Research On The Customs Of Praying For Rain In Guan Gong In Hebei

In traditional society,rainwater is particularly important,it is directly related to the production and life of the people.Due to the unique geographical location of Hebei and the single industrial structure dominated by agriculture,the rain prayer activity is of great significance.As a Guan Gong belief and cultural area,the people of Hebei associate Guan Gong with praying for rain,creating Guan Gong prayer rain gods that are integrated with the local culture.The custom of praying for rain with Guan Gong as the main deity is not only a means of avoiding disasters,but has developed into an iconic cultural symbol.By reviewing the integrated texts of local history and folk literature in Hebei,combined with fieldwork,this paper attempts to comprehensively analyze the customs of Guan Gong praying for rain in Hebei by comprehensively using multidisciplinary methodologies such as folklore,sociology,religious studies,and anthropology.Through a comprehensive summary of the phenomenon of Guan Gong praying for rain,the distinctive humanistic characteristics and belief orientation of Hebei are recognized.Specifically,this article will discuss the customs of Guan Gong praying for rain in the following eight parts:Part Ⅰ: Introduction.The concept and definition of this paper are clarified,and the relevant research theoretical results,research methods and significance are introduced.Part Ⅱ: The Causes and Objects of the Rain Prayer Customs in Hebei.The physical act of praying for rain originated from the dance in ancient times,and the deep psychology originated from the collective psychology of "survival first" and the national psychology of "repaying merit with virtue".At the same time,it also introduces the reasons for the formation of rain prayer customs in Hebei and the objects of rain prayer in Hebei.Part Ⅲ: Guan Gong Praying for Rain Customs and Folk Beliefs in Hebei.It mainly introduces the belief in water worship,the belief in thunder worship and the belief in Guan Gong worship.Guan Gong’s name as the god of praying for rain is the result of the deepening of folk beliefs.Part Ⅳ: Customs and religious beliefs of Guan Gong praying for rain in Hebei.Guan Gong is the only "three religions in one" deity,as a rain prayer deity will also be influenced by Taoism,Buddhism and Confucianism,the spread and development of the three religions in the people stipulates the function of Guan Gong,the reason for Guan Gong as a rain prayer deity,the time of the rain prayer ceremony and the form of the rain prayer ceremony,enriching the connotation of Guan Gong’s rain prayer custom.Part Ⅴ: Ritual presentation of Guan Gong’s custom of praying for rain in Hebei.It mainly includes four aspects: ritual subject,ritual procedure,ritual taboo and ritual symbolic connotation.They are interconnected and interdependent mediators,and are the outward manifestation of Guan Gong’s custom of praying for rain.Part Ⅵ: The custom of praying for rain in Hebei folk narratives.This section is an important part of this paper.The folk narratives with Guan Gong as the rain-praying deity were analyzed,mainly including stories and legends and rain-praying ballads in rituals.The legend texts are "Shenlong Reincarnation" type legend,"Sharpening Knife Rain" type legend and "Guan Jiao Rain" type legend.Through the analysis of the motif analysis,the narrative structure of the legend of Guan Gong praying for rain in Hebei region is presented more clearly and clearly.Prayer for rain is divided into "Praying for Rain" and "Praying for Rain",among which the "Praying for Rain" of Guan Gong in Hebei is divided into "Praying Ballads" and "Ritual Ballads".The Prayer for Rain text is mainly based on the Taoist "Prayer for Rain Sutra".Through the legendary texts circulating in Hebei,we can glimpse the special psychology of Hebei villagers praying for rain,the religious ideas in the custom of praying for rain,and the legacy of original beliefs.This trace profoundly influences the conduct of the rain prayer ceremony.Part Ⅶ: The Social Function of Guan Gong Praying for Rain in Hebei.The reason why the custom of praying for rain has been long-lasting is that it has always played a social function.The social functions of Guan Gong praying for rain mainly have four points,namely "pacifying the masses and adjusting the psychology,confirming identity and promoting unity,consolidating rule and maintaining order,entertaining the masses and spreading culture".These four points have both the role of the people and the role of the official level,and the two complement each other,which will be conducive to the continuation of the customs on which the people depend.Part Ⅷ: Conclusion.Periodically summarize the whole paper.The custom of praying for rain in the Guan Gong in Hebei is a product of traditional culture and cannot be ignored in the process of research.Its existence is inseparable from the comprehensive influence of folk beliefs and religious factors,and at the same time there are rich texts in folk narrative literature.It not only affects the operation of the ceremony,but also has a unique significance for social development.