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Why are rabbits called rabbits?
The famous Northern Dynasty Yuefu folk song "Mulan Poetry" has long been selected into middle school textbooks, and its content is almost a household name. And the last sentence of the poem: "the male rabbit's feet are lost, and the female rabbit's eyes are blurred; When two rabbits are walking on the ground, can Ann tell whether I am a male or a female? People always compare Mulan to the "female rabbit" in poetry without thinking. The so-called "I didn't know that Mulan was a girl until I traveled together for twelve years" means that Mulan blinded the eyes of the whole world and eventually led to people regardless of gender, Albert Nobbs. But in fact this is a big misunderstanding. The so-called three caves of cunning rabbits have been known for their cunning and timidity since ancient times. As we all know, Mulan has long been praised and loved by people for his great filial piety, loyalty and courage. If it is difficult for ordinary people to deceive the eyes and ears of the world and join the army for her father, can this feat of filial piety and courage and sincere behavior be cunning? And it doesn't quite match the tone of the whole work. And Mulan's heroic deeds in the battlefield have nothing to do with cowardice. So this explanation that people have been looking for meaning for a long time is definitely wrong. So if the "rabbit" in this poem doesn't mean rabbit, what should it be? In fact, a little investigation shows that this so-called "rabbit" is actually a "horse", and it is not an ordinary horse. It should be a good horse, a swift horse. The biography of the reflection of Wei Zhi Lu Bu said: "There is a good horse named Red Rabbit", and people all know that "there is Lu Bu among people and there is a red rabbit among horses". Red hare is a household name in China, and it goes without saying that it is a good horse. Sima Qian's Biography of Historical Records of Lv Zhonglian and Zou Yang has a cloud:

"Lu Zhonglian, people also. Curious about the big painting strategy. " Zhang Shoujie's Historical Records of Justice quoted Lv Zhonglian as saying: "Qi debater Tian Ba, served to attack the mound, discuss millet, destroy the five emperors, sinned against the three kings, served the five uncles, remained firm and white, and the contracts were different, serving thousands of people in one day." One of Xu's disciples, Lv Zhonglian, was twelve years old. He went to ask Tian Ba and said,' I'm not tired in class, the grass is not flourishing in the countryside, and I'm in a hurry to save the arrow. Today, the Chu army is in Nanyang, Zhao attacks Gaotang, and there are hundreds of Yan people. If Liaocheng does not go, the country will die. What can you do? If not, Mr. Yuan's words sound like owls, and people hate it as soon as they leave the city. Don't repeat. "Tian Ba said,' I want to hear about my life.' Ba said to Xu Jie:' Sir is a flying rabbit, you can't be straight! Never say it. "。

Tian Ba was impressed by Lu Zhonglian and praised Lu Zhonglian as not only a "swift horse" but also a "flying rabbit". It seems that this "flying rabbit" is much more powerful than "maxima". Here, the "flying rabbit" is compared to a "galloping pony". This "flying rabbit" should be a horse, which is very likely, but it is not absolutely certain at present. The author finally got a message from Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, and finally confirmed the basic assertion that "flying rabbit" is a good horse:

Lu Chunqiu: Departing from the Custom: "Flying rabbits, demanding, and ancient horses." Gaoyou's note: "Flying rabbits, if you want to kill them, are all horses' names. If you travel to Wan Li every day, you will fly like a rabbit, because you think it is famous. " ;

Han Angelababy's "Red Luxury Fu": "The princes are caged in scaly velvet, and the salty ones fly around their waists." ;

Chen Lin's Answer to King Dong A: "Like flying rabbits and meteors, crossing mountains and seas. Li Note: "Flying rabbits, meteors, immortals." . "

In addition, in Song Shu Fu Rui Zhi, it is also said: "Those who fly, also known as Shenma, travel to Wan Li three times a day." This "flying rabbit" is undoubtedly a "flying rabbit". I know "rabbit" is "horse", but the key is why it is named "rabbit" Is it "famous" because of "flying like a rabbit"? Do horses and rabbits have other origins? The answer is yes, and it has a deep relationship. Look up the ninth chapter "Agronomy in Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties" in Agronomy Volume of China Science and Technology History, and the first section "Overview of Agricultural Books and Introduction of Lost Agricultural Books" has a detailed explanation. Because it can be used for our reference, and there are not many related words, we quote this section as follows:

