Dragon originated in the early Neolithic Age, no less than eight thousand years ago. During this period, the primitive ancestors no longer simply and passively relied on God's rewards. They raised wild horses, bison, wild boars, etc. they had hunted; they no longer only ate the wild fruits they picked, but had choices. Grains are grown for harvest. They became proficient in making and using fire, learned to build simple houses with wood, began to grind stone and bone tools, and made pottery by hand, and gradually settled down and engaged in production activities. Production activities have brought people into more and more contact with nature, and nature, as an incredible force outside of human beings, has an increasing impact on people's spiritual world.
Why do fish swim around each other, crocodiles make loud sounds, snakes are scary, and lizards look weird? Why are the clouds rolling, lightning flashing, thunder rumbling, and rain pouring? Why do the waves roll, rainbows fill the sky, and mudslides roar down, swallowing up humans and animals, and becoming invincible? ...The behavior of these animals and the ever-changing natural celestial phenomena are beyond scientific explanation to the ancients.
They vaguely guessed that there should be such a powerful "god" related to "water" that dominates, commands, manipulates and manages these animals and celestial phenomena, like a clan must have. Like a leader; in other words, these animals and natural phenomena are the embodiment of the character of this "divine creature", just like people who want to talk, shout, eat, drink, and sleep, laugh and curse.
Dragon, as a worship phenomenon and an "understanding" of incredible natural forces, began its "fuzzy set" from this time on.
The "dragon-shaped pile sculptures" unearthed from the original village site of Chahai in Fuxin, Liaoning provide evidence for our "time positioning". The Chahai site is a relic of the "Pre-Hongshan Culture", dating back about 8,000 years. The "Dragon-shaped Sculpture" is located in the central square of this primitive village site and is made of reddish-brown stones of equal size. The dragon is nearly 20 meters long and nearly two meters wide. It raises its head and mouth, bends its back and its tail is looming. This stone dragon is the oldest and largest dragon ever discovered in my country. (An article states that there is a 10,000-year-old rock painting of a fish-tailed deer and a dragon on the rock cliff of Shizitan, Jixian County, Shanxi Province, which is believed to be the earliest prototype of a dragon. This rock painting has not been published, and its appearance is unknown. Next, there are dragon patterns on pottery unearthed in Xinglongwa, Aohan Banner, Inner Mongolia, dating back 7,000 or 8,000 years ago, and dragon patterns on painted pottery narrow-necked bottles unearthed in Beishouling Site, Baoji, Shaanxi, dating back 7,000 years. There are clam sculptures with dragon patterns unearthed at Xishui Slope in Puyang, Henan, dating back more than 6,400 years.
The starting point of the fuzzy aggregation process of dragons was in the Neolithic Age. After rapid development from the Shang and Zhou to the Warring States periods, it was basically formed by the Qin and Han Dynasties. This "basic" has two meanings. First, it means that the framework, elements, and styles that constitute the dragon were basically available in the Qin and Han Dynasties; second, it means that the dragon is an open and constantly accepting new system, and it does not satisfy the requirements of the Qin and Han Dynasties. It was basically formed, and subsequent dynasties and dynasties until today are still adding, subtracting, changing and developing. How were dragons formed? There have always been different opinions, including crocodiles, snakes, lizards, horses, pigs, lightning, hauni and so on. The author's point of view is the "fuzzy set theory". The idea is as follows: the ancestors of the Neolithic Age faced the world outside themselves with primitive thinking, and primitive thinking relied on intuitive superficiality, overall correlation, and non-logical thinking. Mystery and group representation are "fuzzy thinking" to be explored. This kind of thinking was enough to cause our ancestors to collect and sublimate various objects in the world outside themselves into several "gods" that were not clear, precise, and unique, and then worshiped them.
