Why is it wrong to step on a swallow? What does Ma Chao's sparrow mean?

In fact, the name "Flying Swallow on horseback" is the name of bronzes unearthed in the Eastern Han Dynasty, but the correct name has always been controversial. Some time ago, some people even said that the name "Flying Swallow on horseback" is actually a name that has been staggered, and the correct name should be "Malone Chaoque". What's the difference between a sparrow in Ma Chao and a swallow in Ma Tai? Ma Chao's sparrow is actually a bronze statue of a horse, but it is a national treasure cultural relic. The swallow in the horse's flying swallow is not a swallow, because there is no swallow on this bronze statue, so the more accurate name should be sparrow. Let's introduce these two names in detail for everyone. Let's have a look.

I believe most people have heard of the following statue. As a precious cultural relic, it exists in the museum. As a famous tourist symbol in China, it exists in major railway stations and tourist attractions.

As a carrier with many legends behind it, it even exists in primary and secondary school textbooks.

What's it called?

Recently, this seemingly basic question has caused a heated discussion on the Internet.

Mata Yan Fei is one of its most popular names, but in fact, the standard title determined in the official documents of that year was "Ma Long Chao Que"?

In this regard, netizens are naturally divided into several factions:

Some people support "the swallow is on the horse", thinking that it is used to this name, there is no need to change it, and it is more artistic.

Some people also support "Ma Chaolongque" and think that the truth should be respected. The naming of cultural relics should not be decided by which name is pleasant to hear or which name is more widely circulated. (The last friend's emphasis is a little crooked. )

In addition, some people think that "riding on a swallow" and "riding on a sparrow" are incorrect, and bronze galloping is king.

The debate of these three viewpoints has never started recently.

Since the statue was unearthed, the debate about how to name it has never stopped.

1969 10, unearthed in Leitai, Wuwei, Gansu Province, is a tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty that has been excavated many times. The shape of a horse is head held high, tail cocked, flying on three legs, looking slightly to the left, and stepping on a bird with its right hind foot.

Later, in 1978, a painted flat pot painted with cows, horses and birds was unearthed from the Qin tomb in Yunmeng Shuihudi, with galloping horses and flying swallows painted on one side.

In fact, the shape of this cast statue is similar to that of a flat jar with cow, horse and bird patterns, and both of them are compared to show the speed of running horses. But arranging the "Swallow" under the horseshoe is a very creative way to make the center of gravity of the picture clearer.

After being unearthed, it was named "Flying Swallow on horseback". Many people say that this name comes from Guo Moruo, but as far as the information I have collected is concerned, there are at least three opinions:

1, Guo Moruo said: 197 1 year, Guo Moruo visited Lanzhou and named it "Ma Ta Yan Fei". This should be the most widely circulated statement at present.

2. According to folklore, it was named "Copper Running Horse" after being identified by Mr. Guo Moruo. At the same time, some people called it "Horse stepping on a swallow" because of its three-legged flight and the sadness of stepping on a bird in the back foot.

3. According to the official name, when the statue was handed over to the Gansu Provincial Museum for collection as a precious unearthed cultural relic in June 1970, it was registered as "Ma Ta Yan Fei".

Which of these three statements is right and which is wrong? I won't comment here because I haven't found enough information, but there is no doubt that Mata Yan Fei has been its name since it was unearthed.

But later, the academic circles gradually became controversial. The focus of the controversy was: Is the bird under the horseshoe really a swallow?

The theory of "flying swallow" has been denied by many people. Basically, the dovetail should be forked in appearance, but the bird's tail under the horseshoe of this statue is wedge-shaped, which is obviously not a swallow.

Then the problem comes again. Since it's not a swallow, how can you tell a horse to step on a swallow?

1972, gan bowen called it "galloping horse" and "galloping horse" in the "brief report on the cleaning of the eastern Han tomb in Leitai, Wuwei, Gansu Province", but the word "flying swallow" was still used in the description. "Flying on three feet, the right hind foot stepped on a swallow, and the swallow spread its wings and turned back, paying attention to it."

1974 The Han Tomb of Leitai in Wuwei announced by Gansu Provincial Museum is also called "Bronze Horse", and the inscription part is also referred to as "Bronze Horse". But the description thinks that the bird under the horseshoe is more like an eagle-"the right hind foot steps on the bird, and the bird's eyes are like an eagle."

When the two names "Ma Ta" and "Tong" were hot, some scholars also raised objections to these two names.

Scholar Niu Longfei believes that neither of these naming methods can reveal the profound spiritual connotation of this cultural relic.

According to the relevant documents contained in Zhang Heng's Ode to Tokyo in the Western Han Dynasty, in 1983, he submitted the article "Half-Han Ma Tian, Panwan Long Que —— Talking about Bronze Casting Horse Tian Unearthed from Leitai in Wuwei" to the inaugural meeting of Turpan Society in Dunhuang, China and the National Dunhuang Academic Seminar in 1983. In the paper, it is considered to be "beyond the unconstrained style of the wind dragon finch"

In short, the title of "a horse stepping on a swallow" is not accurate enough, because a horse is not a horse and a swallow is not a swallow, and the title of "a bronze horse racing" is not accurate enough, because there is a horse in the name but no bird, and the Tianma is actually not a "running", but a leisurely "wandering" close to Zhuangzi, so even the wind dragon finch can't be compared with it.

1983 12.5, People's Daily published the article "Maque is designated as a tourist graphic symbol in China", and called Niu Longfei's viewpoint "Maque" for short. Since then, Ma Que's name has also been widely circulated, and it has been included in the authoritative China Fine Arts Dictionary, which explains that ".

This article has also become the main basis for "officially naming Ma Chao Long Que" a few days ago.

But even with the People's Daily as the leader, the academic debate on this has never stopped.

Later, some scholars thought that the horseshoe should be an "eagle", mainly judged by the shape of the species.

For example, Cui Tunxi, a famous animal husbandry scientist in China, has listed six reasons for the "theory of flying eagle on horseback":

1. Swallows are small, so it is impossible for horseshoes to show so many parts of swallows after stepping on them.

2. The dovetail is short and forked, the eagle tail is long and the tail is neat.

3. The speed of eagle flying is the fastest among birds, and the "flying eagle on horseback" can better explain the high speed of horse running.

In Hexi area of Gansu province, eagles haunt all the year round, but swallows are rare.

Horses and eagles are often regarded as hunting tools in ancient and modern times. Falcon and horse hunting often stay together, fly in the same direction and chase the same prey. Swallows rarely do this.

6. Hawkers in ancient and modern times like to tie a bell above the eagle's tail, and the eagle flies to ring, adding interest. In the "copper galloping horse" model, there is indeed a small hole in the upper part of the bird's tail to tie the bell.

In fact, the problem that the name of this statue is confusing and cannot be unified has existed for decades.

In this regard, some people think that chaotic appellation is not conducive to the accurate spread of culture, nor can it accurately express the meaning of China tourism signs contained in it, and it also hinders the expression and deep excavation of its historical and aesthetic values.

Some people think it doesn't matter. Everyone knows that this actually refers to the same cultural relic. So, what do you think it should be called?