"The Peacock Flying Southeast" is a famous Yuefu poem that tells the love story of the protagonists Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing. This story ends in tragedy. After Liu Lanzhi was divorced, she jumped into the river and committed suicide. When Jiao Zhongqing heard about Liu Lanzhi's death, he also hanged himself. People buried the two of them together next to Huashan Mountain. It is also said that they transformed into a bird that symbolizes love and loyalty - a mandarin duck.
In this poem, there is such a sentence, which describes the scene when Liu Lanzhi jumped into the river and committed suicide: "Take off her skirt and silk shoes, and lift herself up to the clear pond." It clearly illustrates Liu Lanzhi's role in Before jumping into the river, I took off my shoes.
According to the "Biography of Qu Yuan and Jia Sheng" in "Historical Records", Qu Yuan, a minister of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period, took off his shoes out of strong patriotism after being captured by the Qin army in Kyoto, Chu. He jumped into the river holding a big stone and died.
Then the question is, why did the ancients take off their shoes before jumping into the river to commit suicide? This starts with traditional culture and some customs and habits.
Before ancient people jumped into the river, they would take off their shoes and place them on the shore. The most important reason was to tell others that they jumped into the river by themselves and were not harmed by others.
When people find a body in the water, they will report it to the government, and the government will naturally investigate the cause of the person's death to see if any criminal behavior was involved. If the shoes of a dead person are found on the shore, it is the best proof that the person committed suicide rather than being harmed by others.
In ancient times, burial and sacrifices after death were very important. Therefore, some people who made significant contributions to the royal family or the court were entitled to enjoy the imperial temple after their death and enjoyed the same sacrificial rituals as the royal family. A very glorious thing.
As ordinary people, whether they can enter their family's ancestral graves after death and accept sacrifices and incense from descendants and tribesmen is also something that everyone cares about.
Many families have taboos about people who die unexpectedly. People who die in this way cannot be buried in the ancestral graves of their own family, nor can they accept sacrifices from future generations throughout the year. This was a very painful thing for the ancients who valued what happened after death.
Therefore, if a person decides to die and takes off his shoes and places them on the shore before jumping into the river, it is to tell people clearly that he committed suicide and did not suffer any misfortune. After death, he can be buried in his family's ancestral grave and enjoy the sacrifices and incense of his clan.
Shoes also played a role as a divination tool in the lives of ancient people. When they were hesitant about something they encountered, many people would throw their shoes out for divination. Help yourself make the choice.
The ancients paid great attention to etiquette. Shoes were also very important in people's clothing. They were ritual items. In many cases, the shoes people wore were closely related to their identity. Therefore, taking off your shoes before committing suicide by jumping into the river is also a confirmation of the path you have chosen and a farewell to this living world.
Life is precious. As the saying goes, it is better to die than live. However, in many cases, some people have to choose to end their lives. In fact, when you encounter a problem, think of a solution. You will get over it after a while, and the sun will rise as usual tomorrow.