There are more than 600 words in this composition about Meizhou folk culture.
1996 during July and August, the author found that there were "immortal grandmothers" believers in Xinpu Town, Jiaoling County and Songkou Town, Meixian County on both sides of Meijiang River. First, I visited xinpu town. At that time, with the help of Mr. Lin Qingshui, I visited the Lin ancestral hall (located in Shangnan Village of the town). However, when I saw the "gods of immortals and uncles" enshrined on the wall on the left side of the temple gate, I immediately visited the leader of the Lin family. Later, when I visited Songkou Town, Meixian County, I found the same folk custom phenomenon in Chichangtang, Huangjiadaiwu, Guanping Village. Later, I went back to school to talk to students about this matter. I heard students from Xingning County, Pingyuan County and Wuhua County say that their hometown also has similar folk beliefs. In other words, the belief of "immortal aunts and grandmothers" is quite common in Meizhou mountain area. Meizhou used to call people engaged in the shipping industry "boatmen". The industry god worshipped by boatmen is "immortal uncle and aunt" The shrines of "immortal uncles and grandmothers" are mostly built at the estuary or on the shore. Every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, all boatmen sailing in the same river collectively offer sacrifices to "immortal uncles and grandmothers". In addition, boatmen often invite "immortals' uncles and grandmothers" to board the boat to offer sacrifices. Their statues are set on the awning wall of the boathouse, commonly known as "Uncle Gong", and they burn incense to worship on the day of sailing and arrival, and on the first day and fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Xinpu Town is located in the middle reaches of the Grottoes River. There are more than 20 local businessmen such as Chen, Lin, Zeng and Deng, as well as businessmen and boatmen from Chaoshan counties. In the past, there were rice merchants' associations, chambers of commerce and seamen's associations. In town. Although there is no unified organization in all walks of life, there are unified sacrificial activities, that is, worship of "immortal aunts and grandmothers."
The place dedicated to "immortal uncles and aunts" is "Guo Xian Palace". Although the scale of the palace building is small, there is no statue in the shrine of the main hall, only a wooden tablet that says "the place of magical gods" Two stone pillars stand outside the palace gate, and a long flagpole stands between them. Legend has it that "Guo Xian Palace" is the center of xinpu town's geomantic culture, because Xinpu Market is built by mountains and rivers and looks like a raft. Legend has it that it was tied by this flagpole to prevent it from being washed away by the flood. It was the "fairy uncle and aunt" who stabilized the flagpole. In other words, in the eyes of ordinary people, it is "immortal uncles and grandmothers" who protect the safety and prosperity of the new store market.
On the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month, businessmen and boatmen must go to Guo Xian Palace to burn incense. Ordinary believers mainly participate in the "beginning music" after the first half of the first month of each year and the "ending music" in December, commonly known as "doing good" in the palace. When doing good deeds, the people in the four townships also join in the fun, inviting monks or nuns to chant Buddhist scriptures for entertainment, setting tables and stools, and having lunch.
According to the author's comprehensive investigation data analysis, the prototype of the local water god "immortal uncle and aunt" is a snake. The belief in "immortal aunts and grandmothers" is the relic of primitive belief in totem dragon and Qinglong in the south. According to legend, there is a family named Zeng near the palace. Their ancestors are two brothers, and their occupation is boating. Once a boat was on its way to Chaozhou, and my brother suddenly went insane and didn't want to eat. He kept saying "my brother's aunt" and "my brother's aunt". At this moment, a snake appeared on the boat. My brother panicked and said to the snake, "You are God, so come to my cabin. If it is a snake, I will kill it with a stick. " Just then, the snake entered the hut. When the ship returned to the dock in xinpu town, the snake spun ashore from the cabin, climbed up the hillside along the springboard, and then climbed to what later became Guo Xian Palace to stop and coiled under a rock. My brother feeds the snake eggs every day, and the snake goes there to enjoy delicious food every day. So, convinced that the snake is a god, the two brothers set up a small monument beside it and lit incense.
