Research On The Shape Of Deity In The Process Of Social Change Since Song Dynasty

Zengcheng, in the Pearl River Delta region, is the birthplace of the folk beliefs of Hexiangu. At least from the Tang Dynasty, there have been the legend of He'erniang in Zengcheng, and the image of Zengcheng Hexiangu became more and more vivid in the Song Dynasty, then she have initial classification in the Yuan Dynasty. Zengcheng Hexiangu has been used by Buddhism and Taoism in the Tang and Song Dynasties, so the legend of Hexiangu had some related elements about them. On the basis of the growing of local scholars in the Song Dynasty, this class Began to preach Hexiangu's "filial piety". In the Ming Dynasty,with the strengthening of social control on the South, local scholars re-writed the legend about the Hexiangu, injected into more Element of Gentlewoman.To educate the women,Local officials in the late Ming Increased the emphasizing Hexiangu's "Chastity","Faithfull and Filial".With the growing influence of He-Clan in Zengcheng, they began to accepted Hexiangu as their ancestors in the late Qing period. Transforming Hexiangu into the orthodox Goddess, on one hand, the local scholars could show their obeying of the will of the state; On the other hand, they could spread the Confucian ritual In the civil。The evolution of the Hexiangu's image and story, was the reflection of the process of social and cultural.