What did cicada mean in ancient times? Why are there jade cicadas in ancient tombs?

Jade cicadas have been widely used as funerary jade and have endured, especially during the Han Dynasty. The funeral concept has a lot to do with it.

1.The cicada drinks the dew juice and sucks the pith of the wood to grow. The ancients regarded cicadas as noble things, and often used cicadas to imply beautiful things.

In addition, the chrysalis of a cicada turns into a cicada, which means that the soul will be reborn. Therefore, the ancients put it in the mouth of the dead in the hope of regenerating the soul. The cicada itself is an animal revered by literati and artists.

Cicadas live on tall branches and eat only dew and not human fireworks, which is in line with the ancients' pursuit of the image of a gentleman. Coupled with the crystal clear jade, it can be called a noble thing. Therefore, the cicada carved by crystal jade appears more noble and elegant.

2.Jade cicadas are generally only equipped with rich people. Legend has it that a jade cicada lost in troubled waters was found in Qianlong's mausoleum.

Obviously, this is the burial object in the mouth of Emperor Qianlong. It's a pity that his mausoleum was destroyed by Sun Dianying and others. The old man Shi Quan enjoyed all the glory and wealth during his lifetime, and it is really sad to endure such a toss after his death.

3.Among the archaeological discoveries in China, the discovery of jade cicadas dates back to the Yin Shang period, but in the Hongshan cultural site, earlier jade artifacts, including jade cicadas, have been found. Apparently, the ancients knew about cicadas for a long time and considered them to be sacrificed objects.

Therefore, wearing the jade cicada is a symbol of morality and status, or a symbol of the status of a "gentleman". Therefore, there is a saying in "The Book of Rites: Qu Li" that "the gentleman has no reason, and the jade does not disperse". A gentleman is like jade.

In particular, the jade cicada carved from white jade can show its lofty and incompatible gentleman's spirit.

Since the Han Dynasty, the jade cicada has been used as a metaphor for the rebirth of people. Putting the jade cicada into the mouth of the deceased is called a cicada, which means that the gods are immortal and reborn. Wearing the cicada on the body means nobility and purity, so the jade cicada is not only an ornament of life, but also a burial jade for the deceased.

Cicada wings, also known as cicada wings, are thin and transparent, with exquisite patterns. Each one is unique. It is often used to express the beauty and lightness of women's clothing.

It also expresses the beauty of a woman. Therefore, sending Yuchan to be with a woman is to praise the beauty of a woman. Because the cicada's life cycle begins and ends, it is tenacious.

The ancients often compared it to a house full of children and grandchildren, and the children and grandchildren multiplied endlessly. Therefore, sending the newcomer to Yu Chan has the meaning of full children and grandchildren and prosperous children.

Because cicadas have the meaning of rebirth and resurrection in ancient times, delicately carved jade cicadas are usually placed in the mouths of the deceased. A metaphor for the rebirth of man. to convey the good wishes of the family.

In ancient times, it was generally the meaning of burial, because many emperors felt that cicadas could have silk, which could ensure that their bodies would not rot.

Actually, it's very clean, because they think that nirvana rebirth is very powerful. Maybe it's just to show him the way to reincarnation.

Only at the entrance of the cave will you find a little floating soil.

When the cicada is digging a hole, it secretes a liquid that pulls the soil on the top to its feet, and the liquid secreted makes the cave wall smooth, and at the same time, it also makes the soil stain the cave wall to make enough space.

The larvae of cicadas live in the soil and have a pair of strong digging forefeet. The sap of plant roots is sucked by the piercing and sucking mouthparts to weaken the tree, make the branches die, and affect the growth of the tree. Usually stay in the soil for a few years or even more than ten years, such as 3 years, 5 years, and 17 years, these numbers have one thing in common, they are all prime numbers.

Many times, people will stumble upon some ancient tombs, and among the many artifacts unearthed from ancient tombs, jade is a precious cultural relic with exquisite craftsmanship. The use of jade can be traced back a long time, in addition to the common jade bi, jade ring, jade jue and other jade, there is also a jade cicada, as the name suggests, is a jade carved into the shape of a cicada. But why make it look like a cicada?

Did cicadas have any special meaning in ancient times? Why bury the jade cicada with the owner of the tomb?

1.Unearthed jade cicadas.

The jade cicada is a type of jade that appears in many ancient tombs. The earliest jade cicada was found in the Neolithic Age, which is a cultural relic of the Xinglongwa culture, about 8,000 years ago. This is the earliest jade cicada found, from the Shang Dynasty to the Warring States period, the jade cicada was a frequent visitor to ancient tombs.

