Tianfei Mazu, also known as the Queen of Heaven, is a real person. Her original name is Lin Mo.
Her ancestral home is Meizhou Island, Putian, Fujian, which is an island. Lin Mo's birth and death dates are also very different according to some historical records. There are actually six versions of the year of her birth and four of the year of her death. A more consistent view is that he was born in the first year of Jianlong of Song Dynasty (960) and died in the fourth year of Yongxi of Song Dynasty (987). He only lived 27 years old. The so-called "died before he was thirty."
Tian Fei Lin Mo’s ancestors can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, there was a Lin Mu in Putian who had nine sons. It is said that they all became governors and were known as "Jiu Mu Lin" (the governor was also called "Zhou Mu"). Lin Mo is Lin Mu's tenth granddaughter. Lin Mo's father, Lin Yuan, served as a military envoy (some say he was also a patrol inspector). Lin Mo was the youngest in the family and was an "old girl". Why is it called "Mo"? It is said that she never cried for more than a month after she was born, so her father named her "Lin Mo".
Just like many other gods who became "immortals" from humans, Lin Mo's birth was naturally given a magical color by later generations and was greatly deified. "Putian County Chronicle" says that when Lin Mo was born, "the ground turned purple and there was auspicious light and fragrance." "The Encyclopedia of Searching the Gods of the Three Religions" says that Lin Mo's mother "had a dream of Nanhai Guanyin and Yiyoubo Flowers, swallowed them, and became pregnant. She did not give birth until the fourteenth month, and she became a concubine (Lin Mo gave birth, "on the day of her birth, The smell of strange fragrance lingers for ten days." In short, Lin Mo's birth was accompanied by incomparable auspiciousness. Lin Mo's growth
Probably Lin Mo was born to be a "god". He was just 1 year old. When he was still in his infancy, he saw statues of gods with "hands made to worship". At the age of 5, he was able to recite the Guanyin Sutra, and at the age of 11, he was "able to dance and perform music to the gods." When Lin Mo grew up, she "understood the secrets and foresaw the consequences, and the villagers reported illness and recovered quickly." It seems that Lin Mo is still a young witch, and her greatest ability is in maritime affairs. With extraordinary "inspiration".
Once, Lin Yuan and his four sons went to Fuzhou for business. Lin Mo was staying at home with his mother. At night, Lin Mo suddenly started to stir. She asked her daughter if she had a nightmare. Lin Mo opened his eyes and said, "No, dad and their boat were caught in a storm." Lin Mo was shocked and complained: "I hold a boat in each hand. Two more were hung on my feet, and there was one in my mouth. It was okay, but when you shouted, I opened my mouth and the boat I was holding in my mouth blew away. "After that, I started crying." My eldest brother’s life is in danger.”
A few days later, my father and brothers came back and complained that there was a storm at sea and that my eldest brother’s ship had sunk in the sea. They also said that when the wind blew, they saw a woman holding five masts. As they walked across the waves, the whole family realized that Lin Mo was sleeping with his eyes closed, "but he came out to save his brothers" (Volume 4 of "The Complete Collection of Gods of the Three Religions"), and the news became more and more popular. Lin Mo became famous.
When Miss Lin grew up, she vowed not to marry, and often traveled across the sea by boat and traveled among the islands. With her good nature and Bodhisattva heart, she rescued many people at sea. The fishermen and businessmen who died were called goddesses and dragon girls. Her deeds of good deeds in rescuing people at sea were widely spread in the Putian area. , rescuing boat people in distress at sea, but due to the strong wind and waves, Lin Mo was unfortunately swept away by the typhoon...
People did not want to admit that Lin Mo died in distress, thinking that she had been "ascended" - became Goddess. Some people fabricated the story that when Lin Mo ascended to the throne, "he heard the sound of music in the sky, and there were crimson clouds falling from the sky, and the god (Lin Mo) rode them up" ("Yangzhou Tianfei Palace Stele"). Some people also saw her "dressed in red clothes and flying over the sea". So the people of Putian built an ancestral hall to commemorate the goddess Lin Mo.
In the fifth year of Xuanhe (1123), Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, dedicated it to Yundi on Shizhong Road. He was sent as an envoy to Korea. He led eight large ships while sailing on the Bohai Sea. Suddenly, he encountered a big storm and sank seven of them. Lu Yundi was so frightened that he closed his eyes and prayed: "Goddess comes down to earth, please keep me safe! Goddess comes down to earth." , Keep me safe! " Strangely enough, Lu Yundi suddenly felt that the boat was steady. When he opened his eyes, he saw a goddess in red standing on the rafter. With the blessing of the goddess, Lu Yundi was alone. The ship sailed to Korea and completed its mission. When Huizong heard about this, he personally gave Lin Mo Temple a plaque titled "Shunji". From then on, the goddess had more and more "spiritual responses".
