On the outer walls of some rural houses in the north are written "Taishan Stone Gandang". What does it mean?
Taishan Shigandang
A small stone tablet (or stone figure) is erected at the strategic point of the bridge or built on the wall of a house, with the words (or words) "Shigandang" or "Taishan Shigandang" engraved on it. " and the like, to suppress ominous customs, are very popular among the people.
The written record of "Shi Gandang" was first seen in the "Jijiu Zhang" written by Shi You in the Western Han Dynasty: "The teacher is a fierce tiger, Shi Gandang is invincible, and the dragon is still young." An ancient note by Yan Shi: "There are paraffin, stone mai, and stone evil in Wei, and stone in Zheng, all of which are made of stone; in Zhou there are stone speeds, in Qi there are many kinds of stones, and then there is the Ming clan. If you dare to take it, you will be invincible." Yan believes that, The surname is Shi, and you should do whatever you want without any hostility. Tao Zongyi quoted Shi You's "Ji Jiu Zhang" and Yan's annotations in the article "Shi Gandang" in Volume 17 of "Nancun Shuigeng Lu", and completely agreed with Yan's statement. Yan Shigu's explanation of Shi Gandang is unsatisfactory. We know that "Ji Jiu Zhang" was an enlightenment literacy book for children at that time. According to Yan's annotation, Shi Gandang was the invincible person named Shi. Unless the person named Shi was very famous at that time, it would be difficult for children to accept his statement. Mr. Teacher It’s also hard to explain clearly. We have searched ancient books and have not yet found a famous invincible hero Shi Moumou before the Han Dynasty, modern scholar Deng Erya pointed out. Shi Gandang said something. There is no one who published "Jijiuzhang". Later generations just used the literary meaning of Shi Gan as a metaphor. " (Combined issue of "Folklore" No. 41-42) Zongli. Comrade Liu Qun also believes: "There is a sentence in "Jijiuzhang" written by You Shiyou of the Western Han Dynasty: "The teacher is a fierce tiger, and the stone dares to stand, and the dragon is still young." Yan Shi's ancient notes believe that Shi is the surname, and he dares to be invincible. The speaker said that when Shi Gan became a monument, he would take the invincible text. In terms of town, this statement is slightly less than satisfactory, but it is not exhaustive. There are many such terms in ancient proverbs, why are they chosen here ("Chinese Folk Gods")
Another theory is that Shi Gandang was a warrior in the Five Dynasties and Han Dynasty. Ming Dynasty Chen Duanru's "Qun Sui Lu" says: "During the Five Dynasties Han Dynasty and Liu Zhiyuan's time, there was a warrior who dared to bear the name of Shi. His admiration for ancient people's names was reflected in his own appearance? Is it because of his admiration?" Yang Xinmin's "Surname Yuan Zhuji" also said It is said that "Liu Zhiyuan of the Five Dynasties served as the emperor of Jin. King Lu rebelled from Ke, and Emperor Min fled and met in Weizhou. Zhiyuan sent Shi Gan, a strong man, to serve as an iron hammer attendant. When Jin Zu and Emperor Min discussed matters, Zhiyuan rushed in, and Shi Gan died in a fight. Zhiyuan killed the emperor's right and left, because he burned the national seal. Shi Gan should turn the bad things into good fortune in his life, and guard against dangers. Therefore, future generations will engrave his wishes and write his surnames on stones to protect the residents. ".
