China Naming Network - Ziwei Dou Shu - What do you mean by "three aunts and six wives"?

What do you mean by "three aunts and six wives"?

Three aunts and six grandmothers originally referred to several occupations of ancient folk women in China. In modern Chinese, "three aunts and six grandmothers" often refer to all kinds of women who are common in society. Three nuns: nuns, Taoist nuns and divinatory nuns. Sangu refers to a woman who has become a monk in three religions.

Third aunt: nun, Taoist and divinatory aunt

Third aunt refers to a woman who has become a monk in three religions. A nun is a Buddhist, a Taoist is a Taoist, and an aunt diviner specializes in divination.

Six women: tooth girl, matchmaker, teacher girl, pious girl, medicine girl and steady girl.

Among the six old husbands, Yapo is a trafficker who specializes in selling handmaiden and concubine. A matchmaker is a woman who introduces people to in-laws. Shiva is a witch who is good at painting and casting spells and prays for life to God. A pious woman is a pimp in a brothel. Female drug dealers are women who specialize in selling drugs. The woman in the stable is a midwife who specializes in delivering babies. If a female body is found, the stable girl will also be responsible for checking whether it was raped first and then killed. Six women are the names of various occupations, and sometimes a person can wear several hats.

Historical background

"Three aunts and six grandmothers" are the nine occupations of ancient women in China, which are formed by women's natural advantages.

Judging from their occupations, these women are different from ordinary rich women and concubines, and also different from ordinary women. They must find their own financial resources to make a living. However, due to the bondage of women in China's traditional society, there are not many occupations they can engage in. They can only wander the streets as women, do some small businesses, or engage in such trivial things as delivering babies. But they are very active in society, and their work is closely related to women's daily life, which also reflects considerable social needs.

It is worth noting, however, that in the ethnic group of great-aunts, the occupational classification is quite mixed, and there are often cases of holding several jobs, such as "Wang Po" in Jin Ping Mei: "It turns out that this old lady who runs a teahouse is not filial. It is I who have been diligent over the years, being a matchmaker, selling women and being a tooth girl. I can also accept small ones and hold my waist tightly (note: the midwife's assistant holds the woman's waist tightly during childbirth), and I am good at letting go. There's one more thing I can't say. The buns are green and wax is pouring into my head. I don't see this woman's ability! " (The second episode of Jin Ping Mei Hua Ci)