During the Shaoxing period of the Song Dynasty, pirates were rampant in Jiangkou. The goddess "swept away with the wind" and later helped to suppress the pirates many times. During the Chunxi period, "there were frequent droughts every year, and prayers (gods) responded." The goddess not only protects merchant ships and fishermen, helps suppress pirates, but also protects against floods, droughts, epidemics and other disasters. Therefore, the influence of the goddess is becoming more and more widespread, and the incense has gradually expanded from the original Putian area to the coastal areas from south to north. A very large area.
The goddess's "miracles" were also praised by emperors from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. The emperors granted her as many as 40 titles in seven or eight hundred years, with a total of five or six titles. Cross: such as assisting the country and protecting the saints, protecting the country and protecting the people, Ling Hui and Shun, Miao Ling Zhao Ying, Hong Ren Pu Ji, Zhao Ling Xian You, Guang Ji Ming Zhu, etc. Lin Mo's status was determined by the original Miss Lin. Madam, concubine, heavenly concubine, holy concubine, rising to the rank of Queen of Heaven.
The sacrificial rituals have gradually been upgraded from folk sacrificial rituals to ministerial sacrificial rituals sent by the imperial court, and have been included in the national sacrificial rituals.
If the goddess that people in the inland believe in is Guanyin Bodhisattva, then in the coastal areas, the goddess that people believe in is Mazu. And from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the three major objects of traditional national sacrifice were the Yellow Emperor, Confucius and Mazu.
Mazu, formerly known as Lin Moniang, is generally believed to be from Meizhou, Fujian. Belief in her began in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty. It is said that she predicted the misfortunes and blessings of going to sea for fishermen during her lifetime. She also had superb medical skills and often went to sea to save people when ships were in distress, saving countless fishermen. Historical records at that time recorded that she "often wore a red robe and appeared on the holy sea. If she was caught in a storm, she would call on God to save her." Emperors of all dynasties after the Song Dynasty gave her titles, from "Madam" to "Concubine", to "Tianfei", "Tianhou", and even to "Heavenly Holy Mother". Slowly, Lin Moniang changed from a human to a god and became a person respected by thousands of people. The goddess Mazu.
According to preliminary statistics, there are as many as 250 million believers in Mazu at home and abroad. There are Mazu temples in ports in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and the eastern coastal areas of Jiangsu, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Tianjin and other places. Macau, the Portuguese word for Macau, comes from the pronunciation of "A-Ma Pavilion". When the Portuguese landed in Macau, there was a Ma-zu Pavilion. When the Portuguese asked where it was, passers-by answered "A-Ma Pavilion", so the Portuguese thought it was from this island. The name is Macau.
Every time Mazu is born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, Mazu temples all over the world will hold sacrificial ceremonies on this day, and the most solemn place for sacrificial offerings is this. On this day, faithful men and women from Southeast Asia, North and South America, Japan and other overseas countries will come to Meizhou Island to worship. The Mazu Temple here is the ancestor of more than 5,000 Mazu temples in more than 20 countries around the world. On this day, a grand sacrificial ceremony will be held on Meizhou Island. People will kneel down and worship the statue of Mazu under the leadership of the person in charge, and the troupe will also perform a Mazu drama that reproduces Mazu's life events. , various floats performing Mazu's manifestations, delivering children, delivering medicines and other events will also parade around the venue over and over again. Accompanied by dragon and lion dance teams and various folk cultural performances, the festival will even be more lively than the Spring Festival. In addition, during the Spring Festival. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, when Mazu ascends to heaven, people will also hold commemorative activities. However, because it is the anniversary of her death, the worship gifts on this day are all vegetarian. The Mazu temple will also perform Mazu dramas from the sixth day of September until the ninth day. .
In addition to the sacrificial activities in temples, since the Song Dynasty, Mazu statues have been enshrined on various ships departing from the ports on the southeast coast. Before setting off, during the voyage, and after arriving at the port, they would burn incense and pray to Mazu. Have a safe journey. According to folklore, Zheng He also held a ceremony to worship Mazu during his voyages to the West. In some areas, in addition to commemorating the day of Mazu's birth and ascension, worship ceremonies are also held at the seaside or at home on the fifteenth day of every month.
