The legend about Poseidon first appeared in the Babylonian civilization. The Babylonians who once lived in what is now southeastern Iraq revered "Aia" because she was a sea god and her shape resembled a mermaid. In the later Cretan civilization period, the story of Poseidon was also spread. Crete is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, and its residents are good at swimming and diving. In 3000 BC, it is said that there was an outstanding diver named Fruelaux who bravely threw himself into the ocean in order to find the secrets of the sea. God was moved by his fearless spirit and made him an immortal sea god. In Greek mythology, the leader of all sea gods is Poseidon. When he is angry, he will slap the sea with his trident, which will cause violent winds. In order to please the Poseidon, the Greeks built the magnificent Poseidon Temple on the most dangerous cliff.
In the East, ancient Chinese legends are quite special. Before the legend about the Sea Dragon King and the Prime Minister of Shrimp, Soldiers, Crabs, Generals and Turtles, it was thought that this triangular area centered on Mount Tai, extending to the foot of Mount Hengshan in the north, the mouth of the Yangtze River in the south, and the coast of Hebei and Zhejiang in the east, was called "Zhongzhou", also known as "Central Plains". Surrounding the Central Plains are oceans, and each ocean is ruled by an emperor. "Zhuangzi" once recorded this: "The emperor of the South Sea is Sui, the emperor of the North Sea is Hu, and the emperor of the center is Chaos. Sui and Hu met in the land of chaos, and Chaos treated them very well. Sui and Hu conspired. Reporting on the virtue of chaos, he said: "Everyone has seven orifices for seeing, hearing, eating and breathing, but there is no one like this. If you try to dig one out, you will die in chaos in seven days." From the Chinese perspective, the ocean is a place full of darkness and terror. The word "海" means "from water to darkness". Hui means darkness. Someone else recorded that "the words of the sea are so dim that nothing can be seen." The so-called "nothing can be seen" indicates that it is unknowable. This can imagine the degree of awe that the Chinese people at that time had towards the ocean.
Facing the dangerous ocean, the ancient Chinese did not give up their desire for knowledge. They used their rich imagination to satisfy their curiosity. The famous "Book of Mountains and Seas" is a book that focuses on describing the mountains, rivers, roads, customs and customs of the overseas world. The characters in it are all bizarre. The people of "Guantou Country" have "human faces with wings and beaks"; the people of "Long Arm Country" have "hands hanging down to the ground, fishing in the sea, holding a fish in each hand"; the people of "One Arm Country" have "one One arm, one eye, one nostril"; the people of the "Changgu Kingdom" have "body like a middle-aged man with feet over three feet tall, and they often carry long-armed people into the sea to fish"; the people of the "Nie Er Kingdom" "hold their ears with both hands, hanging in the air" in sea water”. The ancient Chinese also used myths to express their ambition to conquer the ocean. The most touching thing is the story of Jingwei’s reclamation of the sea. It tells that Emperor Yan, who was in charge of the rising and setting of the sun, had a daughter named Nvwa. When Emperor Yan was on patrol, she slipped and drowned in the East China Sea. Her soul transformed into a bird, "whose shape was like a raven, with a tattooed head, a white beak, and bare feet." It is the Jingwei bird, which "carries wood and stones from the Western Mountains and carries them to the East China Sea" every day.
In ancient Chinese legends, the most courageous person to challenge the ocean was probably Qin Shihuang. "The First Emperor dreamed of fighting with the sea god, and it looked like a human being. When asked about the dream, the doctor said: 'The water god is invisible, and the big fish and dragon are his lords.'. The first emperor ordered those who entered the sea to catch giant fish with gear, and then he waited with a crossbow. The big fish shoots out."
It can be seen that in its infancy, human beings have always viewed the ocean with a contradictory mindset. The vastness of the ocean makes humans feel insignificant, but the fantasy and mystery of the ocean also fascinates humans to want to get closer to it. The ocean was once the most embarrassing embarrassment for mankind. Because of this embarrassment, human beings were tortured in their childhood. Humanity's interest in the ocean first started from the surface of the sea. When autumn leaves drifted in the wind on the water, people may have been inspired to build boats. In 1973, while drilling for oil, the ancient human site of Hemudu was accidentally discovered in Yuyao, Zhejiang, China. A small wooden oar was discovered from a 2-meter-thick marine shell layer, thus confirming that the ship has a history of at least 7,000 years long.
The sea can carry boats, and humans initially used them to patrol the seaside to catch fish and shrimps. In the Xia Dynasty of China, there was a written record of "hunting eastward in the sea and catching big fish". It was much later that humans set sail on long voyages to explore the secrets of the world.
The first large-scale voyage known to mankind so far was in 609 BC.
At that time, the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho was a ruler with a strong thirst for knowledge. He was not satisfied with his fleet just cruising in the Mediterranean. He wanted to know what the world outside the Mediterranean was like, so he hired a group of Phoenicians who were good at sailing. A gay sailor rented three wooden boats with 50 large oars to explore the outside world.
