八仙傳說의 由來와 傳播

The Origin and Propagation of the Eight Immortal Legends

Folk Taoism and legends did not stress union with Tao, but offered immortality through alchemy, certain disciplines and the worship of particular spirits and deities, among them the Eight Immortals. Who - and what - are the Eight Immortals(Mandarin pinyin: Ba Xian, Cantonese Pat Hsien), beloved of the Taoists and celebrated in Chinese opera, art and literature They were people who achieved the folk Taoist ideal of physical immortality. Hence it would seem most appropriate to call them by their native name Hsien, now commonly written 仙, a pictogram representing perfectly the essence of their cult - the primitive contact of man with Nature typified by the mountains. The Eight Immortals are to be recognized by their distinctive emblem; Li Tie Kuai - the master with the Iron Crutch 鐵拐 and a bottle-gourd 葫蘆, Zhong Li Quan - is often shown half-naked 半裸 and a fan 扇, Zhang Guo Lao - a fish drum 魚鼓 and a mule 驢, He Xian Gu - a large ladle 조籬, Cao Guo Jiu - a tablet of admission to the court 金牌, Han Xiang Xi - a flute 簫, Lan Chai He - castanets 玉板. Especially, best known Lu Tung-pin's recognized emblem is the magic two-edged sword 劍, which he carries in his hand or slung on his back. He is represented a dignified elderly man clothed in the dress worn by the scholarly class. Through the centuries countless objects - porcelain vase, plates and teapots, paintings, sculptures, wood carvings, and paper-cuts - have depicted the Eight Immortals, singly or in a group. According to these analyses, we can in detail observe the origin and propagation of the Eight Immortal Legends.