In terms of professional agricultural books, the most recorded ones are Xiang Livestock and Animal Husbandry. The "Form and Method Category" of Hanshu Yiwenzhi includes thirty-eight volumes of six animals. The biography of the Three Kingdoms, Shu Wei, quoted Xiang as saying that Xiang Yin method originated in the Han Dynasty. ..... There are eagle sutra, ox sutra and horse sutra. Shi Shuo Xin Yu Bao Dian quoted Xiang Niu Jing, and Zhang Jingyang also quoted Xiang in the annotation of Seven Records in Selected Works. There is a volume of Xiang Ma Jing in Sui Shu Jing Ji Zhi Wu Xing. The original note said: "Liang has a musical item, a bronze horse method in Quezhong, an eight-horse map, a cow sutra by Dr. Ning Qi of the Duke of Qi, a cow sutra by Xiang, a cow sutra by Gao Xiang, a jade sutra by Eight Public Items in Huainan, a river book by Gong Xiang and a sutra by Xiang Xiang. But even so, there must be more than one kind of writing animal books, including similar writing horse books and writing cattle books, which spread in Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

Because the Book of Horse Classic mentioned in the Book of Xiangyin and the Book of Horse Classic written in Xiangyin, Bole, Sui Shu have both been lost, it is difficult to research whether it is the same book with different names or two different books. Most people think that Xiang Ma in Qi Yaomin's Book retains their basic contents, so they think it is the ancient Xiang Ma Jing. However, in the 1970s, there was a big difference between the silk book Xiangma Jing unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha, Qi Yaomin's Book and this one. The full text is about 5200 words. Judging from its similar prose style and quotations from Nanshan, Hanshui and Jiang Shui, some scholars speculate that it is the work of Chu people in the Warring States period. The main part of the full text only talks about the eyes, eyelashes and brow bones of Xiangma, which is not necessarily the whole of Xiangma Sutra. But only from the existing part, it also contains a lot of wonderful content. It summarizes the essentials of the horse-phase method as follows: "You get rabbits and foxes, birds and fish, and you get these four things, and nothing else." Specifically, I want to get the rabbit's head and shoulders, the grass around the fox and their ears, their bellies, the bird's eyes and their necks, and the fish's fins. "Vivid and concise. The discovery of the silk book Xiang once again shows the rich content of ancient animal husbandry in China (original note: silk book arrangement group of Mawangdui Han Tomb, interpretation of silk book Xiang of Mawangdui Han Tomb, cultural relics,1977,8; Xie, Discussion on the Silk Book Xiang of Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha, Cultural Relics,1977,8. )。 -(See History of Science and Technology Agronomy in China, edited by Dong and Fan Chuyu, p. 193- 194, Science Press, June 2000. )

It can be seen that at least during the Warring States period in China, Xiangma's experience and knowledge have been very mature and have been widely applied and summarized, as evidenced by Xiangma Jing. The famous saying "There is Bole in the world, and there is a swift horse" is well known. In ancient times (not only in China), horses played an extremely important role. They have played an irreplaceable role in war, transportation, farming and daily life, and are our important friends and partners. So our ancestors had a rational summary of horses based on rich practical experience-horse classics or horse classics. "Rabbit" is an image expression after scientific induction and summary of the body shape and shape of a good horse. This means that a good horse's head and shoulders should have the physical characteristics of rabbits, otherwise it may fall into the ordinary. The Xiangma Jing, a silk book of Mawangdui Han Tomb written by Comrade Wang Shujin of Hunan Provincial Museum, has a similar explanation in the article "Research Summary", because the comments on "Xiang" in this article can be cross-referenced with the discussion on "Xiang" in the previously quoted China History of Science and Technology and Agronomy Volume, and are also extracted as follows:

