Legend of Peacock Flying Southeast

Legend of Peacock Flying Southeast

Peacock Flying Southeast is the earliest long narrative poem in the history of ancient Chinese literature, and also the best folk narrative poem in ancient China. Ancient Chinese folklore stories were first found in Volume I of New Yong on Yutai, compiled by Chen Xuling (507-583) of the Southern Dynasty, originally entitled "Ancient Poems for Jiao Zhongqing's Wife". "Yuefu Poetry Collection" is included in "Miscellaneous Songs and Ci", originally titled "Jiao Zhongqing's Wife".

Nowadays, the first sentence of this poem is generally taken as the title of the poem. The legend of Peacock Flying Southeast has been widely spread through this Yuefu poem. Originally a folk creation in Jian'an period, it may be modified by later generations in the long process of circulation.

The preface tells us the time, place, characters and poetry of the story. The story took place in the late Han Dynasty during Jian'an period and was based on real people and facts. Selected from "Yutai Xinyong" compiled by Xu Ling of the Southern Dynasty. Shen Guiyu is called "the first long poem in ancient and modern times" with 357 sentences and 1785 words.

This poem takes the time as the order, takes the love of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing and the persecution of feudal patriarchal system as the clue of contradiction and conflict, or narrates according to the tragic development clue of separation, anti-marriage and martyrdom of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing, reveals the evil of the feudal ethics destroying the happy life of young men and women, and eulogizes the loyal love and rebellious spirit of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing .

On November 11, 2014, the legend of Peacock Flying Southeast was approved by the State Council and listed in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.

Legend

Story origin

The story of Peacock Flying Southeast began in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It was first recorded in the novel Yutai Xinyong, which was later adapted and sorted out and widely spread. Among them, Yuefu poems in Peacock Flying Southeast have become the most popular representative works of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Ancient Chinese Literature History: The earliest long narrative poem, the best folk narrative poem. It is also known as the longest narrative poem in the ancient history of China, and is one of the glorious poems in ancient Chinese folk literature.

"Peacock flying southeast" and "Mulan Ci" of the Northern and Southern Dynasties are called "Yuefu Shuangbi" and "narrative poem Shuangbi". After that, he added "three excellences". The story is based on a marriage tragedy that happened in Lujiang County (Zhishu County, Qianwan County in the late Han Dynasty, all within the territory of Anhui Province) during the reign of Xiandi in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The preface before the poem tells us the time, place, characters and the history of the poem. The story took place in the late Han Dynasty during Jian'an period and was based on real people and facts. Selected from "Yutai Xinyong" compiled by Chen Xuling of the Southern Dynasty. Shen Guiyu is called "the first long poem in ancient and modern times" with 357 sentences and 1785 words.

Narrative poem plot

This poem, in chronological order, takes the love of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing and the persecution of feudal patriarchal system as the clues of contradiction and conflict. It can also be said that it is narrated according to the tragic development clues of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing's parting, anti-marriage and martyrdom. It exposes the evil of feudal ethics which destroys the happy life of young men and women, and eulogizes the loyal love and rebellious spirit of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing. The artistic images of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing have been successfully created. In addition to their tragic behavior, dialogue plays a decisive role in the performance of typical personality.

Liu Lanzhi is strong and respectful. He is neither subdued by coercion nor moved by glory. Knowing that her mother-in-law was going to expel her, she volunteered for "repatriation" and said to Zhongqing, "It's too late for adults to break five pigs in three days. Not for the late weaving, the monarch housewives are difficult to do, "mother-in-law said that the money is too much, can not be driven by the mother", not exalted, not inferior, very educated. Brother forced marriage, she said, "Brotherly punishment, that should be self-appointed", soft, rigid, have their own ideas. Liu Lanzhi is also a kind and gentle woman. On the one hand, she was loyal to love. "The king was a rock, the concubine was a reed, the reed was silky, and the rock was not shifted." On the other hand, she put herself in a position of "coercion, and so was the concubine."

Jiao Zhongqing's personality is also very distinct. He is loyal to love, but dares not fight directly. He can only resist passively and endure humiliation. He loved Lanzhi very much and declared that if he sent this woman today, he would never take her again. It's no wonder that "Aunt has to hear it", and "Hammer Bed will be furious". Later, when he had to leave Lanzhi for a while, he solemnly declared, "Swear not to be separated from Qing" and "Swear not to bear the burden of Heaven". He also said, "I do not drive the Qing, forced to have a mother," blunt, clear attitude. From the words of his resigned mother at home, we can see Zhongqing's rebellious character: "Today, the wind is cold, the wind destroys trees, and the frost forms orchids. My son is in the dark today, and my mother is in the latter place. It was a bolt from the blue, but Jiao Mu, the feudal parent, did not change her mind and took back her life. At last, Zhongqing disregarded Jiao Mu's advice and violated the feudal etiquette of "no filial piety, no future, no big future" and hung herself in court. Obviously, this love loyal character, like Lanzhi, is full of rebellious spirit.

Jiao Mu is a prominent negative image. She is an extremely brutal and unreasonable woman. She has no understanding and sympathy for Lanzhi's virtue and Zhongqing's love, and is determined to be arbitrary. To Zhong Qing, she threatened with evil words for a while: "I will be angry for a long time, how can you be free?" "The boy is fearless, how dare he help his wife?" At the same time, she lured with good words: "The host has a virtuous daughter, self-named Qin Luofu, pitiful body is incomparable, and the mother asks for you." The purpose of both hard and soft measures is that Zhongqing dispatches Lanzhi quickly, removes the nails in her eyes, and safeguards her parents'authority. This fully exposed the ugly nature of the feudal patriarchal system which destroyed young people.

For another negative image, Brother Liu is not very well-known, but his sexual brutality, inflammation and tendency, ugliness exposed. He said to Lanzhi, "What can you do? First you marry officials, then you marry Langjun. Whether you are as peaceful as heaven and earth is enough to honor you." If you don't marry a righteous man, what's your ambition?""What's the matter?""What's the matter?"A rude rebuke, overbearing. "First marry officials... Enough to honor you." Seeking profit and forgetting righteousness. Shen Deqian's comment on these poems said, "This is the tone of a villain who admires wealth and nobility, regardless of etiquette and righteousness." "If you don't marry a righteous man, what's your desire?" The voice outside the string is, "Do you want me to support you for a lifetime?" Under the banishment order, you can see its bitter, cruel and ruthless face, which is a typical market woman.