Hanging wormwood, calamus, and banyan branches
There are reasons for the practices to hang wormwood, calamus, pomegranate, and garlic head. The normal practice is to bind them into bunches and hang up on doors. Since calamus is the most powerful among the five heavenly auspicious signs, so it symbolizes a sword. Because of its growing season and shape, it is regarded as having absorbed various Yin energies, plus its leaf looks like a sword, therefore it can be hung on door to expel evils. Taoists call it water sword and later called as calamus sword by people to kill all evils. Records of Qingjia compiled by Gu Tieqing in Qing dynasty points out, “Cut calamus into sword, or knit wormwood into whip, matched with peach board and garlic head, then hang them up around beds to dispel ghosts.” While in Records of Customs in Jin dynasty narrates, “Knit wormwood into tiger, or cut colored cloth into small tiger, and stick wormwood leaves on to be ornaments that women raced to wear. Later, calamus was also made into human figures or swords, called calamus sword, used to expel ghosts and sinister powers.”
Wormwood is a sign to usher in various happiness, and also a herb to cure diseases. Therefore, hanging it on doors would guard people against diseases. Wormwood is always used as a medical herb in Chinese ancient times, and moxibustion in acupuncture treatment is to use wormwood as main ingredient put on acupuncture points for parching to cure diseases. The tale that wormwood can dispel spirits has long been circulated among people, the main reason for which is that it has medical functions. Jingchu Seasonal Records compiled by Zonglin writes, “Before rooster crows, people would collect wormwood that looks like human figure, for future use in acupuncture therapy, which is very efficacious. On this day, people collect wormwood and knit it into man figure, then hang on doors to dispel poisonous gases.” Sometimes, people would plant wormwood close to their houses, expecting to secure auspiciousness. In Taiwan, there is also a practice to stick Dragon Boat Festival couplets, with the similar intention to talisman. For instance, the following sentences are used in this kind of couplets, “Wormwood flag in hand to usher various happiness, calamus sword on door to kill assorted evils.” In folklores, banyan branches can ensure people’s health, “Hanging banyan branches to secure energy like a dragon, tying wormwood grass to gurantee vigor like a tiger.” In some places, people would hang pomegranate, garlic head, and lily. Garlic can expel evils and cure bites from poisonous insects; lily can cure insanity; and hanging pomegranate flowers on doors can avoid Huangchao. Pomegranate flowers are in season on Dragon Boat Festival with the function to cure some diseases, while skin of pomegranate is a common herbal medicine. The relationship between pomegranate flower and Huangchao, the fierce peasant uprising leader, comes from a story. During this rebellion, one day Huangchao led his troops to pass by a village, and accidentally caught sight of a woman carrying a older baby on her back, while leading a younger one in her hand. Huangchao felt quite confused, so he asked the woman why she did so. Unfortunately, the woman didn’t know the person who she was talking with was actually Huangchao, so she said that Huangchao was coming, and all the people of her brother-in-law’s family except the old on her back had been killed. In order to save the son of her brother, she had to do like this. Huangchao was much moved by her words, and told her only if she hung pomegranate flower on the door, his solders would not hurt them.
Evading Dragon Boat Festival, a custom on May 5 for the married daughters to return back home to meet her own parents, called evading Wu or evasion of Duanwu. According to customs, people believed that May 5 was a sinister day in a sinister month, so many matters should be evaded. Hence, there was the practice for married daughter to go back home for security. It seems that this custom had been formed during Song dynasty, poet Lu You wrote in his poem Harvest Year, “Prepare lamb and wine to welcome daughters, and send out dragon boat with drum music to worship gods.” Annuals for Jiajing and Longqing Reigns note, “Call back the married out daughters to pass the festival.” Annuals of Luanzhou says, “All of the newly married daughters would be received back home in May, calling to evade Duanwu.”
(Source: bjchinese.bjedu.cn)
