Maternal Awareness. Peach Worship Analysis

On the angle of maternal instinct consciousness, this thesis analyses the traits of gestating life, protecting life and sustaining life contained in people's belief towards peach. The sun implied the secret of life eternity. In the old mythology, the story "KuaFu pursues the sun" actually reflects the belief of pursuing life eternity or rebirth. The peach wood that was formed by KuaFu's body is a symbol of awareness. Therefore, since the mythology time, peach has had close relation with life. In folk cultures, peach also stands for women. In ancient folksongs, peach is used for describing women when people compliment women's beauty and eugenics. This tradition passed down from generation to generation till today. Peach can not only gestating life, but also create people with the goddess who create the whole world. Flower's nature is similar with women's eugenics so that the peach fruitage and peach blossom are always representing women.The peach have the traits of expelling evil spirits and safeguarding life. On one hand, the peach's trait of safeguarding life is evidently embodied from the alive to the dead, from everyday life to festivals and holidays. On the other hand, the peach protects people to avoid the evil spirits' defilement when seasons are changed. The idea that peach can safeguarding life comes from the medical function of the peach itself and has something with the idea of ghosts and souls. On the angle of archetype, the peach's can expel evil spirits because this is the reflection of maternal instinct consciousness.The peach has the trait of prolong life. This part mainly discusses the relation between peach and the Grand-lady and the folk customs of birthday ceremony. The Grand-lady's nature has changed in Han dynasty and has gradually become to be the goddess who is in chare of prolonging people's life. At first, the Grand-lady is the goddess who have the power to cease people's life. With time goes by, her nature of maternity is enriched. And this nature becomes more and more important when people connect her with the magical medicine that can prolong people's life. Furthermore, the peach's unique characteristics of pursuing life eternity and safeguarding life are enriched with new meanings and become the carrier of life-prolonging conception. There are many forms of birthday ceremony in folk customs. At these ceremonies, the image of peach can be seen everywhere. These phenomena demonstrate that people have realized peach's trait of prolonging life and its close relation with life.At the same time, we should realize that peach's three traits mentioned above are closely connected with each other. In folk beliefs, they are causes and effects, and interacted with each other.