"Silk" Xiang "has 77 lines and 5,200 words, of which 500 words are incomplete, 200 words can be checked, and 300 words cannot be processed. Because there is no comparable modern edition of this ancient book that can be correctly consulted, most of it can't be found in the "Xiangma Jing" handed down from generation to generation, so we can't fully understand some contents. However, in the first article, the words "Bole is a gentleman's horse", "Fa Yue" and "I ask you to explain" are repeatedly used, indicating that this book was written by inheriting, absorbing and exerting the achievements of Bole Xiang Ma Jing, not the original work of Bole Xiang Ma Jing. This "Xiang Ma Jing" includes three parts: classics, biographies and ancient teachings. The scripture part, written in four-character verse, is similar to describing poetry or fu. Judging from the written language, many experts think it may have been written by Chu people in the Warring States period. The content focuses on this horse from the head and thinks it is a good horse with big eyes. It summed up the essentials of the horse-phase method as follows: "You get a rabbit and a fox, a bird and a fish, and you get these four things, and the rest are different." "Simple and vivid. The unearthed silk book Xiang Ma Jing shows the rich connotation of Bole Xiang Ma Jing and proves the important position of Bole Xiang Ma Jing as the earliest monograph on Xiang Ma in China. ……

Mr. Zhang Jun believes that silk books are actually copies of classics and biographies. If this lost article Xiang Ma was copied in the early Western Han Dynasty and written at the end of the Warring States Period, Xiang should be written in the middle of the Warring States Period at the latest. Some words in silk books can also be found in the works of pre-Qin philosophers. The focus of silk book extraction should be the preferences of the owner of Tomb No.3. Only from the "eyes" extracted from silk book, we can see how meticulous the Chu people are in observing horses. The deepest impression of Chu culture in silk books is that no matter which part of Xiangma is, it is important to distinguish between "good deeds" and "bad deeds". The horse sutra and biography contained in silk books are all about seeking a swift horse, which is consistent with the Chu people's ethos of being quick and quick. The silk book Xiang should be the crystallization of Chu people's rich experience in raising horses. (Original Note: Zhang Jun: A Preliminary Study on Raising Horses in Chu State, Journal of Beibei University Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition No.3 +0988) "

Needless to say, the so-called head-and-shoulders rabbit-shaped good horse in biological morphology is known as "red rabbit horse" and "red" to describe its coat color, and the so-called "red-and-brown fierce horse" roughly belongs to this category. From the poem Mulan Poetry, we can also see the close relationship between Mulan and the horse. The poem says, "buy horses in the east market, saddles in the west market, reins in the south market and whips in the north market." This is definitely about horses. What does it have to do with rabbits? In addition, Mulan Jinge Iron Horse has been on the battlefield for ten years ("A hundred battles lead to the death of a general, but ten years lead to the return of a strong man"). Her feelings with the horse can be imagined, and her familiarity with its mount is self-evident. What does all this have to do with rabbits? If it doesn't matter, isn't the rabbit at the end of the poem too abrupt and a little puzzling? In ancient ci-fu, the last ending of an article is usually called "Luan Yue", which plays an important role and is related to the continuity of style and the summary of the theme of the article. If people misunderstand the exegesis of famous things, it will often be a mistake in a thousand years. The relationship of "cultural fatigue" will lead to more cultural misuse and misunderstanding of derivative manufacturing in later generations, which will eventually become a fact and never return. This is a very regrettable thing.

No kidding, the wild horse has to be brought back. At this point, we can confirm that the so-called "double rabbits" in Mulan's poems are two good horses. But there is still an unsolved problem-why do you say, "When two rabbits walk on the ground, can Ann tell if I am a male or a female?" And then what? As I said just now, since this kind of equestrian viewing has a long history and rich knowledge in ancient China, how can it be different for those who know how to watch equestrian? Here we can make a rhetorical judgment. This "male and female" refers not to gender, but to "showdown". Historical Records Biography of Xiang Yu: "Wang Xiang called on Hanwang, saying that' people of several years old are all over the world in Hungary, and only with my ears, they originally challenged Hanwang to fight it out' is proof. This is in line with the well-known folk song of the Northern Dynasties, "An athlete must be a fast horse, and a fast horse must be an athlete. ? Under the yellow dust, it is not male or female. "(Poems of Yuefu, Songs of Liang Gujiao and Songs of Zheyang Willow) all mean to compete and win. It is normal for young people to try to be brave, and there are many ways to win, among which "horse racing" is the most common and oldest competitive event. The so-called "two rabbits walking beside the ground" in Mulan's poems refers to horse racing or horse racing. We found a good example here. Cao Zhi's name;

Beautiful names are full of beauty, and young people in Luoyang are more elegant. The sword is 1000 yuan, and the clothes are beautiful and fresh.