Believers of the local water god "immortal uncle and aunt" were originally boatmen of fishermen, whose main functions were to protect fishermen and shipping safety; Later, believers gradually expanded to nearby villagers and increased the function of the god of wealth. Legend has it that there is a Chen Mou in Tangfuling Village, xinpu town who is doing business in the market town, and his business is light. So he went there to burn incense and make a wish: "If you bless to make money, I will make an altar for you." As expected, Chen Mou's business is getting better and better, and he is willing to build an altar. Then Chen Mou made a wish, "If you bless me to build a big warehouse, I will build you a palace." Later, Chen Mou dug a big coal seam and made a fortune to build a shrine. Our grandmother Guo is a child prodigy. Guo Weichen pointed out the location and direction of the palace. When local officials learned of the incident, they rode to stop it. Unexpectedly, on the way, the horse lost his front hoof, broke his leg and fell half to death. He thought there were immortals in the sky, so he agreed to build a palace with the title "It is a wonderful fairy to guard the spirit of Dongjiang". Later, Shenka wrote "the position of a wonderful fairy". Later, the belief circle of "fairy uncle and fairy grandmother" was further expanded and became a community god. Not only boatmen, businessmen and people from xinpu town come to Guo Xian Palace to burn incense, but also some villages and even some ancestral temples of clans. For example, on the left wall of the gate of the Lins Ancestral Hall in Nanshan Village of this town, there is a wooden shrine with a memorial tablet "The Divine Position of Famiao Immortal" on it. It is said that Hou Mou, a businessman from xinpu town in the old society, set fire to the shop many times. Every time, Hou Mou, the store owner, would go to Guo Xian Palace to invite "immortal uncles and aunts" to pray for fire fighting and disaster relief at Bazidun with magic cards. In addition, the children of ordinary people are ill, and parents often pray for the elimination of disasters and diseases. Every boatman also has a shrine on board. The boatman burned incense before sailing, and when he encountered heavy wind and rain on the way, he burned incense and prayed for peace.
"Fairy uncles and grandmothers" have a special anniversary, that is, God's birthday on July 13th of the lunar calendar, which is the day when Japanese people hold sacrificial ceremonies. There are two main activities:
One is carrying a "fairy" on patrol, with high lights (two people carrying two big lanterns), colorful lanterns (two people holding a long red cloth in front and back), big gongs and drums, and a sedan chair with eight tones, with the owner following. The patrol team went out of the palace along Hekou Street, then turned to Jizihang, Chaihang Street, Mihang Street and Shang Chao Guild Hall, and then returned to the palace through the police station, the new food market and the suburbs of the town. Patrol routes have been arranged. Also attending this activity that day were foreign businessmen from xinpu town. For example, Chaozhou merchants set up the "Chaozhou Guild Hall" in this town, and the Guild Hall actively participates in the activities of offering sacrifices to "immortal aunts and grandmothers" every year. Whenever Shenjiao visits the front of the guild hall, he will stop to let Chaozhou businessmen pay homage for a period of time. Some boatmen who stopped at the Groto River before landing are making sacrifices at the bow.
The second is to entertain the gods and perform a big drama (Han drama), which lasts more than 10 days. Legend has it that on July 13, a troupe in dapu county was afraid to perform elsewhere, because a big snake appeared in the theater box during a performance in other places. The troupe thought it was "the uncle and aunt of the fairy appeared" and immediately rushed to the new store to perform.
In Meizhou, in addition to "immortal uncles and grandmothers", there are various water gods. Take Meizhou as an example. In the old days, there were 25 large and small temples inside and outside the city, among which there were 3 Dagong temples dedicated to local water gods and their belief circles across the block and clan: Meixi Palace, Longwang Temple and Shuidabo public altar.
Meixi Palace, the temple of Anji Hou, is the sacred Meixi King or Meixi Gong. There are temples in Meicheng Town, Bingcun Town and Songkou Town of Meixian County. For example, the Anji Hou Temple in Songkou (also called Meixi Palace) is located in Xiadian Village, where Meixi Gong is enshrined. In the early years of Qing Emperor Kangxi, it was built by villager Li Yi. Meixi Palace in Meicheng is located on the north bank of Meijiang River, which is now the former site of the bridgehead of Meijiang Bridge. Dedicated to the god of plum water, but also to the emperor of grain, the flower male and the flower female, the relationship between heaven and earth, the god of wind and rain. It is unknown when it was built, but in the 30th year of Kangxi (169 1), Chengxiang County Records recorded that Meixi Palace, the county seat of Chengxiang, was next to the East Bridge. In the traditional Meizhou mountain area, Meixi Palace is dedicated to the idol of Meixi Holy King. Public palaces or altars are distributed in various village communities, believers or single or multiple clans, but the beliefs are different in different places, or one or more villages form a belief alliance with the king, and so on. Who is the man? There are different places, including ancestor god [3] and plague god [5]. Compared with "immortal uncles and grandmothers", the roles of Prince Anji and Prince Meixi will change according to the needs of ordinary people: water gods or mountain gods. The author thinks that, as far as traditional Meizhou is concerned, Wang Gong is a distinctive local water god or mountain god. For details, please refer to my humble works "The Origin of Hakka" and "Surrounding the Dragon House", so I won't repeat them.
Longwang Temple: Located in the former site of Meijiang Bridge Head on the south bank of Meijiang River, facing Meixi Palace on the north bank of Hebei Province, it was built in the Ming Dynasty. In the past, in the mornings of February and August, local officials would send people to offer sacrifices.
Water-fetching Bogong altar: Water-fetching Bogong altar comes from pools, ponds and streams in Meizhou mountain area. The water-fetching Bogong altar in Meizhou City is located on the north bank of Meijiang River to worship the water god, especially the boat people and people going abroad get off the boat here.