The Evolution Of The Image Of The Queen Mother Of The West In The Han Dynasty ——Centered On Han Portrait Stone

The myth of the Queen Mother of the West has a long history,and there are two views of its origin: the clan name theory and the tribal totem theory.The earliest documentary record of the Queen Mother of the West appears in the Shanhaijing,and her image gradually changed.The evolution of the image of the Queen Mother of the West was basically completed during the Han Dynasty,and it showed different characteristics during different periods of the Han Dynasty.During the Western Han and early Eastern Han dynasties,the Mother of the West evolved from a fierce god with an abominable face to a dignified god of good fortune,and at the same time she became more secularised,with her clothing and appearance taking on a more earthly appearance.After the Eastern Han Dynasty,with the help of Taoism,the Queen Mother began to become immortalized again,eventually becoming a Taoist female immortal.A large number of painted stones from Han dynasty tombs have survived to this day and are important material for our study of the image of the Western Queen Mother.The Han painting of Xiwangmu images show their own characteristics in the Central Plains,Hai Dai,Yan Bei and Ba Shu regions.The earliest images of the Queen Mother of the West were excavated in the Central Plains,and were mainly episodic,highlighting the expression of the storyline of the images,while the images of the Queen Mother of the West in the Hai Dai and Yan Bei regions gradually flourished during the Eastern Han period.The images from the region have a secular and interesting character,as they flourished in the mid to late Eastern Han Dynasty.At the same time,the four regions are interrelated,and it can be seen that the dissemination path of Han painting of Xiwangmu images spread and developed outwards from the Central Plains.Firstly,there was a change in the elements of the images,with new elements such as the Eastern Prince and the Huagai appearing as the images evolved from simple to complex,and then there was a change in the mode of expression,from the episodic to the iconic,with the ritual function of the images of the Western Queen Mother gradually increasing.An examination of the Han painting of images of Xiwangmu reveals that they are broadly the same as those recorded in the literature.It can be found that during the Han dynasty,the identity of Xi Wangmu completed the transformation from a fierce god to an auspicious god to a Taoist female immortal.The reasons for the evolution of the image of the Western Queen Mother were varied.Economically,the economic development of the Han dynasty provided the social basis for the development of the image of Xiwangmu;politically,the ruling class used the legend of Xiwangmu to defend their rule,thus contributing to the formation of the belief in Xiwangmu;the popular concept of the preservation of life and the avoidance of death in the Han dynasty also fostered the social and psychological basis for the belief in Xiwangmu;Taoism and Buddhism gave Xiwangmu a deeper religious dimension,and finally,driven by literature and art,the image of Xiwangmu The image of the Queen Mother of the West was finally transformed in the Han dynasty,and has continued to be a magnificent image in later times.