The classic legend about Liang Zhu tells the story that Zhu Yingtai, a talented woman from Zhujiazhuang, Shangyu, disguised herself as a man and went to Hangzhou to study. On the way, she met Liang Shanbo, a member of Huiji who also went to Hangzhou to study, so they went to Hangzhou to study together. In three years, they were inseparable and formed a profound friendship. Zhu Yingtai went home first. Two years later, when Liang Shanbo visited Zhu Yingtai in danger, the truth came out and he realized that Zhu Yingtai was a daughter, so he went home and told his parents that he wanted to marry him. Unexpectedly, I was betrothed to the Ma family on the orders of my parents, and I regretted it. Three years later, Liang Shanbo became the magistrate of Yinxian County, and eventually fell ill due to years of lovesickness. After his death, he was buried at the foot of Qingdao Mountain in the west of Yinxian County. In the second year after Liang's death, on the way to get married, after Liang's tomb, there was another storm. When he heard that this was Liang Shanbo's graveyard, he couldn't help feeling sad and went up the mountain to pay homage. Zhu Yingtai wept bitterly for the dead, and his friendship touched the world. I saw a hole suddenly opened in Liang Shanbo's grave, and Zhu Yingtai jumped in and died in the same hole. After that, their souls turned into butterflies and danced.
Introduction to butterfly lovers butterfly lovers (the legend of butterfly lovers) is a sad and touching love story. Together with Meng Jiangnu, Cowherd and Weaver Girl, and Legend of White Snake, it is called the four major folklore in China, among which the legend of butterfly lovers has the greatest influence, and its literariness, artistry and ideological content rank first among all kinds of folklore. It is the most influential oral inheritance art in China, and it is also the only art that produces China folk customs in the world. People often refer to the legend of butterfly lovers as "Romeo and Juliet in the East".
Liang Zhu is a beautiful, sad and touching story. It was formed in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the story originated in Maxiang Town, runan county. Their graves are located on both sides of the road from Gujing to Hanguan in Maxiang Town, runan county, and there are still relics. The story shows the marriage tragedy of a young man and woman who failed to combine because of hatred under the feudal system. The earliest document recording the legend of Liang Zhu can be found in Liang Zaiyan's Ten Ways and Four Stories in the early Tang Dynasty.
The historical development process of Liang Zhu legend is 1. The first stage is from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, which is the formation period of the legend, mainly manifested in oral legends, mainly circulating in Huiji (now Shaoxing) and Shangyu.
2. The second stage is from the Song Dynasty to the early years of the Republic of China, which is the development period of legends. The form of communication has developed from early oral communication to written records and literary works. The transmission area also jumped out of the central area of Huiji, radiating most parts of the country and flowing into Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia such as Japan, North Korea and Vietnam.
3. The third stage, from the late Republic of China to the present, is the mature period of legend. As far as the legend content is concerned, this stage eliminated the plot of "suing the underworld" and Liang Zhu's reunion, highlighted the content of Zhu Yingtai's double suicide, strengthened the theme of love tragedy, highlighted the folk anti-feudal democratic consciousness, and re-formed a relatively stable story structure.
Specifically, the earliest existing written materials about the legend of Liang Zhu can be found in Ten Laws and Four Anti-Records, which is quoted from the Siming Tujing written by Liang Zaiyan in Max Zhang in the Song Dynasty in the early Tang Dynasty:
The tomb of a righteous woman is also the place where Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai were buried together. There is a temple behind the reception center in the west of the county seat. The old memory said that the two had less experience in interacting with classmates, which was more than three years, but Shan Bo didn't know that Yingtai was a woman at first. That's how simple it is. According to "Ten Fang Si Fan Zhi", "The adopted daughter wishes Yingtai and Liang Shanbo to be buried together", which is also true.
This legend was circulated among the people at that time with plot content. Unfortunately, Liang's record is too brief, which may not be its true colors. However, it can be concluded that the legend of Liang Zhu may have evolved from a real historical event.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Du's Xuanshizhi recorded the basic plot of this legend:
The daughter of Zhu in Shangyu, Yingtai, pretends to be a man for study tour and walks with mountain people, with a kind personality. I wish I could go home first. Two years later, Shan Bo went to see her, and I realized that she was a woman. I felt very lost. Tell his parents to apply for a job. I wish I had the word horse. Uncle Shan 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 Shanbo's tomb, I would like to climb the tomb, the ground suddenly cracks, and I would like to be buried. Xie An, Prime Minister of Jin Dynasty, called it "Yi Fu's Tomb".