As an amiable goddess, Mazu is especially popular among women. Whenever women encounter problems or make important decisions, they will use a half-moon-shaped wooden chalice to pray to Mazu and ask for hints. In order to keep their children safe, mothers will also go to Mazu temple to pray for small sachets and hang jade statues of Mazu around their children’s necks, hoping that Mazu can bless their children if their parents go out. , you can even entrust your children to the care of relevant personnel of Mazu Temple. Such Mazu Empress has become close and peaceful without the grand theme of national sacrifice.
On September 30, 2009, the United Nations will Mazu belief is included in the intangible cultural heritage of mankind. This may be due to the wide range of Mazu believers, or the fact that Mazu belief and custom has its own system from the state to the people. The coastal people's expectations for a safe return from the sea voyage, their expectations for a safe and smooth life, career, and family, and their expectations for a gentle mother figure who protects the nation.
In the Song Dynasty, there was a Fujian fisherman girl named. Lin Moniang, it is said that after her father was killed while fishing at sea, she swam on the sea for a few days and brought his father's body back. In order to commemorate her, later generations built a temple for her, and she performed many miracles. Later, emperors of all dynasties also built temples to worship her. People along the coast believed that she could bless peace, so Mazu was deified.
Mazu belief is not only found along the coast of China. You can basically find Mazu belief wherever there are Chinese people in the world. It can be said that Mazu is the most widely spread belief in gods among Chinese people.
In ancient times, sailing on the sea was actually very dangerous because shipbuilding technology was not advanced and there was no weather forecast. Therefore, fishermen at that time often placed their comfort in the protection of their belief in gods. Mazu was the Jiu Mu of a prominent family in Putian. Descendant of the Lin family, her grandfather Lin Fu was the general manager of Fujian. Mazu would not cry until she was born until the full moon. Her parents named her Lin Moniang. She never married. She always did good deeds to save people, was proficient in medical skills, and helped the villagers turn disaster into good luck.
Lin Moniang was born on the seaside. She understood astronomy and was accustomed to water. There were many reefs in the sea area where she was located. Many ships in distress often received her help. There were also rumors that she could predict good and bad luck and maritime affairs. However, AD In 987, Lin Moniang died early at the age of 28.
In order to be grateful for the help they received from Lin Moniang, the villagers built a temple on Meizhou Island to commemorate her. This is the famous Meizhou Mazu Temple.
Later, the news of Mazu spread to the ears of rulers. Starting from the Song Dynasty, emperors of all dynasties continued to add titles and expand Mazu temples. Mazu’s titles ranged from "Madam", "Tianfei", "Tianhou" to "Tianhou" "Our Lady of Heaven" and included in the national sacrificial canon. Mazu belief also spread from Fujian to Zhejiang, Guangdong, Taiwan, Ryukyu, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
Text | Wang Yudan
Mazu, also known as Queen of Heaven, Spirit Girl, etc., is the most common protector of the sea among people in the southeastern coastal areas of China. People's belief in Mazu began In the Northern Song Dynasty, it has a history of more than a thousand years. It can be seen from the records handed down from ancient times that Mazu is not a completely "fabricated" god, but evolved from an actual historical figure. However, due to the lack of historical data, Mazu's life experience has always been a mystery. There are no folk or academic circles about Mazu's life experience. Many opinions.
Although Mazu belief existed in the Song Dynasty, in fact, the historical records of the Song and Yuan Dynasties focused on recording Mazu’s divine power, and there was very little information about Mazu’s life experience. Liao Pengfei of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote the article "Notes on the Reconstruction of the Shengdun Ancestral Temple and the Shunji Temple", which is the earliest record of Mazu's life experience and the origin of her belief so far. The article writes: Mazu, also known as Lin, is a native of Meizhou Island. She takes shamanism as a profession and can predict misfortunes and blessings in the world. After Lin's death, people built a temple for her on Meizhou Island. But we still know very little about Mazu’s name, dates of birth and death, and life stories.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, people’s imagination became richer. In the 30th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, Wu Huanchu compiled "The Biography of Tianfei Empress", in the late Ming Dynasty the anonymous "Tianfei Xianlu" was compiled, and in the Qianlong period, Lin Qingbiao's "Emperor's Annals" are all related to Mazu's life records. The intention of creating gods in these written records is undisguised, and they largely integrate the myths and stories that were circulated among the people at that time. Various versions of the story make the original image of Mazu gradually clear.
