The earliest record of "Nvshu" is the "carved mother money" issued by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty). On the back of the money, the words "women in the world" and "sister home" are cast, and the words "women's script" are printed.
■ The origin of women's books
There are different opinions about the origin of female script.
According to the fact that Huashan Temple, a local women's shrine, rose in the mid-Qing Dynasty, combined with the earliest "women's book" found at present, it is speculated that "women's book" originated in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Some people think that "the composition of women's characters is derived from the note symbols of Baiyue" based on the existence of characters similar to the weaving symbols on the tapestries of Zhuang and Yao nationalities in Nvshu. According to a large number of characters similar to carved symbols and painted pottery patterns unearthed in Nvshu, some people think that its origin can be traced back to Yangshao culture in Neolithic Age, which was formed after Qin Shihuang unified China characters. Some people think that "Nvshu" is the official script of Shun Di era, because its basic strokes are similar to the original ancient Chinese characters. According to the obvious characteristics of Oracle Bone Inscriptions and the words borrowed from inscriptions on bronze in the vocabulary of Nvshu. It is believed that Nvshu is a variant of ancient Chinese characters in Shang Dynasty, which is closely related to Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Some people think that the modern "Nvshu" is the legacy and evolution of the ancient Yue script. This view holds that hieroglyphics and ideographs are the earliest cultural phenomena in the writing system, and they are the direct reflection of the writer's living environment and social culture. According to the custom of tattooing, the characteristics of "Gan Lan" residential buildings, rice culture and bird totem culture are embodied in the composition of hieroglyphics and knowing words of "Nvshu".
Jiang Yong's female calligraphy works are generally written on self-made calligraphy, fans and cloth towels, and their functions include self-entertainment, singing in class, correspondence, religious sacrifice, becoming sworn sisters, complaining and memorizing. As a private property of women, Jiangyong Nvshu is often burned or buried with others, so it is impossible to find works that have been circulated for more than three generations or earlier. Therefore, when did Nvshu come into being, where did it really originate, the relationship between Nvshu and Oracle Bone Inscriptions, the relationship between Nvshu and Yao, and so on. Opinions vary and there is no conclusion, which has become a mystery.
According to relevant research, "Nvshu" originated in prehistoric Wen Tao, and its birthplace should be in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River basin, especially in Guanzhong area or Shangxian area of Shaanxi Province. Nvshu "may be an ancient script that Cangwu people living in Shangxian County, Shaanxi Province went south and brought to Jiangyong Mountain in Hunan Province. Then, the history of Chinese characters should at least be counted from the Yangshao cultural stage of the Neolithic Age, which is about six or seven thousand years ago, more than three thousand years earlier than that of Oracle Bone Inscriptions. It can be said that prehistoric Wen Tao in China is the earliest ancient writing in the world. The archaeological age of Wen Tao proves the origin of "Nvshu", so it can also be said that "Nvshu" is an ancient script in the world at present, and it has been handed down to this day, which is a miracle in the history of writing. Although there are different opinions, one thing is the same: Jiangyong Nvshu was created by women, reflecting their mentality.
■ the reason for existence
The existence of Nvshu is mainly due to the old idea in China that local women can't read and write: they call it a "man's book", so local women invented Nvshu as a secret way of communication between sisters-in-law. Women's books are forbidden for men to learn, and men generally regard women's books as ordinary patterns. Nvshu has existed for hundreds of years.
■ Form and content of work
In the old society, many talented local women poured out their hearts with this kind of female book that men didn't know, and embroidered, carved, stamped and wrote on paper towels. At present, nearly 200,000 words of "Nvshu" works have been collected, most of which are songs, and their carriers are divided into four categories: paper, books, fans and towels. Now there are female calligraphy, seal cutting, laser micro-carving, stone carving, wood carving, bamboo carving, postcards, female towels, female fans, female schoolbags and so on.
The works of Nvshu are mostly songs, and their carriers are divided into four categories: paper, books, fans and towels. No matter what kind of back method, it pays great attention to formal beauty. For example, the four corners of paper are decorated with patterns, flowers and birds are inserted on paper fans, and the embroidery on towels, handkerchiefs, ribbons and clothes is exquisite embroidery. Although the carrier is different, the font is beautiful and exquisite, the shape is strange and full of ancient meaning. There are four kinds of strokes: one point, vertical, oblique and arc, and the writing is rhombic.
Its content mostly describes the life of local women, and it is also used for letters, notes, making friends, and the bride's return to congratulate the Three Dynasties. Most of the styles are seven-character poems. On holidays, women get together and recite women's books. There are no standardized teaching materials, no regular teachers and schools, hand-copied from generation to generation, and there is a custom of martyrdom among the people.
The main contents of women's books are writing about marriage and family, social communication, bitterness and love affairs, rural anecdotes, ballads and riddles. Some of them have been compiled into Chinese song books. The narrative works recorded in women's books are not original by women in content, but become the projection of women's spiritual world after entering women's books through oral inheritance. The work completely describes and laments the tragic situation that the heart is higher than the sky, the life is as thin as paper, and the good intentions are dashed in the dark, and the gods in folklore are invited to help turn the tide. The heroines in these works are not only "strong women" with flamboyant personality, but also strongly demand equal status with men, and are extremely disgusted and despised by men's keen fame and fortune.