Research On Gods Faith Of The Northern Song Dynasty Based On Ouyang Xiu's Poems

Gods faith is an important aspect of folk belief, the"gods"meet the people's psychological needs of pursuit of longevity, freedom, and praying for the well-being. This makes the gods faith lasting since the pre-Qin. In the Northern Song period, gods faith developed because of the introversion-tended national character, and the rulers promoting the rule by Taoist gods. "Hagoromo uniforms", Ouyang Xiu concerned about the gods belief in his old ages, leaving large number of related works, these works are good material when we research on gods faith of the Northern Song Dynasty.When we read the poems about gods faith of Ouyang Xiu's works, we find that the"immortal"of the Northern Song Dynasty have the characteristics of longevity, perfect, alchemy. People at that time hoped arriving immortal world through practicing such as guidance, medication, inner alchemy and etc. "Gods" are born which come from the original faith, they can be classified into the nature God, the protection God, family God, Buddhist God, and professional God. They become the people's praying and telling target because they have great magic power. The most obvious manifestation is praying for rain to the Dragon King in agricultural society of china. There are records about calling for rain to "earth dragon" and "cell dragon" in poems of Ouyang Xiu .Summed up the gods belief of Northern Song Dynasty, we find that the gods belief at that time have the following three characteristics: First, various practicing immortal ways, in general, in a crucial period of transforming from alchemy to the inner alchemy; second, regardless of scholars and the people, they have a practical attitude on gods faith, come to the gods when they have requirement and stay away from the gods when they have no intention; Third, gods come to the world of the secular. Hexiangu–one of the eight gods recorded by Ouyang Xiu's poems is typical.