We believe that the stone tablet (stele) of Shi Gandang has nothing to do with Shi Gan, a warrior of the Five Dynasties, for two reasons:
(1) Check the old and new "History of the Five Dynasties", which is famous Shi Gan is an unknown Shi Gandang, and there is no written record of the brave Shi Gan being revered as Shi Gandang. According to the "Old History of the Five Dynasties: The First Notes of Gaozu": "In Yingshunshe, Emperor Gaozu of the Jin Dynasty was in Changshan. Emperor Mingzong of the Tang Dynasty summoned him to go to Que, and Emperor Hui Min fled. He met Gaozu Jin on the way, and they both entered Weizhou and stopped at the post office. Emperor Min conspired to kill Emperor Gaozu of Jin Dynasty. The emperor secretly sent his imperial eunuch Shi Gan to stand behind Jin Gaozu with an iron hammer. He dared to bring Gaozu into the same room and blocked the door with a huge tree. He dared to lead everyone to kill him. Emperor Min was on his side, and Emperor Gaozu of the Jin Dynasty was in trouble." According to the "New History of the Five Dynasties: Han Dynasty Summary Tenth": "King Lu rebelled from Ke, and Emperor Min fled. Emperor Gaozu went to the capital from Zhenzhou, met Emperor Min in Weizhou, and stopped passing on. She, Zhiyuan sent the warrior Shi Gan with an iron hammer to serve Emperor Gaozu because of Yu's rebellion. Emperor Min was still discussing matters, and he wanted to attack him. Zhiyuan supported his ancestors in the house, and he dared to fight to death. Zhiyuan immediately led his troops to kill Emperor Min's left and right. "The old and new "History of the Five Dynasties" record slightly different words, but they are consistent that the warrior is Shi Gan and not Shi Gandang.
(2) Shi Gandang has been seen in the "Jijiu Zhang" of the History of the Western Han Dynasty. The stone inscription "Shi Gandang" dated to the fifth year of the Tang Dynasty was unearthed in Putian County. According to this, Shi Gandang was earlier than the warriors of the Five Dynasties. Shi Gan is clear. Qing Dynasty scholar Zhai Hao also clearly pointed out that Shi Gandang has nothing to do with Shi Gandang of the Five Dynasties: "According to "History of the Five Dynasties", Liu Zhiyuan was an official of the Jin Dynasty. The great ancestor met Emperor Min of the Tang Dynasty at Chuanshe. Zhiyuan envoy Shi Gan Dare to serve the great ancestor with his sleeves and hammer, Yu Bian said that this was engraved on the stone, that is, there was an engraving in the Dali calendar. I know that this theory is wrong.
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The third theory is that "Taishan Shi Gandang" is said to be a "doctor" (that is, a doctor). Volume 10 of "Chaxiangshi Congchao" records: "The king of the country, Wang Shizhen of Yuyangshan," "Fu Yu Ting Za Lu" says: It is a custom in Qi and Lu to set up stones at the entrances of villages and alleys, and inscribe the words "Taishan Stone Gandang", so that people can go to people's homes at night to treat their illnesses. People in the north call doctors doctors, so they are also called doctor stone. Note: These five characters are found in Nanzhong, but there is no theory of treating diseases, and there is no title of doctor. "Just from the meaning of this paragraph, we can see that the saying that Taishan Stone dared to be a doctor was not widely spread. It was only in the north, but not in the south. Why did the saying that Taishan Stone dared to be a doctor spread in the north? Looking at its origin, it has been circulated for a long time It is said that Shi Gan Dang can subdue demons and suppress evil spirits. When it was rumored that Taishan Shi Gan Dang could cure diseases, I am afraid no one cared about whether it was a human being, a god or something else. Otherwise, why would it be said that "it can come to people's homes at dusk to heal their illnesses"? Can you practice medicine in other people's homes during the day?