It can be seen from the unearthed jade cicadas of the trembling keys that the shape of the jade cicadas in this period is relatively simple, and the material is not good, nor is it good. They are mostly used as ornaments and hung on the body.

Then, the carving technique of the jade cicada gradually matured. By the Han Dynasty, materials, knives, and shapes had made great progress. However, until the Eastern Jin Dynasty, jade cicadas were rarely seen.

It's not that there are no jade cicadas in the cave, but the number and frequency of occurrence are less than in the previous period. Even at the end of the Qing Dynasty, fake jade cicadas began to be made. The finished product is very different from the real jade cicada.

After all, they are fake. Who would fake it with real jade?

2.The meaning of cicada.

Cicadas often appear in summer, and it's really annoying to keep calling all day long in the sultry summer. But in addition, cicadas also remain underground because of other events, and some have to stay for more than ten years before they can drill out of the ground and enjoy a summer of sunshine and rain and dew Xiaoji. Not to mention that it will cause damage to trees, but this kind of breaking through the ground and jumping comic jumpmh is enough to make people notice her existence.

Therefore, the cicada has the meaning of rebirth and resurrection.

3.Why release the jade cicada?

The reason why the jade cicada is buried in the mouth of the deceased is because of this characteristic of the cicada. Cicadas stay in the land for several years or even more than ten years, and they are buried in the land after death. Therefore, the appearance of the cicada is substituted into people's lives, which is a metaphor for people's rebirth.

Of course, the cicada can break through the ground, because this is the process of its growth, but when a person is buried, it is the end of its life, so this practice can only be a morality, and it cannot become a reality.

In addition, cicadas only drink dew and do not eat anything else, because "they drink dew and do not eat anything else". They are also seen as a symbol of nobility and nobility, so they give the deceased a jade cicada in their mouths. Although feudal superstition is inevitable, it is also the spiritual sustenance of the ancients.

<>1. The feathering of cicadas is a metaphor for human rebirth. Putting the jade cicada in the mouth of the deceased is called a cicada, which means that the spirit is immortal and reborn and resurrected.

2. Wearing the cicada on the body means that it is noble.

3. In ancient times, the burial jade contained in the mouth of the deceased was named "jade cicada" because it was carved in the shape of a cicada. After death, people do not eat and drink dew, and are born out of turbid dirt and dirt, and do not get muddy water, which is the intention of the deceased since the Warring States period.

4. Jade cicada is a popular species used for funerals in the Han Dynasty, thinking that it can ward off evil for the living, protect the corpses of the dead, and even become immortals by eating it. The cicada also indicates that although the body is dead, it is only the outer shell that is separated from the world, and the mind is not necessarily dead, but it is only a kind of transformation.

5. The cicada has a very high status in the minds of the ancients, and has always been regarded as a symbol of purity, purity and spirituality. Over time, people have given more meaning to cicadas. For example, a jade cicada is worn around the waist, the homophonic waist is wrapped around ten thousand, and a cicada lies on the leaves, which is named the golden branch and jade leaf.

Some people also named the jade cicada that hung on their chests as a blockbuster.

1. Symbolize sadness and sorrow. The cicada cries miserably, and the poet uses it to express his sad feelings. or express the hatred of the fall of the family and country, or express the poet's grief.

2. The state code symbolizes noble self-metaphor. The ancients believed that cicadas dwell on the branches, eat clean dew and swim fiercely, and do not eat the fireworks of the world. The poet uses the cicada to metaphorize the nobility of Shenqiao itself.

Cicada is a cicada with a noble character. The ancients thought that the cicada was a symbol of nobility, so the ancients often used the nobility of the cicada to express the nobility of their conduct. "Tang Poetry Tailoring" said: "Every time a cicada sings its voice, this is the only respect for its character." ”

Because the cicada perches on high branches, sleeps in the open air, and does not eat the fireworks in the world, the character it refers to belongs to the Qinggao type. Luo Bing Wang's "Cicada in Prison": "No one believes in Gao Jie."

Li Shangyin's "Cicada": "It is difficult to be full of high content", "I also move my family to clear". Wang Yisun "Qi Tianle":

Even hugged Qinggao alone, and suddenly became miserable. Yu Shinan's "Cicada": "Raising your voice from afar, not by the autumn wind."

They all use cicadas as metaphors to refer to noble characters.

Cicada is a cicada with a noble character. The ancients thought that the cicada was a symbol of nobility, so the ancients often used the nobility of the cicada to express the nobility of their conduct.