A Study on the Historical Motivation of Tiger God Worship of Chinese Ancestors
The tiger,belonging to the mammalian class cat,is considered the king of beasts and has been continuously interpreted by the Chinese ancestors as an important cultural form and folk phenomenon. Particularly noteworthy is the worship of the tiger deity,but there are many differences in the explanation of its cause. Based on the double evidence method of Wang Guowei,the documents handed down such as Shuowen-Jiezi,Book of Songs and so on,and the unearthed archaeological artifacts related to the"tiger-pig struggle"series,we can find that the ancient rituals of worshiping and sacrificing to the tiger is motivated by its ability to prey on wild pigs,wild deer and other agricultural pests and thereby effectively maintain the ecological balance. Consequently,the tiger was revered by the ancestors as the protection god of agriculture. The wonderful proposition by the Taoist master ZhuangZi that"the instinct of tiger and wolf is benevolent"highlights the characteristics of Chinese classical philosophy such as"equality of all things"and"harmony in diversity". It also presents valuable knowledge and experience and survival wisdom to the universal values of building a community of human destiny in today's world,thus deciphering the secret of national history in which we are rooted.
the tigertiger god worshipShuowen-Jiezidouble evidence methodecological balance
万方数据
维普