According to the literature review and the survey in Tai'an City, it can be seen that those who are engraved with "Shi Gandang" (or "Taishan Shi Gandang") are mostly used. Stone materials are used, while those using other materials are relatively rare. In 1988, 12 inscriptions (written) on "Taishan Stone Gandang" or "Taishan Stone Town House" were found in Feicheng County. Except for two new houses, they were written on the walls. Except for this, the other 10 places are all carved on stone. What is the basic function of words such as "Shi Gandang" unearthed in Putian County? "Weary of disaster" is also the case. Other functions are extensions or extensions of this basic function. "Shi Gandang" has the word "stone" in the three characters. Shi Gandang is carved on the stone. Its function is to hate disaster and suppress evil. From its deep connotation The above investigation may not be without internal connections. Mr. Wang Zongyan said in his article "Shi Gan Dang": "Huainan Wanbi Shu" says, 'If stones are placed in the corners of the house, ghosts will be powerless and cause trouble.' Geng Xin's Xiaoyuan Fu says, ' The house is built with buried stones. Wu Zhaoyi annotated "The Chronicles of Jingchu Years": "On the evening of December, I dug up the corners of the house and buried a large stone in each corner for the town house." " (Combined issue of "Folklore" No. 86-89). Mr. Wang Chengzhu believes that this is probably the origin of Shi Gandang. At the same time, Mr. Wang also pointed out: "As far as the meaning of the three words Shi Gandang is concerned, Gai Ji Shi can be the brunt of it. Therefore, the town is located in Lushe, at the corner of the wall, in front of the street, alley, and in front of the gate. "("Chinese Folk Gods") Comrades Zong Li and Liu Qun believed that Wang Chengzhu's opinion was "quite reasonable" and further pointed out: "The stone inscriptions of the Tang Dynasty (referring to Putian stone inscriptions) discovered in the Qingli of Song Dynasty are not as good as those of later generations. The stone tablet is buried under the foundation of the house, which is quite similar to the stone that leads to the house. In fact, this is the relic of ancient spiritual object worship. Stones are used as spiritual objects, which are endowed with the power to ward off evil and suppress ghosts and are buried under the house. Later, the sentence "Shi Gandang" was borrowed to enhance its prestige. Even if it is simplified into small stone tablets and small stone figures in modern times, they are actually regarded as spiritual objects that ward off evil spirits. "("Chinese Folk Gods") Zong Li and Liu Qun believe that Shi Gandang is "a relic of ancient spiritual object worship", which is very insightful. What is slightly lacking is that there is no discussion.
Lingshi Worship is a very primitive and widely popular religious custom. It was formed in prehistoric society. Class society has its own customs. Spiritual stone worship includes worshiping the heaven, the earth, the mountains and rivers, worshiping the ancestors, praying for education, and avoiding evil and disaster. There is a certain origin relationship. Here we only discuss the worship of spiritual stones that have a certain relationship with "Shi Gandang" and have the effect of avoiding evil and evil. "Animism is the earliest stage of the development of primitive religious thought." The peculiar shape, color or special geographical environment of the rock may have been endowed with spirituality by the ancients. The local natives of Taiwan called the sacred stone "Stone God" and regarded it as an object to protect happiness and ward off evil spirits. , there is the popular worship of white stones. Regarding the origin of white stone worship, there is a legend among the Qiang people: The ancient Qiang people could not win the war with the Geji people. At that time, a god instructed the Qiang people in a dream that they must use white stones as weapons to defeat the Geji people. The Qiang people did what they said, and they won. However, they did not know what the image of this person was, so they worshiped it with a white stone. In rural areas of Africa, they offered food to the sacred stone in order to cure illnesses. The natives in New Guinea believed that the stone was embedded in it. There are spirits that circulate and influence other things. If placed in a garden, the harvest can be increased.
Shidao left Jiangxi and visited Longhu Mountain to beg Master Zhang for his skills in defeating others. As soon as he was seated, a Taoist priest in ocher clothes fell down and sat down in Yingxi. The Master pointed to the general and said, "I pray that this master can be my master." Because of worship. The Taoist said: "This house is very small, so it is auspicious to use big characters to control it." The five characters "Taishan Shi Gandang" were written on the paper. This book is written by Chun Yangzi. The general thanked him in surprise and lost sight of the Taoist priest. The real man said: "Master Chunyang is on duty in the palace today. I am lucky enough to meet him. I am blessed with immeasurable luck." Then he was sent back south. The stone east corridor is more than a foot in diameter. The person who saw it said that he went in and out between Yu and Chu.
