An ancient and bizarre burial form-"the second bone washing burial"

The "second bone washing burial", also known as "bone picking burial", "gold burials" and "bone washing burial", is one of the ancient burial methods of the Chinese nation. There are many records about the custom of second burial in ancient literature. "Mozi Festival Funeral" says: "If there is a person in the south of Chu who is angry with the country, his relatives die, rot his flesh and abandon it, and then bury his bones, he becomes a dutiful son." This is a burial custom that is weathered first and then buried. Historical books such as Liezi and Sui Shu in the Warring States Period recorded some secondary bone-picking and burial customs in ancient Jingchu area.

There is a tradition of bone washing and burial among Baiyue people living in the southeast coast. People have to be buried twice. The first time, the body is simply buried, which is called "fierce burial". After several years, the body is decomposed, and then its bones are picked out, washed and put into a pottery urn, and the auspicious day is chosen to be buried again. These bones are called "gold" in some areas.

Before picking up the bones, prepare a pottery urn for holding the bones. The shape of the urn is about 2 feet high and 1 foot in diameter. The upper and lower ends are slightly smaller, and it is in the shape of a spinning pestle with a cover on it. First of all, people should be invited to re-select the treasure land and auspicious day when picking bones, and the time is mostly in March of the lunar calendar. Then the relatives and friends of the deceased invited an experienced old man from the villagers to pick up bones together. Archaeological findings show that there are many secondary bone washing burials in the half slope type of Yangshao culture.

The emergence of the "second bone washing burial" is related to the ancient idea that the soul is immortal. The reason why we should carry out the process of picking up bones and washing bones in the first burial is because the ancients believed that the soul would still attach to the human body after death, so as to protect future generations and send messages to future generations to tell them whether they had a good life in the underworld. But these behaviors will be regarded as a kind of disturbance to future generations, so. In order to let the deceased be reincarnated and buried in peace of mind, it is necessary to carry out a process of digging the grave and opening the coffin and washing the remains, so as to promote reincarnation as soon as possible and not to make trouble in the world.

It can be seen that bone-picking burial was popular in ancient times. After the rise of Zhou Rites, it advocated "burying in the ground for safety" and regarded reburning as a big violation. This burial method gradually disappeared in the Han nationality. However, there are many reservations among ethnic minorities. Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuang, Yao, Yunnan Miao, Fujian and Zhejiang She still retain the custom of second bone-picking and burial.

In addition, Hakka people are also popular in this way. There are two different reasons, one is the influence of ethnic minorities, and the other is the need of long-term migration. Hakkas often move. In order not to abandon the remains of our ancestors, we must take them with us when we flee or emigrate. As a result, Hakka people have a legacy of washing bones and reburying them and believing in geomantic omen.