Door Gods, as the name implies, are two deities standing guard over the door. Posting Door God pictures was a popdlar custom observed in ancient China. However, nobody can tell who the Door Gods are. Some have said Door Gods are just Door Gods and that painting two brave warriors on the door is all right, but who cares who they are? Pictures of Door Gods were nailed on the doors to ward off evil spirits. In the remote past, people offered sacrifices, like they did to the Kitchen God, mainly to show their respect for the creators of the houses, doors and windows for providing shelter against the elements, beasts and enemies.
Many records about Door Gods can be found in ancient Chinese classics. The following story had a great influence among the common people.
Long, long ago, there was a large peach forest on Dushuo Mountain in the centre of a sea. Two broth- ers, Shen Tu and Yu Lei, lived in a stone house under a large peach tree. Both were honest and upright, and both were men of unusual strength sc that ferocious beasts such as lions, wolves and tigers all stayed away from them in fear.
The small peach- es in the tree were fragrant and sweet; the large ones, when eaten, were said to be able to turn people into immortals or deities. Northeast of the mountain was Wild Ox Ridge, on which lived a vicious Wild King who often ate the hearts and drank the blood of the local people.
Ch' in has pale skin and usually carries swords; Yuchi has dark skin and usually carries batons. According to a Tang Dynasty legend, the emperor ordered the two generals to guard his door while he slept to keep away a ghost that had been bothering him.
With the two men standing guard at the door, the emperor slept peacefully. The next day, the emperor, not wanting to trouble his two loyal generals, called on men to hang portraits of the two men on either side of his door. Ordinary families soon adopted the imperial custom, putting woodblock prints of the ever-vigilant generals on their front gates in the hope of attracting good luck and fending off evil spirits.
The Door God business soon spread throughout China, adding other folklore heroes and mythological figures to the repertoire. Beijing is an old city with a long history, and hutongs of different sizes distributed in this city are the best witnesses of its ups and downs.
With all spots located in the suburb of Beijing, this route will offer visitors an extradinary opportunity to get closer to nature. Commonly painted to illustrate their soldier status, in armour and with weapons, the Martial Door Gods protect homes with their strength and physical skills and are most commonly found on external doors. Literary Door Gods are also known as inner door gods or civil door gods as they are usually based on academics from the Court and use their knowledge and mind to defeat the evil spirits.
These scholarly pairs are most commonly found on internal doors, like rooms doors and doors to courtyards, and are also thought to bring a feeling of peace and comfort to the residents of the home, in addition to their protective properties.
To celebrate the New Year, Door God paintings are often refurbished with bright colours, often red, to ward off the Nian, who was said liked to eat children, but was afraid of bright colours, especially red. Door Gods are still very much a part of Chinese custom, with Door Gods adorning many doors across the country. They are still the subject of many books and films - like the family animation, Little Door Gods , in and the more serious film, Door God, written and directed by Liulin Liu.
The Western world has also begun to adopt the custom of Door Gods, with many people being drawn to the idea of protection for their loved ones, alongside the decorative and detailed nature of the imagery used within this Chinese custom. In China, door gods are called menshen and are associated with the lunar New Year celebration.
They are pictures of mythological or deified historical figures placed on double-leaf gates or single-leaf doors to guard against evil influences. Sometimes, door prints depict mythological beasts, tigers, roosters, or exorcistic symbols, all of which are believed to provide protection from evil. There are also auspicious door prints which express the desire to attain wealth and prosperity, to give birth to a son, or to pass the civil service examination.
Past studies of door gods have primarily focused on their artistic evolution and characteristics in the form of Chinese woodblock New Year prints. This study focuses on the role of door gods as deities in Chinese popular religion, ritual, and the New Year festival celebration concentrating primarily on literary evidence instead of artistic.
0コメント