The folk legend of Xuwen County, Guangdong provided by Comrades Zong Li and Liu Qun states:
During the Kangxi period, several county magistrates died within a few days of their arrival in the county. A certain Huang knew what was going on and took a Feng Shui master with him to the post. The gentleman found out that the shadow of a pagoda in the county was falling on the county magistrate's throne. All the officials died because they could not withstand the pressure of the pagoda. Then a stone tablet was erected in front of the county government office, inscribed with the words "Taishan Shi Dadan", saying that the power of Mount Tai can rival the pagoda. Nothing happened after that. Although the two folk stories are told differently, they have the same characteristics: first, the stories both took place during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, and second, they both used Taishan stones to ward off evil spirits. In addition, Wang Shizhen (1634-1711), a native of the early Qing Dynasty, also mentioned "Taishan Stone Dare" when talking about the customs of Qilu. It can be seen from this that "Taishan Shigandang" was popular in the early Qing Dynasty, and its appearance may be as early as the Ming Dynasty. Shi Gan came to Mount Tai, and his intention was to borrow the power of Mount Tai to increase his prestige. The word "Tai" for Mount Tai in ancient times was "Tai", which means "big". The broad meaning of Mount Tai is a big mountain. Big mountains can suppress demons and evil spirits. This is a common sight in ancient myths and legends. For example, the Monkey King (Sun Wukong) in "Journey to the West" was once suppressed by Tathagata under the Five Elements Mountain for 500 years. Taishan (mountain) in the narrow sense refers to Mount Tai in present-day Tai'an City. Taishan Mountain is majestic and tall. It has been the place where emperors of all dynasties have prayed and offered sacrifices. It is a sacred mountain. Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, praised Mount Tai as "high, extremely, large, special, strong, impressive, frightening, and confusing". Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, said that Mount Tai has "its roots spread across the mountains and plains, but I don't know how many miles it is; and its towering heights reach into the clouds, but I don't know how many tens of millions of people it has." It is self-evident that Mount Tai has immeasurable divine power, so it is not difficult to understand why Shi Gan, who warded off evil and hated disaster, would add Mount Tai in the hope of increasing its power.
After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and until today, there are many folk tales and legends about Shi Gandang (or Taishan Shi Gandang). In addition to the one collected by Mr. Deng Erya and one provided by Comrades Zong Li and Liu Qun, there are more than ten such folk tales and legends that we have in our hands, which have been published in recent years. Published "Taishan Legend Stories" (referred to as "Legend Stories"), "Taishan Folk Stories" referred to as "Taishan"), "Taishan Folk Stories" referred to as "Folk Stories"), "Taishan Legends" referred to as "Legends"), "Taishan Folk Stories" referred to as "Legends"), "Taian Scenery" (referred to as "Fengwu") and other books.
The two folk tales and legends about Taishan Shigandang collected by Mr. Deng Erya and provided by Comrades Zong Li and Liu Qun quoted above all regard Shigandang as a "stone" as the basic starting point, which is popular Although the era is not too early (early Qing Dynasty), and the popular areas are not too widespread, in terms of the deep connotation of these two folk tales, their source is the ancient custom of spiritual stone worship - Shi Gandang suppresses evil and disgusts disaster. The development of meaning. The stone inscriptions unearthed in Putian County, especially the words "Shi Gandang, suppress hundreds of ghosts, and hate disasters" in the stone inscriptions, had an important influence on the formation of this kind of folk tales and legends. It can also be said that this is authentic. The other type is folk tales and legends about subduing demons and curing diseases, which take Shi Gan as a "human" as the basic starting point. The two chapters on the "exorcism type" and one chapter on the "exorcism type" (which is a variation of the type that subdues demons and cures diseases) contained in "Da Guan" and the legend of Shi Gandang contained in "Legendary Stories" can all be classified into this category. Such folk tales often tell of Shi Gandang, who was both brave and able to heal people haunted by ghosts and monsters. This is obviously related to what Wang Shizhen of the Qing Dynasty said about northerners calling Shi Gandang "Doctor Shi". Although such folk stories treat Shi Gan as a human being, the deep connotation of the story is not unrelated to Shi Gan, who is worshiped as a spiritual stone and has the function of suppressing evil and averting disasters.
The third category is the folk tales and legends that attach Shi Gan to Shi Gan, a warrior from the Five Dynasties. Such is the case with "Shi Gandang" compiled by Comrade Gu Yue (containing "Fengwu") and "Shi Gandang" compiled by Comrade Lu Yue (containing "Legends").