In the minds of the ancients, the world outside them was mysterious, chaotic, and elusive. The intuitive and superficial nature of fuzzy thinking made it impossible for them to interpret clouds, thunder and lightning, rainbows, ocean tides, and mudslides like modern people do. It is also impossible to use rich biological knowledge to clearly study the living habits of fish, crocodiles, snakes, lizards, pigs, horses, cattle and other animals like modern people. In their view, clouds, thunder and lightning, rainbows, etc. that bend in the sky are all related to rain and are of the same type; fish, crocodiles, snakes, etc. that swim in rivers and lakes are all close to water and are generally of the same type; Pigs like water, and horses, cows, etc. are also inseparable from water - hippopotamus and buffalo are water creatures. Moreover, when it rains from the sky and falls to the ground, it becomes water; when water rises to the sky and falls again, it becomes rain. Since the rain falling from the sky and the water flowing on the ground are the same thing, then the clouds, thunder and lightning, rainbows, etc. that bend in the sky and are related to rain are the same as the fish, crocodiles, and crocodiles swimming in rivers and lakes that are closely related to water. Snakes, etc. are pretty much the same thing. Moderate rainfall results in luxuriant pastures and fruitful crops; lack of rainfall results in dry leaves and grass, and drought-prone crops; excessive rainfall results in flooding of humans and animals, and the destruction of farmland. Production and life cannot rely on rainwater, but rainwater often makes people unable to rely on it. Let’s look at these objects related to rain: clouds are rolling and changing in all directions; thunder and lightning are roaring in the sky, and thunderbolts are coming; rainbows with bowed heads and backs, the colors are strange; there are also different sizes, different temperaments, varying lengths, and eerie Weird fish, crocodiles, snakes, lizards, etc.: how mysterious, how majestic, how terrifying and frightening it all is!
So, the ancients guessed: there must be a "god" that is in charge of all this, leads all this, controls all this, and rehearses all this.
This "god object" is very big in size, and can be large or small; its skin color is diverse, and it can be light or dark; it should have a head and a tail, be able to get up and lie down, and be good at crawling and swimming. , twists and turns, moves quickly; in short, it has huge energy, can go up and down, is good at changing, can fly in the sky, can be hidden in the water, combines various "water things" characteristics, and has a special relationship with rain. closely related.
How should we call this "fetish"? People have discovered that when rain falls, dark clouds surge and lightning flashes, accompanied by "rumbling" thunder; the rise and fall of sea tides, tornadoes absorbing water, and mudslides flowing down mountains also make "rumbling" sounds; and crocodiles, cows, and pythons all make "rumbling" sounds. The roars of other animals are also close to the "rumble" sound; the "rumble" sound itself has the characteristics of being thick, powerful, deep and distant, giving people the feeling of terror, heroism, sublimity and mystery. Therefore, people took its name and called this vague collection of "gods" with the sound "long".
The pronunciation of "神物" is onomatopoeia. What should the image of "神物" look like? Some people say it looks like a fish, some people say it looks like a crocodile, some people say it looks like a snake, and some people say it looks like clouds, lightning, or hauni. It may look like this one today, that one tomorrow, and something else the day after tomorrow. One; you may also feel that you are both this and that. When you rise to the sky, you are a cloud, lightning, or rainbow; when you fall into the water, you are a fish, crocodile, or snake; when you come to land, you are a pig, horse, or cow. Fuzzy thinking is illogical and unaware of contradictions. This kind of thinking allows the same object to appear in different places at the same time, and allows the identity of parts and wholes, singular and plural.
The era of coining characters has arrived, and it is necessary to create a symbol for this sacred object that is called "long". When our ancestors first created characters, they mostly used pictograms. So, what shape should this fetish look like? Some people said it looked like a crocodile, so they made a few "dragon" characters that looked like crocodiles; some people said it looked like a snake, so they made a few "dragon" characters that looked like snakes; others said it looked like lightning, so they made a few more "dragon" characters that looked like lightning. Others say that the body is like a crocodile, a snake, or lightning, but the head is like a horse, an ox, or a pig, so just make a few "dragon" characters like this, that, and... As a result, there are various kinds of "dragon" characters in oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions. Later, it gradually evolved until it was finally simplified into the current "dragon".
