What's the meaning behind "men don't have gods, women don't have immortals"?
The ancients believed that high in the vast sky, thousands of miles away from the clouds and mists, there was a gate called the "Southern Gate". After passing that gate, you would reach the place where the gods live, called the sky. Therefore, the ancients passed down an unwritten rule for naming children, which is called "men do not refer to gods, and women do not refer to immortals". Because reverence creates fear and one cannot "make mistakes".
▲How dare you give a name like "Tian" or "Xian" like us?
"Heaven" and "Xian" are the first words of the Three Realms. Presumptuous use of the words will be blasphemous
In ancient my country, the ancients believed that "Heaven, Earth, and Man" constitute the entire world and universe. range. Heaven is also the place where "celestial beings" live, that is, gods and immortals (this place is described a lot in "Journey to the West"). As people in the earthly world, they not only rely on heaven for blessings, but also rely on heaven for food. Many things have to do with it. You must respect the way of heaven in order to do things smoothly.
▲Enter the gate of heaven, the legendary "Nantian Gate"
If you name your child casually using the word "天" and "仙", it is not only unworthy, but also It is an act of blasphemy. Therefore, the ancestors left the traditional saying when naming their children, "Men do not refer to heaven, and women do not refer to immortals."
▲The Heaven in "Journey to the West"
The auras of "Heaven" and "Immortal" are too great for ordinary people to bear
In naming The ancients were very particular about it. They believed that naming a child with the characters "Heaven" and "Xian" would have too much aura, which would easily destroy the blessings in life and make it difficult to raise children, especially those from ordinary people's families. My child, any use of these two words in a name is unbearable for ordinary people and should be used with caution. On the contrary, the ancients gave their children names, especially nicknames. Ordinary people prefer nicknames, such as "Maomao", "Dog", "Egg", etc.
▲The ancients said that in order to raise your children well, you should not afford a "big" aura name.
"Heaven" and "Xian" are special words, and using them casually is arrogant
In ancient my country, the words "Heaven" and "Xian" were used in people's names. It's not that there are absolutely none, such as Yuan Tiangang (a metaphysician, astronomer, and Taoist priest in the late Sui and early Tang Dynasties.), but they are very rare and ordinary people will not use them.
Let’s talk about the word "天" first. In ancient times, it had a representative application, that is, the ancient emperor called "the Son of Heaven". Naturally, the word "天" is basically a taboo word for common people to name.
▲Zhu Yuanzhang: I am the true dragon "Emperor" of the Ming Dynasty, unique.
Let’s talk about the word "immortal". Although this word was not specifically used by the ancient emperors, using the word "immortal" as a name would not violate the emperor's taboo, but it can be abused by the world at will. Disdainful, because in ancient China, the word "xian" can refer to an immortal person, or it can refer to a Taoist female practitioner, such as "fairy aunt"; it can also be extended to mean someone who is talented in a certain area and is superior to ordinary people, such as "poetry immortal" Li Bai ; It can also refer to a certain woman who is particularly beautiful, and then people praise her as a "fairy". Therefore, as a child of ordinary people, how many people are willing to name their children with the word "immortal"!
▲Li Bai: The first person in Taibai to be regarded as an “immortal” through poetry.
Conclusion:
In the eyes of modern people, "天" and "仙" are both very powerful and auspicious words, and today people use them whenever they want, and no one Care too much about something. However, in ancient times, whether in terms of people's respect for heaven, earth and gods, or in terms of people's secular rules, "heaven" and "immortal" are not something you can use casually. Either he caused an official scandal because of his mistakes, or he caused people's criticism because of his arrogance.
▲What’s a good name? Let me think about it as a teacher: humble, reserved and ambitious.
In short, there is nothing wrong with these two words, but they are too sacred. In the ancient people's concept, there is holiness, even if it means awe, naturally, the ancients generally did not name their children after them.