On the Variations of the Mythological Motif of the Tea God Wu Lizhen's Origin in Ya'an
The origin of Wu Lizhen,the tea god in Ya'an,Sichuan,has been expressed in three different ways,corresponding to the social and cultural contexts of different era.Under the influence of ancient Buddhist culture and tea economy,the expression that Wu Lizhen came from South of the Five Ranges(Lingnan;岭南)originated from its archetypal characters,as well as the economic situation that Meng Tea was declined while the Jian Tea was thriving since the Song Dynasty.From the mid-Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period,under the influence of a certain type of Sichuan folk songs,which narrated the story of"Tang Monk fetched Buddhist scriptures from the Western Paradise and the birth of divine objects",Wu Lizhen's origin changed into the"Western Regions""Tianzhu(天竺)""India".Under the situation of contemporary commodity economy,the issue of Wu Lizhen's native place has become very important.In order to win deeper recognition in the market and society,local people described him as a native of Ya'an.Mythology researches should examine the phenomenon of mythologism with a historical insight,realize that the transformation and reproduction of myths have been occurring all the time,and the phenomenon of mythologism is only an intense phases of it.
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