In this way, we can say: Dragon is a kind of animal that the ancient Chinese created by combining fish, crocodiles, snakes, pigs, horses, cows and other animals, as well as clouds, thunder and lightning, hauni and other natural celestial phenomena. fetish. Based on real creatures and natural celestial phenomena, the ancestors integrated, invested, and embodied their fear, dependence, doubt, imagination, worship, etc. of the world outside themselves into the fuzzy collection of dragons.
From an aesthetic point of view, the dragon is undoubtedly an artistic creation of the ancients. It comes from specific objects such as fish, crocodiles, snakes, clouds, electricity, rainbows, etc., and through the fuzzy collection involving many people, it forms a new image that is built on and contains each specific object. image. Its formation process is a process of gathering elements of "beauty". As a common saying goes, it "comes from life but is higher than life". It is permeated and infused with the mythical conjectures, religious tastes and aesthetic pleasures of the ancients. and artistic taste.
Totem (Totem), originally a dialect word of the Odjibwa people of American Indians, means "his relatives". The core of totem worship is to believe that a certain animal, plant or inanimate creature has a blood relationship with one's own clan and is the ancestor and relative of the clan, thus respecting it as the sign, symbol and protector of the clan. Many scholars from various countries around the world have investigated and studied totem worship, an ancient and peculiar cultural phenomenon. It is generally believed that many ethnic groups in the world once had totem worship, and its remnants can still be seen in some modern ethnic groups. .
The first person to propose the dragon totem was Wen Shi Yiduo. Mr. Wen said this in his article specifically talking about dragons and phoenixes: "In the earliest sense, dragons and phoenixes represent the two most basic units of our ancient nations - the Xia nation and the Yin nation, because in the 'Gun Death... turns into a yellow dragon, which is derived from the two myths of "Yu" and "The destiny black bird (i.e. phoenix) descended and gave birth to Shang". People can vaguely see that the dragon is the totem of the original Xia people, and the phoenix is ??the totem of the original Yin people. Human totems (I say the original Xia people and the original Yin people, because the two dynasties of Xia and Yin in history have been far away from the totem culture period, and the so-called totems refer to the Xia and Yin people long before the Xia and Yin dynasties) Therefore, it is more appropriate to regard the dragon and phoenix as the symbol of the birth of our nation and the beginning of our culture.”
So, how was the dragon totem formed? Mr. Wen said in his famous article "Fuxi Kao": The dragon totem "is a virtual creature that only exists in totems and does not exist in the biological world, because it is composed of many different totems. A kind of synthesis"; it is "the result of the merger and assimilation of many weak units by the snake totem".
The dragon totem theory started in the 1940s and has been popular ever since. It once became the dominant view. In the 1980s, some scholars began to question the dragon totem theory, and some negative views emerged. For example: "No matter what, totem objects are always real objects in nature. Because in the final analysis, totemism embodies the relationship between humans and nature. Therefore, if based on popular theories and materials accepted by the academic community, It is unacceptable that the dragon is a totem and does not exist in nature at the same time.
"(Yan Yunxiang) "So far, there is no credible information in archeology or history to prove that there was a powerful clan with snake as its totem in Chinese history. As for the annexation and integration of other tribes with horses, dogs, fish, and birds, , The statement about clans and tribes with deer as their totem is completely conjecture. ” (Liu Zhixiong, Yang Jingrong)
Scholars also pointed out that it is very wrong to regard the animal shapes or patterns appearing on ancient Chinese cultural relics as forms of totem expression. Because a certain type of culture in archeology They are two completely different concepts from a certain clan or tribe in sociology. In terms of time and space, the former is much larger than the latter. Therefore, a certain ornamentation in a certain type of culture is equated with the totem of a certain clan. The possibility is slim. Some scholars put forward paradoxes based on the basic characteristics of totem culture, such as: totems are objects of reverence for clan group members and must not be damaged, killed or eaten. However, in ancient Chinese classics and myths and legends, There are many accounts of belittling dragons, humiliating dragons, fighting dragons, killing dragons, and eating dragons.
