Study On Dream Fu In Tang And Song Dynasties

Dream is the common experience of human beings,and there are different interpretations of dream in ancient and modern times.In addition to the mysterious superstition of dreams,the ancients also tried to explain dreams from the angle of rationalization and philosophy.They have explained and classified the emergence of dreams from the perspectives of psychology,physiology and pathology.and incorporated dreams into the corresponding philosophical system.Except for the theory of dreams,dreams occupy a large proportion in Chinese classical literature.In the Book of Songs,Si Gan and Wu Yang were the first to write about the auspicious dreams of Zhou people.The origin of Dream Fu can be traced back to Song Yu’s Ode to Gao Tang and Ode to Goddess,which tell the story of the king of Chu’s dream of meeting a goddess.Since then,there have been some Dream Fu in the following dynasties.The creation of Dream Fu before Tang Dynasty has provided referential experience and material for later generations.The content of Dream Fu in Tang and Song Dynasties can be roughly divided into three categories.One is the reproduction of strange dreams.The second is the expansion of dream allusions.The third is the discussion of dream theories.Dreams are the revelation of the subconscious and can reflect people’s thoughts.In Qing Dynasty,Chen Yuanlong compiled Fu Collection of the Past Dynasties,and some of Dream Fu are included in the "emotional category".During Tang and Song Dynasties,the literati expressed three kinds of feelings through Dream Fu,including the feeling of caring for others after the death of close relatives and friends,the feeling of self-forgiveness and self-mockery due to the difficulties in official life,and even the hidden anxiety due to the dark politics and turmoil of the family and country.The writing of Dream Fu in Tang and Song Dynasties has its own characteristics,reflecting the different styles and artistic style of the times.Influenced by the imperial examination,most of Dream Fu in Tang Dynasty are in the form of rhymed Fu,which is strict in the rhythm format.And these works are good at indulging in imagination and often uses exaggerated techniques.However,Dream Fu in Song dynasty get rid of the political and utilitarian context of the imperial examinations,no longer use rhymed Fu to write dreams but use a variety of creative techniques to generate a distant artistic conception.In terms of content,Dream Fu in Tang Dynasty mainly draw on classics and the interpretation of historical facts and praise of auspicious dreams frequently appear,showing the open and confident spirit of Tang people.Dream Fu in Song Dynasty are more closely related to personal life and mentality.People in Song Dynasty are accustomed to introspection and influenced by Buddhist thought,they often interpret Buddhist principles through Dream Fu.At the same time,Dream Fu also record literati’s life of visiting landscapes and social intercourse,which is more personal.Liu Zongyuan’s Dream of Homecoming Fu is a representative work of Dream Fu in Tang Dynasty,which is derived from The Lament,but the addition of dream elements makes it have a stronger feeling of homecoming.Liu Zongyuan’s creation has a model significance.Later,some works with the theme of "dream of homecoming" appear,which contain the ancient scholars’ homesickness complex and thoughts of seclusion.Zhou Bida’s Dream of Fairy Fu has more ideological value,discussing Taoist health method which is widely accepted in Song Dynasty.In addition to maintaining physical health,Zhou Bida adds the Confucian "to be honesty" thought core into Dream of Fairy Fu,which is not only Zhou Bida’s personal ideas but also reflect the trend of the mergence of Confucianism and Taoism.