First, the basic introduction of WU GANG
People surnamed Wu, Minggang, Xihe, learned the aisle and ordered to cut down trees. "The legendary story is about WU GANG in the middle of the moon. He used to be a woodcutter, but he broke the dogma. So the emperor was furious and sent him to the lonely moon palace to cut down the osmanthus tree in front of the Guanghan Palace. Only by cutting down the osmanthus tree can he get away with it. However, every time WU GANG cut an axe, it rose, and the tree wound healed immediately, so he had to keep cutting.
Second, the historical legends of WU GANG
WU GANG in The Worse Gate is close to Chang 'e in the moon, because he often meets Chang 'e and neglects his duty. When the Jade Emperor knew about it, he was very angry. He sent WU GANG to cut down a big tree called Moon Tree on the moon. If WU GANG doesn't cut down all the moon trees, he can't go back to the worse gate and see Chang 'e.
WU GANG cut and cut for half a year from winter to summer. When the tree was about to be cut down, the Jade Emperor sent a crow to the moon tree, and with a swish, he took WU GANG's coat hanging on the tree. WU GANG immediately put down his axe and went after the crow. After the clothes were taken back, WU GANG returned to the tree and saw that all the branches and leaves that had been cut were born on the tree again. From then on, whenever Wu Gang wanted to cut down a tree, crows would stand on the tree and crow loudly. As long as WU GANG stops to take a look at the axe, the tree will grow branches again.
In this way, year after year, WU GANG cut down more trees than this moon tree. Only on August 16 every year will a leaf fall from the moon to the ground. Whoever finds the leaves of this moon tree will get inexhaustible gold and silver jewelry.
Third, the origin of the legend of Wugang
The myth of the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon originated very early, and the story of WU GANG chopping laurel in the Moon Palace originated in the Tang Dynasty, which was quite popular at the end of the Tang Dynasty and first appeared in the poems and notes of the Tang Dynasty.
Huainanzi, an ancient wonderful book, said that "there is a laurel tree in the moon", indicating that the imagination of laurel trees in the moon palace has a long history, and the myth of WU GANG cutting laurel trees was recorded as early as the Tang Dynasty. Miscellanies of Youyang said that "there are laurel trees and toads in the old legend, so different books say that laurel trees are 500 feet high. There is a man under the tree who often deceives him. The tree works with him. His surname is Wu, Minggang, and he is from Xihe. He studied Taoism and ordered to cut down trees. " Li Shangyin, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote: "Mo Xianxian's family has the truth, and the immortal family has been handed down for thousands of years." How tall is the laurel in the middle of the month? Ask the tree people in Xihe. "Also told the same story.
Following the records of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Ru in the Art Garden in the Song Dynasty made a further explanation: "Therefore, the Song Dynasty's Satirical Poem on the Moon said,' Wu Sheng is blunt with the axe of Xihe River, but how can he be full?". "Miscellaneous Notes on the Life of Wu Sheng in Guangxi" quotes Li Heshi:' Wu Sleeps Leaning on the Guishu', Li He calls it Wu, and Duan calls it WU GANG. Its meaning is unclear. Stealing the so-called Wu is not WU GANG, so fear is another matter. "Obviously, WU GANG, also known as Wu Zhi, also known as Wu Sheng, the author's question is superfluous.
Tang and Song documents all said that WU GANG was from Xihe (now Fenyang, Shanxi), so why was WU GANG, a Taoist priest of Xihe, punished for cutting down osmanthus trees? This may be related to Xihe folk customs. "Notes on Water Classics" transcribes a passage from Wang Su's Notes on Mourning for the Past in the Three Kingdoms Period: "The maker of osmanthus trees began with meson push. Zi tui, Jin's people are also. It is difficult for the government to go abroad, and the son pushes and cuts meat to continue rations. After the restoration of Wen Gong, he suddenly forgot to push the child. The son pushed and sang, and the public began to realize that he deserved the honor. The child pushed the mountain and burned it with firewood. When Chinese people bury them, they are afraid of being fascinated by the ground and pretending to be osmanthus trees. " It seems that in Xihe county, it is widely circulated that osmanthus trees can protect the soul, so naturally woodmen provide osmanthus trees. In ancient times, there were osmanthus trees in sunny places in Xihe area, but after all, there were not many, so cutting osmanthus may become a profession. Wu Zhi, a Taoist priest of Xihe River in Sui and Tang Dynasties, probably let the cat out of the bag by accident, and was described by his master as a joke about cutting laurel trees on the moon, which may be a mockery of Wu Zhi. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, there was a poem by a poet: "Wu Zhi was worried about illness, and he was still tireless at that time." Therefore, Wu Zhi is blessed by nature, and is called Wugang by later generations, and regarded as a fairy of the Moon Palace. Although he was a little lonely, he realized his dream of becoming an immortal.
What is WU GANG's ghost's intention? Lu You's poem: "In addition to the level of Junshan and Hunan, Gui Shuyue is brighter." Maybe it tells the story. Because the ancients thought that the shadow in the moon was osmanthus trees, in the Tang Dynasty, the myth that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty flew to the moon and cut laurel trees in front of Wugang Palace could make the moon brighter was deduced. There is a poem that WU GANG holds out osmanthus wine, and WU GANG also knows the brewing technology of Gufen House.
In Shan Hai Jing, there is a man named Wu Quan who has contacts with Wu Gang. See the original text: "Boling, the son of Emperor Yan, married A Nv, the wife of Wu Quan. She was pregnant for three years, and she played drums when she was born. She was delayed and died. The beginning is Hou, the drum and the delay are bells, which is a musical style. " According to the story, Buling lived with Fu Yuan, the daughter of Wu Quan's wife (some people interpret it as Fu Yuan and Wu Quan's wife A Nv) and gave birth to three children, who were the inventors of Zhong Le. Obviously Wu Quan has nothing to do with WU GANG.
WU GANG's brief introduction and articles related to historical legends;
★ Historical Legend of Wu Gang's Cutting Guangxi
★ The myth and legend of Wu Gang cutting laurel and brewing the best wine in the world
★ The true historical stories and classic legends of the Forbidden City
★ Historical Story Collection 2020
★ Historical Story Collection 2020
★ Five selected historical stories