Overview of the debate on dragon totem theory, I feel that there are at least two issues worthy of consideration:
One question is that the totem theory comes from Western scholars. Did the ancient Chinese clans and tribes also have a period of totem worship like the Australian aboriginals and North American aborigines? After analyzing the relevant records in ancient books, the answer seems to be yes. However, according to the academic circles. According to the general view, totem culture occurred in the middle Paleolithic Age, flourished in the Late Paleolithic Age, and tended to decline in the Neolithic Age. As it entered class society, only some remnants remained. According to the physical data provided by archeology, The origin of the dragon should be after the beginning of the Neolithic Age, which raises a problem: totem worship has declined, but the dragon originated. It is contrary to classify the ascendant dragon as a worship phenomenon that is in decline. The basic logic of the development of things.
Another problem is that the concept of totem has its original connotation and extension that is basically recognized by the academic community. Such a totem is a totem in the strict sense, or it can be called " "Totem in the narrow sense". After adding its connotation and expanding its denotation, the totem is no longer a totem in the strict sense, or it can be called a "totem in a broad sense". A totem in the strict sense is an object existing in nature, and the dragon does not meet the Under this condition, they are divine objects that do not exist in nature. Therefore, if dragons are totems, they can only be classified into the framework of generalized totems. The problem is that narrow totems and generalized totems will conflict from time to time. According to the requirements of totem in the narrow sense, totem objects cannot be insulted or killed, but the dragon, which is a totem object in the broad sense, is repeatedly punished and killed. How to explain this problem if you have to choose between totem in the narrow sense and totem in the broad sense? , I prefer totem in the narrow sense, because I think totem is totem, and the original connotation and denotation should be respected. If it is too broad, there will be no totem.
In view of this, I will talk about it in a series. In Long's works and articles, the word "totem" is not used, but the concept of "emblem" is used.
The divine nature of the dragon can be described as loving water, flying, reaching the sky, and being changeable. , supernatural, sign of misfortune, and demonstration.
Among the dragon's divinities, "water-loving" ranks first. This is because dragons are originally "water things" and "water." "Phase", or in other words, dragon originates from "water object" and "water phase". Many fuzzy collection objects of dragon can be said to be "water objects" or "water phase". Fish, crocodiles, hippopotamus, seahorses, buffaloes, etc. live in water; snakes and lizards like to live in wet and damp places; pigs, cattle, earth horses, deer, etc. cannot survive without water; and clouds, thunder and lightning, rainbow, Natural celestial phenomena such as ocean tides, tornadoes, and mudslides are all closely related to rain and water. It seems that they can be called "water phases." How could the dragon, which is originally a water creature and a water element, not "love water"?
The divinity of "loving water" makes the dragon particularly qualified for the priestly duties of moving clouds, providing rain, and managing water.
"Good to fly" occupies a particularly important position in the dragon's basic divinity. There are several reasons why dragons are "easy to fly": first, as fuzzy collection objects of dragons, clouds, thunder, lightning, hauni, etc. are originally "celestial phenomena" flying in the sky; second, fish, crocodiles, snakes, etc. dive in the water. The speed of swimming, horses, cattle, deer, etc. running on land is similar to "flying"; thirdly, due to the ambiguity of thinking, ancient people often compared fish, crocodiles, snakes, etc. swimming in the water to running on land. Horses, cows, deer, etc. on the sky, and clouds, thunder and lightning, hauni, etc. flying in the sky are regarded as different manifestations of the same divine object. Therefore, it is believed that one can swim in the water, run on the ground, and fly in the sky. Fourth, since human beings have spiritual life, they have always dreamed of transcending their own limitations, getting rid of the hardships of this world, soaring and soaring into the sky where there are stars, the moon, and white clouds. As a divine creature that embodies and embodies the ideals of the ancients, the dragon is not a dragon if it cannot fly or is difficult to fly.