Since then, mankind’s dreams and pursuit of the ocean have been written page by page. Gradually, the perspective of people in a place expanded to the other side of the sea, discovering new continents and new people, experiencing different cultures, different situations, success, failure, failure, success. They continued to search and continue. Perhaps it was a lifetime of drifting, so the boundless ocean became their home; then, they finally discovered that the ocean is the mother of mankind.
The Legend of the Poseidon
It is said that in the early years of the Song Dynasty, a fisherman named Lin lived in a small fishing village by the sea in Putian County, Fujian Province. One boy and one girl were born. After the daughter was born on March 23 of the lunar calendar, she could not cry for more than a month, so her parents named her "Mo Niang". She was studious and intelligent since she was a child. She studied scriptures with a teacher at the age of eight. Although he grew up in a fishing village, he prefers a vegetarian diet and never eats meat, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, fish, shrimps, crabs, and shells. He only eats whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, especially seaweeds and vegetables, and drinks rain, snow, and dew. , although the body is slender, but the water quality is very good, and the weather at tide and evening is not learned. He is kind-hearted and willing to help others. On stormy days, I would ride alone in a small boat to rescue fishermen and rescue their wounded. He is deeply loved by the people of Yujia Village.
One day, Mo Niang’s father and brother went fishing at sea. She and her mother were cooking at home. The weather suddenly changed. Black clouds rolled in the sky, strong winds rose, huge waves surged, thunderstorms came, and Mo Niang was lighting the fire. My mother seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. Her mother was very surprised when she saw her clenching her teeth in her sleep, frowning, kicking her hands and feet, and struggling desperately, "Mo Niang, Mo Niang..." Even after shouting several times, she didn't respond. When he woke up, he pushed her hard several times, and she suddenly woke up. She kept shouting "No, no!" The mother asked in surprise: "My son, what happened?" The daughter responded: "Just now, my daughter dreamed that her father and brother capsized in the sea and fell into the water. My daughter held her brother's hand and bit him. I was swimming towards the shore with my father in my arms when my mother suddenly pushed me and said 'ah', as if I had lost my father and only saved my brother." After saying this, my eyes were full of tears. . The mother said anxiously: "My son, please don't talk nonsense. It's late. Go to the beach and see if they are back?" Mo Niang was about to go out when she saw her brother covered in water. He came in with great sadness and threw himself in front of his mother. He cried and cried: "My father and I were trawling for fish. The weather suddenly changed and the sea was very windy and the waves were high. My father cut off the net. We rowed the oar and added the oar and rushed to the port. But the wind got stronger and stronger, and two or three huge waves... The boat overturned and we fell into the wind and waves. After a while, we became weak and couldn't swim. At this time, I felt someone dragging my clothes to the shore. At first, my father and I were still together. At that time, my father disappeared. When it got dark, I went ashore and looked for my father everywhere, so I had to come back. "Mo's mother cried so hard that the whole family sent her father away in mourning.
The mother knows that her daughter is not a "mortal". The story of "Mo Niang saves her relatives" slowly spread in the fishing village. Many boatmen and fishermen think of past disasters in the wind, and they always seem to have a light to guide the way and someone to push them, so they can escape safely. They discussed and guessed that it must be Mo Niang's doing, and they all went to thank her and pray for blessings. For a time, there was a huge crowd, and the news spread all along the coast and islands, alarming the local officials. Once the secret was revealed, Mo Niang knew that she would die soon. Then he told his brother the truth: "I was originally the daughter of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. I left the Dragon Palace and came to earth to help people in danger. Now that everyone knows me, it is difficult for me to live in the world anymore. In recent days, I have said many times The sleepwalking spirit went to a precious land in the north, intending to stay there and ascend to heaven, so that I can help people in need and save all sentient beings. I hope my brother can help me!"
So, the brother and sister took a small boat and traveled along the long coastline at dawn. Stay overnight and head up to Shuobei. Crossing the Yangtze River estuary, passing through Lianyungang, and driving into Jiaozhou Bay, there was no trace of the treasure land. I drove past the "end of the sky" and entered Longxu Bay, which was not the best place I expected; I saw Yangma Island, stopped at Zhifu Mountain, and looked at Yantai Mountains are not a good place to live in a fairyland. When the boat passes Laoye Mountain, we can see the sky above a series of islands at the intersection of the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. The purple light is shrouded in auspicious air, the peaks are quiet, the rocks are steep, the pines and cypresses are towering, and the bamboos are dense. Although Mo Niang has never been to this place, it seems like she saw it in her dream and imagined the beautiful fairyland in the past. The brother and sister hurried into the archipelago and traveled around several islands, but they saw a small island in the middle, which looked like a huge colorful phoenix lying quietly in the water.
