanship, but also vivid and realistic, and even the patterns on the costumes are clearly visible. In order to commemorate their ancestors, many descendants of nobles also made sleeve shirts and enamel painted rings, which were handed down to future generations as family heirlooms.
10, mom's ring: "mom's ring" is a very beautiful souvenir that the child gave to his mother. This kind of ring is inlaid with a small baby birthstone on a gold and silver hoop; Some are inlaid with father's birthstone in the middle of the iron ring; Some people put the birthstone of the dead child on it. Birthstone refers to the gem related to the birth of the moon star, such as February, which is amethyst.