In Zhang's records, it has been clearly pointed out that the legend originated in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the folk belief in it can be seen from "the tomb of Xie An, the prime minister of Jin Dynasty, is called the tomb of righteous women". Because Liang Zaiyan and Zhang Du were both from the Tang Dynasty, the legends they recorded were at least spread orally among the people, which attracted the attention of scholars and were recorded in local chronicles. Besides, folk customs can only be widely spread after a long-term development process. It is reasonable to push it from top to bottom to the Six Dynasties. The clue provided by Xu Shupi in the Book of Knowledge in the Ming Dynasty can verify this point: "According to Liang Zhu, things are different, which are contained in Jinlouzi and Huiji Literature and Art." Although there is no such record in Jin Lou Zi compiled by Yongle Dadian, I believe that Xu Zhiyan will not be groundless and out of thin air. Jin Lou Zi is the work of Xiao Yi, Emperor of Liang Yuan. Xiao Yi lived in 505-554 AD and wrote many works in his life. His poems are "frivolous and colorful", and Liang Zhu's "love history" should also be his content. This passage by Xu Shupi also points out the legend of Liang Zhu. It's "strange news", which means it happened in "Huiji", not "strange news" in other places. From this, we can basically conclude that the legend of Liang Zhu originated in Ningbo area of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
The written materials mentioned above about the legends of Liang Zhu are generally simple. An earlier and more complete work is Zhong Yi Ji written by Li in the Song Dynasty (the Song Dynasty knew something about the Ming Dynasty): God is afraid of benevolence, the word is good, and the surname is Liang, so people will remember it. The dream of the Goddess Mother was conceived in December. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Mu Diyong and Renzi were born on March 1st. Young people are smart and curious, but long-term students study and learn the code of grave robbery well. Learning from famous teachers, crossing Qiantang, Lu Yu, a son, and Rong Zhi took the lead and carried forward with heavy burdens. Watari Wataru sat down and asked, "Who's the son?" "Zhu is the surname, Zhen is the name, and Zhai is the word." He said, "Xi Zi?" Yue: "The hometown of Shangyu." He said, "Is it a stone?" He said, "The teacher is in you." Discuss the purpose with them calmly and feel at ease. God said, "Home and mountain are interlinked, so I am not sensitive to it. If I climb a fish and attach wings to it, I will look at it the same way. " So I went happily. I have been away from school for three years, so I hope I can come back first. Two years later, Shan Bo also returned to the province. Go to Shangyu, visit Xinzhai, and cite the ignorant. He smiled and said, "I know everything." If you are good at writing, may your husband nine niang succeed? "Introduction to heel door, poetry and wine. Shan Bo was disappointed, only to know that it was a woman. Retreat and admire his innocence, sue his parents for marriage, but he has promised Ma Shi, Fogg, the head of the city corridor. God sighed: "Life should be a seal, and death should be food for the temple. It's not enough to talk. "After Jian Wendi Juxian County, the county accepted the call of God and made a letter to make it. The baby was ill and asked the servant, "The Kowloon Market at the source of Xiqing Road is also a burial place. "With your eyes closed. Corning Gui You was born in August 16. In a few days, people in tianquan county are worried. On the second day of next spring, I wish Ismail, coming downstream to the west, making waves and sailing around. Ask the teacher in horror. He pointed out, "This is the new tomb of Liangshan Boling. Isn't that weird? "Yingtai was buried in the grave, mourning it, and it was buried in the ground. The follower was surprised by his skirt, and the wind was fierce, and he fell in Dongxi Xiyu. Ma Yan said that officials opened the coffin and the serpent protected the grave, but it didn't work. The county heard a lot about the DPRK, and Prime Minister Xie An invited him to seal the adopted daughter's tomb and let him stay in Jiangzuo. To Andi Ding Youqiu, Sun En Kouhuiji, the demon party abandoned the monument in the river. Qiu asked for help, and God helped him in his dreams. The night fruit was shining, the soldiers were invisible, and the thieves fled into the sea. Yu Jia heard that the emperor showed his strength with the help of God, praised and sealed "Benevolence and Loyalty" and built a temple. The more Liang Wang temples there are, the more there are two Huiji temples with yellow skirts in the western regions. People suffering from drought, floods, epidemics and travel accidents need to pray. In the first year of Daguan in Song Dynasty, Ji Chun collected Records of Nine Domains and Records of Ten Roads and Four Fans, and the facts can be verified. Reporter's husband Ji Ye, Ji Yichuan immortal cloud. In a word, students, like teachers, are right. Death and marriage are the same. God serves the country and nourishes the people. Shi Wen Zhong Yi, worthy of worship, has an immortal reputation. (See Qingwen Road in Yin County Records)