Mo Niang moved lightly and climbed to the fairyland. She saw that the clouds on the island covered the green ridges, the fog blocked the clear mountains, the meandering water sounded like a rhyme, and the pines and bamboos were dripping green. Especially when she stood on the neck of the "Phoenix", the two sides in front and back There is a river between the mountains, and the water on the left and right is two colors, which is particularly beautiful and bright. Looking up, the sky is clear and blue; looking below, the sea is a dark green mirror. Looking around, there are South and North Changshan Islands in the east, Daheishan Island and Xiaoheishan Island in the west, Houji and Tuanlang Islands and Reefs arranged in a line in the north, and Penglai Continent in the distant mountains in the south. The islands surround this vast island. Bitang in the bay can anchor thousands of ships without being disturbed by wind and waves. There are still five or six sea passages between the islands and reefs, extending in all directions and connecting all lakes and seas. This natural harbor and blessed bay is a good place to save all sentient beings and protect ships going south and north from disaster.
Fu Zhi was chosen, and Mo Niang said goodbye to her brother: "Brother, please go back to your hometown quickly and fulfill your filial piety in front of my mother for me. Although I am no longer with you, my soul will always be with you. From now on, what emergencies do you have? If you need help, just call me three times and I will come to your aid. I am here in Liangwan, a treasure island, guarding the main route of the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. I am dedicated to resolving dangers for boatmen and fishermen, and this is my lifelong wish." After that, he closed his eyes and sat in silence without eating or drinking. He meditated for three days and turned into a stone statue. After hearing the news, boatmen and fishermen from far and near gathered on the island, burned incense and paper, and worshiped. Responding actively to the advocates, they donated money and raised funds to build a temple to house a stone statue of Mo Niang, revered as the Goddess of the Sea. From then on, the temple became famous all over the world. The island is therefore called "Temple Island".
In the fourth year of the Xuanhe reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (1122), celebrities from the Fujian Chamber of Commerce traveled thousands of miles to track down the empress and rebuilt the temple of the empress - Tianhou Palace on the temple island, and sculpted the empress' golden body.
After the Goddess of the Sea ascended to heaven, she rode on the wind and waves, traveled around the world in spirit, and saved all sentient beings. Wherever there is trouble, she appears; wherever disaster strikes, she appears. The Empress's appearance to rescue people in distress has been known to every family for generations. Turning to the goddess of the sea for help in shipwrecks is a kind of spiritual power for people to overcome disasters. Boatmen from all over the world are devout and respectful to the goddess of the sea. The most common and widespread legend is the story of "the empress giving a lamp" to protect people in a shipwreck. Whenever the strong winds are raging, the evil waves are emptying, the sky and the sea are inseparable, and the darkness is boundless in critical moments. If the ship is in trouble, just shout three times in a row: "Your Majesty, bless you!" Not far from the bow of the ship, there must be a red light, as if the empress is holding the light to lead the way. In front of the bow, a channel of golden and calm water immediately opens. Follow the red light and walk along the golden light, you can always avoid danger and stay safe. Once you reach the coast, no matter how strong the waves are, you are guaranteed to be safe. In countless island fishing villages, there is a legend that "the queen sings and dances to calm the wind and waves". Whenever there is a storm on the sea, a natural disaster is imminent, and a ship is in danger and has not returned, the young and old in the fishing village flock to the seaside, kneel down on the beach, burn incense and paper, and pray for the safety of their relatives at sea. Shouting loudly: "Bless me!" The Poseidon rode the wind and clouds and rushed to the beach, singing softly and dancing gracefully. Strangely enough, when Poseidon's song spread, the wind quietly died down; Poseidon's skirt fluttered. After that, the waves slowly calmed down, and the relatives at sea returned to the shore and returned to Hong Kong. There are countless similar legends and stories, and they are increasing day by day. Among boatmen and fishermen, they have been passed down from generation to generation. The more they are told, the more they are spread, and the more they are told, the more magical they become. In Beiwuxiang Town, Changdao County, there are still old people who are still alive and can vividly tell the true story of being rescued by the empress during the shipwreck they experienced, and praying for their relatives, and being protected by the empress and escaping safely. This is also the reason why the temple has been renovated over and over again in all dynasties since the temple was built. Boaters from all over the world and fishermen from all over the world have paid homage to the Goddess of the Sea, and the incense has continued for nearly a thousand years. : "The Old Man and the Sea", written by American writer Hemingway. "The Old Man and the Sea" is Hemingway's masterpiece and a symbolic novel. The protagonist Santiago is an old fisherman. After many hardships and dangers, he caught "a big marlin weighing more than 1,500 pounds." However, this big marlin was killed by a shark. Santiago Brother only dragged back a fish skeleton.
Painting: There was a famous painting during the Renaissance called "The Birth of Venus". Venus, who had just been born from ocean foam, stood on a clam shell, and two wind gods carried her to the shore. Next to him, the goddess of time came to greet her with a flower cloak. Roses rained from the sky and the sea surface rippled slightly. This is a metaphor for the birth of art.