Historical legends

Please refer to the theory of "three grandmothers and six wives". In China's old novels and lifestyle, "three grandmothers and six wives" represents a rather bad image. This image includes gossip, idleness, gossip, media lewdness, mercenary, selling superstition, seduction, ignorance, stealthy and so on. We are no strangers to "three aunts and six grandmothers", but we seldom explore its origin. In fact, "three aunts and six grandmothers" refer to nuns, Taoist aunts, divinatory aunts, dental aunts, matchmakers, teachers, devout aunts, medicine aunts and stable aunts. Among them, nuns and Taoist priests are a kind of identity; Medicine girl and stable girl are a profession. The medicine girl sells medicine, and the midwife is stable. Bitches and matchmakers are matchmakers. It turns out that these people are not all bad elements, just because they usually have no skills, but they go deep into their families and come into contact with good women. In addition, housewives in the past were mostly ignorant and deceptive, so when they seduced women for their own selfish interests, they often succeeded again and again. Over time, there are many disadvantages, and "three aunts and six grandmothers" have become figures that everyone hates. Not only is the "three aunts and six grandmothers" ugly, but even women who have a little contact with them are considered immoral. Zheng Banqiao, a great scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, warned women at home many times not to have any contact with people like three aunts and six grandmothers. On the surface, the term "three aunts and six grandmothers" belongs to the past. In fact, its function still exists today. The former "three aunts and six grandmothers" existed because the old ladies lived in seclusion and didn't know the outside world, and there was no one to talk to. "Three aunts and six grandmothers" are popular with women because they often travel from all walks of life, are well informed, have rich topics, are good at observing words and feelings, and are good at exploiting loopholes. Often cheated, unconscious, or ask them for help. Of course, people can understand the society in which ancient women lived and their weaknesses. Modern women can receive higher education, go abroad for sightseeing, study for a doctorate, be a prime minister, be free to fall in love, choose a job in many ways, be a female manager, talk eloquently with men, and let men candidly admit defeat ... Their abilities have not disappointed a man, and their knowledge and knowledge seem to make people believe that the world is the same, and women account for the majority! However, even among today's capable women, there are still three aunts and six grandmothers, and there are still many women who actively accept and rely on them. Go to an altar to worship when you are idle, and ask sticks and witches for advice when you are busy. If a husband can't reach his son's grades, he can ask for a visa and ask questions. As soon as I heard that the five elements were born together and there was a rush in the northeast, I immediately changed my feng shui and changed my name. I put a scarecrow under the bed and a spell in front of the door, all kinds of tricks. If the poisoning is deep, ask the date of birth, operate on time and have a baby. With modern medical technology and ignorant superstition, you will give birth to underweight children-in order to realize the dream of phoenix nirvana. It should be said that we have gone through the absurdity that wearing red trousers can ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters, and red cloth is out of stock. We tasted a shot of chicken blood, which can cure all diseases, but it killed people. We also know something about the deception that the master of Dan medicine "alchemy" and the master of Qigong were exposed. The harm of three aunts and six grandmothers should have made today's women more aware, but why is it difficult to disappear? There are three aunts and six grandmothers among women and bandits among men, which is not shameful. But it is shameful that those who can't live without three aunts and six grandmothers rely on them; Shamefully, I don't accept it myself. When you meet a woman who is more independent than yourself, you immediately turn yourself into a "three aunts and six grandmothers" and then influence others. Shamefully, these amateur three aunts and six grandmothers "rely on their own cleverness and methods, and often pay attention to those who cause estrangement between separated couples in other people's homes ... It can be said that since the social development, women are truly equal because the vast majority have surpassed the" three aunts and six grandmothers ",which is great. People who are in contact with or willing to be three aunts and six grandmothers should also look back and wake up. Ignorance is bound to be humiliated, inferior and equal!

The origin of idioms

The origin of three aunts and six grandmothers can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty. In Yuan Dynasty, a scholar named Tao wrote "Abandoning Farming" in his notes. The tenth volume records the identity of three aunts and six grandmothers. Li Ruzhen in the Qing Dynasty also wrote in his novel "The Edge of a Mirror Flower": "I heard that there are three aunts and six grandmothers in your land. Once recruited, women are ignorant and often suffer from it, or cheat money or kidnap clothes. " This is the original intention of three aunts and six grandmothers.

related data

1. In China's old novels and lifestyle, "three aunts and six grandmothers" represents a rather bad image. This image includes gossip, idleness, gossip, media lewdness, mercenary, selling superstition, seduction, ignorance, stealthy and so on. "Three aunts and six grandmothers" originally referred to nuns, Taoist aunts, divinatory aunts, dental aunts, matchmakers, teachers, devout aunts, medicine aunts and stable aunts. Among them, nuns and Taoist priests are a kind of identity; Medicine girl and stable girl are a profession. The medicine girl sells medicine, and the midwife is stable. Bitches and matchmakers are matchmakers. These people are not all bad elements, just because they usually have no skills, so they go deep into the family and come into contact with good women. In addition, most housewives in the past were ignorant, so "three aunts and six grandmothers" often succeeded in luring women to seek personal gain. Over time, there are many disadvantages, and "three aunts and six grandmothers" have become figures that everyone hates. Not only is the "three aunts and six grandmothers" ugly, but even women who have a little contact with them are considered immoral. Zheng Banqiao, a great scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, warned women at home many times not to have any contact with people like three aunts and six grandmothers.

On the surface, the term "three aunts and six grandmothers" is a thing of the past. In fact, its function still exists today. The former "three aunts and six grandmothers" existed because the old ladies lived in seclusion and didn't know the outside world, and there was no one to talk to. "Three aunts and six grandmothers" are popular with women because they often travel from all walks of life, are well informed, have rich topics, are good at observing words and feelings, and are good at exploiting loopholes. Often cheated, unconscious, or ask them for help. Modern women can receive higher education, fall in love freely, and choose jobs in many ways ..... and their abilities are not short of their needs. However, there are still many women who actively accept and rely on "three aunts and six grandmothers". Find an altar to worship, and whenever something happens, I will rush to pray for God, witches and the like.