"Taishan Shi Gandang" compiled by Comrades Baojun and Qiu Shui (containing "Folk Tales") states that Shi Gandang's original name was "Shi Gang" and he was nicknamed "Shi Gandang". Obviously Shi Gangzhi is the transliteration of Shi Ganzhi from the Five Dynasties. Such folk tales and legends all talk about Shi Gan being brave and invincible to eliminate violence and bring peace to the good. There are many people who believe that Shi Gandang is related to Shi Gan, a warrior of the Five Dynasties. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there is no shortage of people. "Taishan Zhi" compiled by Jin Qi of the Qing Dynasty also said: "Shi Gandang was a warrior of the Five Dynasties... serving the great ancestor with an iron mallet. When encountering changes, Then he died in a fight. Ji Zhai Jing had to avoid Fang Sha, so he named Shi Gandang. "Although Shi Gandang and Shi Gandang are two different things, there is still some connection in terms of Shi Gandang being able to withstand everything and Shi Gandang being invincible. of.
The fourth type of folk tales about Taishan Shi Gandang, one is that Taishan and Shi Gandang are two close friends, and the other is that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was blocked by Taishan Stone (see "Grand View"). The best friend type tells that Taishan and Shi Gandang were classmates and friends. Taishan's family was wealthy, he studied hard, and passed the exam. But Shi Gandang not only failed to pass the exam, but ended up "living a wandering life alone". Once Shi Gandang went to Taishan's house to beg for food, but Taishan kept him in the house and treated him with courtesy. A few years later, Taishan went out for official duties and did not return for half a year. Shi Gandang had a strong sense of self-esteem and thought that he had lived there for a long time and Taishan deliberately hid away, so he said "goodbye forever". After Taishan returned home from his official duties, he heard that Shi Gandang was dead. He was extremely sad and committed suicide. Because Taishan and Shi Gandang fell in love with the same person and died together, later generations commemorated them and combined the names of Taishan and Shi Gandang, which is "Taishan Shi Gandang". The chivalrous person mentioned in this folk tale is Mount Tai, but Shi Gandang seems to be a villain with random suspicions. The "blocking type" story: Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty rode up to Mount Tai. When he returned to Maling, he saw the horseshoe plate and couldn't go up. He was curious and had to go up, so he walked around the road. Before leaving, he said: "I came from Chang'an. I built roads through the mountains and built bridges over the water. Nothing blocked me, but the Taishan stone blocked me." With this sound, it was called "Shi Gandang". After checking the old and new "Book of Tang", it was found that Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, had never been to Mount Tai at all, let alone riding up the mountain and being blocked by the Mount Tai stone. The so-called Shi Gandang (Taishan Shi Gandang) described in these two folk tales is very different from the real origin, connotation and role of Shi Gandang. It is also very different from a series of widely circulated folk stories about Shi Gandang. The author has interviewed many elders in Mount Tai, but no one knows when and where these folk tales were circulated. Is this suspected of being fabricated?
To sum up, Shi Gandang is a relic of the ancient worship of spiritual stones to avoid disasters and avoid evil, and has nothing to do with "human beings". The words "Shi Gan Dang" in the "Ji Jiu Zhang" written by You Shiyou of the Western Han Dynasty should be interpreted as the spirit stone can defeat everything. Later, whether it was the stone inscriptions from the Dali period of the Tang Dynasty unearthed in Putian, or the "Shi Gandang" stones erected (or buried) at the entrances of Qiaotou lanes and houses, the meaning was the same. As for adding Mount Tai before Shi Gandang (that is, Mount Tai Shi Gandang), it began in the Ming Dynasty, became popular in the Qing Dynasty, and reaches today. Its intention is to use the sacred Mount Tai to increase the power of Shi Gandang. Various folk stories and legends about Shi Gandang, in terms of deep connotation, some are consistent with the positive meaning of Shi Gandang, some are partially related, and some are completely different. There are various reasons why folk tales and legends that are far from the historical truth can be formed. But recently, some comrades have used their imagination to make up folk tales and legends in the name of sorting them out, making them further away from the historical truth. This may not be advisable