The divine nature of "good flying" makes dragons naturally and conveniently become the objects of control of some gods, saints and emperors.
The direction and domain of "flying" are naturally and can only be the mysterious, vast and supreme sky. Therefore, "easy to fly" must be "reaching the sky".
As early as on the black pottery double-ear basin unearthed at the Hemudu site in Yuyao, Zhejiang, there are patterns carving "fish and algae patterns" and "bird patterns" together. The "bird and fish pattern" unearthed at the Beishouling site in Shaanxi "dragon and phoenix pattern"), also connects the fuzzy set of birds flying in the sky with the fish and jujube dragon swimming in the water. This reveals that as early as the early Neolithic Age, at the beginning of the fuzzy set of dragons, dragons began to exist. It means "to reach the sky". In many architectural sculptures and paintings of later generations, people made dragons appear in the vast clouds of the sky, such as the Yunlong Pillar in the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Yunlong Stone in the Temple of Heaven, and the Flying Dragon Playing with Pearls in the Confucius Temple, etc.
Dragon "loves water" and water gathers on the ground; dragon "loves to fly" and soars into the sky. Therefore, the dragon has the ability to communicate between heaven and earth and serve as a bridge and messenger between heaven and earth. The fundamental reason why those emperors and monarchs compared themselves to dragons was because they recognized the dragon's divinity of "reaching the sky" and its ability to act as a bridge and messenger between heaven and earth.
Because the dragon is made up of a fuzzy collection of many objects, and there are various differences between the objects in the collection, the dragon has the "fickle" divinity. In the minds of the ancients, dragons can be clouds, lightning, or rainbows in the sky; they can be pigs, horses, or cows on the ground; they can be fish, crocodiles, or snakes in the water. In other words, clouds, lightning, and rainbows in the sky, pigs, horses, and cows on the ground, fish, crocodiles, snakes in the water, etc., can all be transformations and incarnations of dragons.
Dragon has the divinity of "changeability", and when it changes, it will inevitably produce some "aura", "spirituality", "wonderful", "efficacious" and "absurd" and "bizarre" , "weird" comes. Therefore, the dragon has a "supernatural" divinity and becomes one of the "four spirits" in the minds of the ancients (the other three spirits are Lin, Phoenix and Turtle).
One of the purposes of people creating gods and worshiping gods is to believe that gods can bring benefits to themselves. The dragon is a divine object created by the ancients by vaguely combining many animals and celestial phenomena. If this divine object cannot bring happiness and auspiciousness to the world, what did the ancients do when they created it? The various divinities of the dragon mentioned above provide the basis for the divinity of the dragon, which is a sign of auspiciousness and good luck: the dragon loves water, and water is the lifeblood of production and life; the dragon likes to fly, and flying is the yearning to transcend suffering and get rid of difficulties. ; The dragon reaches the sky, and the sky is where the Emperor of Heaven and the gods live; the dragon is fickle, and change is an adaptation to the living environment; the dragon is supernatural, and the supernatural makes the dragon unpredictable and extraordinary. How can the dragon be unlucky when all these advantages are concentrated in one body?
Dragon can "conquer auspiciousness" or "foreshadow misfortune". This is in line with dialectics, and is based on realistic verification and historical and moral evaluation. Such as the "dragon turtle monster" that led to the demise of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the chaos that caused the Sanmiao area in ancient times, "the demons come out at night, dragons are born in temples, and dogs cry in the market", etc.
The dragon’s character also has a ferocious, mighty, perverse and irritable side. We call it a "demonstration" in general. The dragon's "demonstration" stems from the habits and harm of the dragon's fuzzy collection of objects. For example, crocodiles are ferocious and hurt people, snakes bite people viciously, thunderstorms cause rivers to swell and cause disasters, tornadoes sweep away people, animals and trees, mudslides destroy houses and fields, etc. The ancients did not have a scientific explanation for these phenomena, so they had to use "dragon anger", "dragon resentment", "dragon revenge", "dragon does evil" and so on.