Cockfighting on the road in the eastern suburbs and horse racing in a long string of catalpa trees. When I was on my way there, a pair of rabbits jumped in front.

Take the gong gong cymbals and drive the Nanshan Mountain. I drew a bow with my left hand and fired an arrow with my right hand, and only one arrow hit two rabbits.

Other techniques are useless, and people who fly kites in the air meet in a narrow way. The pedestrians watching H unt cheered in unison, and the archers nearby were impressed by me.

Back to Pingle Ancient Temple, the wine is worth 10,000 yuan. Carp is a fetus, turtle and bear are roasted together.

Calling friends and friends came to his desk, and the long banquet was filled in an instant. Cuju and Jirang are busy, agile and renovated.

The sun will always gallop to the southwest, and the passage will not be surpassed. After the feast, we rush out like a cloud and come back tomorrow morning to enjoy ourselves!

In this poem, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" clearly tells us that to win is a teenager's "horse racing", that is, horse racing. At the end of this poem, he said, "Two rabbits passed me before the gallop was half over." Tell us bluntly: "In the process of galloping, my opponent quickly overtook me." And this "running horse" has at least two opponents, and the two horses that have surpassed me-"Double Rabbit"-are absolutely extraordinary and good horses. In this way, there are many witches in the world, and Luo Jing is a teenager. The sword is 1000 yuan, and the clothes are beautiful and fresh. "Describe commensurate, extremely extravagant. Here, Yu Guanying also inevitably made a small mistake. He regards the "double rabbits" in this poem as two "rabbits", and then "the left arm is tied with the right hair, and two birds are connected vertically. "As a result, the" Double Rabbit "was shot, and then in order to bridge the contradiction that rabbits are" animals "rather than" birds ",the" bird "was explained, saying:" Two birds refer to double rabbits, and all the birds and animals hunted are called birds "(see Yu Guanying's Notes on Selected Poems of Yuefu). So this misunderstanding has been inherited until now, and I am convinced. In fact, in the first half of this poem, it is obvious that "Luo Jing boy" galloped in the wild hunting, and suddenly showed his bow and arrow shooting skills. In the end, the protagonist "I" was even better, bowing and archery, killing two birds with one stone (the left bow was right, and the vertical one was two birds). That's not enough. Before the prey landed, the author suddenly rode and raised his hand to catch the "flying kite", which was really amazing. Here again, it is obvious that the prey is a "flying kite", and this "flying kite" is obviously the "two birds" mentioned above. At this point, let's go back to the last two sentences of Mulan Poetry: "When two rabbits walk beside the ground, can Ann tell whether I am a male or a female?" "You don't need to think about it carefully. These two rabbits are two good horses." Walking beside the ground "means" riding on a horse ",that is, riding and racing. In the competition, each has its own advantages, and when the outcome of this duel is undecided, the so-called "male and female" is hard to judge (this "male and female" is a pun)! It is in response to the classic lyrics in Mulan of Henan Opera: "This woman is not as good as a boy! "

There is another piece of evidence. Cao Pi, the Emperor of Wei Wen, said in his masterpiece "Dian Lun Paper": "Today's literati: Confucius in Lu, Chen Zhang in Guangling, Wang Can, Xu Gan in Beihai, Liu Zhen, the merchant of Runan, and the seventh son of Dongping, all read books, all of which are full of salt. It's hard to get this suit! Gai Junzi judges himself and judges others, so he can write a paper without being tired. " This is also a horse race that competes with the attached men and women. It is not interesting, no doubt.

Miscellanies of Xijing: "A good palace garden is fun, a palace, and a garden is slaughtered." ;

Meicheng's Liang Wang Tu Fu Yuan: "So I walked leisurely, cockfighting, pitching, shooting, cooking, shooting, and I was very happy."

"Cockfighting and horse racing" is an important capital for rich families to show off their identity, wealth and status. Cockfighting and horse racing is also a typical way of life and entertainment for a dude family. All this has nothing to do with rabbits, and Liang Wang would never name his palace works and beloved paradise with insignificant rabbits. Therefore, "Eupolyphaga" is undoubtedly because there are good horses.

(This article was originally written by Bu Diandong. Welcome to pay attention to "empty rooms make white luck" and communicate. )