In this temple story, a complete legendary plot is preserved, which is basically similar to the legend of Liang Zhu that is now circulated among the people. In addition, the date of birth and death of Liang Shanbo and the time when the temple was established are clearly recorded in it. Although I don't believe it completely, it still has certain reference value for inferring the time when the legend came into being. Mu Diyong and Renzi were Yonghe eight years (352 years); Jian Wendi reigned for two years, that is, the first year of Xian 'an (37 1 year) and two years; Kangning Gui You was the first year of Kangning in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (373); Andi Dingyou was the first year of Long 'an (397). In other words, Liang Shanbo was born on the first day of the third lunar month in 352, served as county magistrate in 37 1 or 372, and died on the 16th of the third lunar month in 373. Zhu Yingtai got married in the late spring of 374; Liangshanbo Temple was built in 397. If the records are reliable, we can generally think that the legend of Liang Zhu came into being in more than 20 years from 374 to 397. Because the legend of Liang Zhu can only be produced and spread after the legend itself produces results. For example, the legend of Liang Zhu has always been a "secret" or a fact that happened in a very small scope during Zhu Yingtai's Disguised as a Woman, Grass Bridge Becoming sworn, Three Years of Classmates and even Meeting on the Balcony. In this period, it is impossible to spread the legend abroad or widely, so no matter how legendary the "woman disguised as a man" is and how lingering the "encounter on the balcony" is, there will be no legend immediately. It was not until Zhu Yingtai's tomb was "double suicide" that the legend became clear and gradually became public. The local people were shocked by this sudden "incident" and began to get to the bottom of it. As a result, people began to tell sad and touching stories in their lives. Before "the official of Ma Yan, the story was heard in the DPRK, and the Prime Minister Xie An played the memorial of his adopted daughter", the wonders of Liang Zhu gradually spread among the people. Then, through the continuous processing and enrichment of folk artists, the classic legends that have been passed down through the ages are deduced.
The legend of butterfly lovers basically took shape, but there was no "become a butterfly" ending.
Since then, more important literature records include Feng Menglong's Li's Daughter and Qing (Daoguang) Shao Jinbiao's Biography of Zhu Yingtai, especially the latter ending with become a butterfly:
Zhu Yingtai, nine niang, a rich girl in Shangyu. Born without a brother, you are both talented and beautiful. When parents want to choose a spouse, Yingtai said, "It is wise for children to study abroad." It was renamed Jiuguan because it was easy to wear men's clothes. When Liang Shanbo was still studying in Huiji, he went to Bixianyan in Yixing Mountain Spring Temple, built a temple to study and live together. I haven't seen you for three years before Liang realized it was a woman. Liang said, "If you can visit each other one day, you must tell your mother to marry your sister." Actually, I promised myself. Liang Jiali was poor, shy and afraid to walk, so he went to Yan State. Parents use the English word Ma hippo chef. The back beam is the Yin Ling, so I wish my family to consult nine officials. The boy said, "My family has nine niang, but there are no nine officials." Liang Jingyu, please meet your classmates. Yingtai covered his face, but he was born in an "easy" position. Liang repented and died, and his last words were buried at the foot of the mountain. Next year, Yingtai will return Ma Shi, and Zhou Zi will be ordered to make a detour. When the wind and waves rise, the ship will berth. Yingtai burst into tears in front of Liang's tomb, and suddenly the ground cracked and fell into the tomb. Embroidered skirt, butterflies fly away. Xie An, the Prime Minister, heard about it in the DPRK, so he asked to be the adopted daughter's tomb, which is also the current affairs of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. During the period of Qi and Peace, it was miraculous and made great contributions to the war. One department built a temple in Yin to worship. Its reading room is called Bixian Temple. Qi Jianyuan changed to Shanquan Temple. There are stone carvings at the back of this temple, and the big letters "Zhu Yingtai Reading Room". In front of Xu Li Temple, the village name is Zhu Ling. Rhododendrons bloom in the mountains, and Qi Fei is a big butterfly. Folklore is the soul of both. Today, it is called "Zhu Yingtai" Cloud.
Although the plot of "become a butterfly" has a saying in Xue's poem in Song Dynasty that "the butterfly dances to condense the mountain gods and flowers bloom like jade", it is combined with the local environment to form a vivid ending, thus pushing the legend of butterfly lovers to a new height. Another contribution of this record is to highlight the background of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. At that time, due to the gentry system, only equal family status could exchange marriages. Under this strict class opposition, young men and women are involuntarily married because of their family status and identity, even if they are destined to know each other and fall in love. Liang can't marry. I'm afraid this is one of the main reasons why the legendary Liang Shanbo was born in poverty, so he postponed the period of marriage and employment until he made a county magistrate to visit friends in Zhu Zhuang. At that time, there was a saying that "there is no poverty in the top grade, and there is no home in the bottom grade". As Liang Shi, Roy married a rich man. Shen Yue went to the table to impeach him, saying that Roy insulted scholars, nothing more, and called human beings "not our race". In the past, the written records of Liang Zhu legends were not specific enough to reflect the background of the Six Dynasties (perhaps more specific in folk oral circulation).