Regarding Mazu's birth time, the year records are not consistent, but it is very consistent to regard "March 23" as Mazu's birthday. There are also various theories about Mazu's method of "reincarnation", either Guanyin gave her mother a pill, or her mother became pregnant in a dream. In addition, Mazu is from Putian, her surname is Lin, and her given name is Mo. The reason why she is named Mo is because she never cried once from the time she was born to the full moon. Lin Mo was smart and spiritually gifted when he was young. He helped others through danger many times during his lifetime. He never married. He died while saving a shipwreck at the age of 28. The above is the widely circulated life story of Mazu.
Recently, some scholars have taken the epitaphs unearthed from the Song Dynasty as an opportunity to conduct a new discussion on Mazu's name based on literature, and believe that Mazu's original name was "Xinmei". In addition to analyzing the epitaph, the scholar also said: March 23rd is the time when green plum trees are on the market; Putian plum groves are widely distributed and have strong "plum" cultural characteristics, so the name "Xinmei" is reasonable. at. However, during the long-term oral transmission process among the people, due to accent and other reasons, the name "Xinmei" gradually became distorted and misrepresented, and became "Lin Mo" in historical records. The emergence of this statement shows that research and exploration on Mazu are still continuing.
References:
Su Yahong: "Historical Research on the Evolution of the Image and Name of "Mazu"", Master's Thesis of Shandong University, 2011.
Tang Hongjie: "New Theory of the True Name of the Poseidon Mazu", "Cultural Relics Appraisal and Appreciation", Issue 12, 2017.
Speaking of Mazu, her original name was Lin Moniang, a native of Meizhou, Fujian, and she was 27 years old. They follow the path of meritorious deeds and become saints - there are many gods and goddesses here among the people. In addition to the Nuwa Empress, there are also the Son-Giving Empress from Mount Tai in Shandong Province, the "Forefather of the Silkworm Empress" Lei Zu, etc., which were passed down from ancient times. They are also very famous throughout China and are worshiped. widely!
The belief in Mazu is modest and began in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty. It is said that she predicted the bad luck for fishermen when they went to sea and she also had superb medical skills. Good fortune and misfortune depend on each other at sea. When a ship is in trouble, spirits often appear and cross the sea to save people. According to historical records, she "was always dressed in red clothes, and she appeared on the sea as a saint. If she was in trouble in the wind, she would call on the gods to save her."
Lin Mo's wife was continuously titled from "Madam" in the Song Dynasty to "Concubine" and then to "Concubine" in the Song Dynasty. "Tianfei", "Tianhou", and even "Heavenly Madonna" have transformed from human beings into gods, and have become the Mazu empress revered by coastal fishermen. I have to say that it’s a good time!
First, the status of Taoism in the Tang and Song Dynasties was very high, especially Zhao Heng, Song Zhenzong of Zhao Guanjia, who believed in Taoism; Song Huizong Zhao Ji even regarded himself as a "Taoist Lord", but history is just a joke, and the country was subjugated and captured by the Jin people. The small dynasty of the Southern Song Dynasty also died tragically and tragically in Mongolia due to the imperial master Jia Sidao. "There is no China after Yashan," Japanese sinologists commented angrily (some critics said it "contains evil intentions").
Secondly, the most important thing is: Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty dug the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which made the imperial economic renaissance irreversible. After the Anshi Rebellion, vassal towns were separated, and the Central Dynasty of the Tang Dynasty survived for more than a hundred years by relying on the trade dividends of Yangzhou, Quanzhou and other Maritime Silk Roads.
Needless to say, the two Song Dynasties! From the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, half of the country was lost, almost entirely supported by overseas trade. The Ming and Qing Dynasties were closed to the outside world, but overseas tribute trade always flourished. If fishermen, businessmen, and pirates "smuggled" across the South China Sea to make huge profits, life or death would be unpredictable. Then would it be difficult for Mazu's incense to prosper?
Conclusion: Mazu belief may have been faintly spread since the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sui and Tang Dynasties. It happened that Lin Moniang appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty. She was good at pinching and counting, with superb medical skills and a kind heart. She rescued fishermen. At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Zoroastrian/Mingjiao Fangla Uprising occurred during the Huizong period of the Song Dynasty.
I don’t know if this Lin Moniang is a brother or sister of the same religion, a sacred fire envoy in red clothes, preaching about the God of Light? You must know that only high-ranking officials and their ladies are qualified to wear red clothes and purple clothes!