牡丹传说

申报地区：洛阳市非物质文化遗产保护中心、西工区 2011年12月 第3批

牡丹的传说在洛阳主要流传有武皇贬牡丹。《食物纪原》记载：武皇于冬日间，要游上苑，道：“明朝游上苑，火速报春知。花须连夜发，莫待晓风吹。”百花不敢违抗，一夜发蕊开花。次日驾幸上苑，只见千红万紫，芳菲满目，独有牡丹有些志气，不肯奉承女主。武则天大怒，贬牡丹于洛阳。谁知，牡丹喜爱邙山土质，一入新土，即扎根发芽，来年春天，满山翠绿，百姓家见牡丹漂亮，家家移种，户户育植。牡丹仙子看到洛阳人这样喜欢自己，也非常高兴，一到春天，遂株株怒放，千姿百态。

牡丹的传说表现了人们对不畏权贵的气节的赞扬，对于引导人们宣扬我国优秀的民族文化、树立正确价值观、人生观有很深的教育意义。

洛阳牡丹甲天下。但好中还有好，奇中还有奇。最好最奇的，人称花王和花后。对花王和花后的来历，民间流传着这样一个故事。相传，唐朝时有一座牡丹山，山里有一个姓姚的樵童，独自靠打柴为生。樵童酷爱牡丹，砍柴时遇到牡丹，总要为它理枝，浇水，从不毁坏它们。樵童长成十八岁的青年后，一天，他打完一担柴，忽见一年轻美貌的女子不知从哪里走来，女子说她姓魏，愿与他结为百年之好。樵童表示自己穷，不愿连累她。魏女却说：“若我们结为夫妻，凭着辛劳，日子一定会好起来的。”樵童便和她做了夫妻。原来，魏姓女子是牡丹山上的紫花仙子，她爱上了樵童，与他一起在山坡上种起了牡丹，她种的牡丹开紫花，而樵童种的开黄色花朵，她又教丈夫把牡丹的根加工制成“丹皮”，给村里人治病。日子久了，他们的丹皮出了名，连外乡人也来买。后来，夫妻俩的生活就靠着牡丹，越过越红火。人们也出于对他们的感激，把他们的牡丹称为姚黄和魏紫。古往今来，“姚黄魏紫”几乎成了牡丹的代名词。

The legend of the Peony Fairy, especially Empress Wu Zetian Demotes the Peony, is circulated in Luoyang. As recorded in Shiwu Jiyuan(The Origin of Things): One winter, Empress Wu Zetian intended to visit the garden; she composed a poem demanding all the flowers bloom overnight for Her Majesty's morning appreciation. Flowers dared not disobey her order and bloomed overnight. The next day, when Empress Wu came to the garden, a magnificent view of varied types of blossoms was presented before her, except the Peony, who refused to flatter the Empress. The Empress became furious and immediately demoted the peony to Luoyang Fortunately, the soil of Mangshan Mountain of Luoyang was quite friendly to the peony, which took root and sprout in the new environment. People of Luoyang love the peony and planted peonies in every household. Greatly moved by Luoyang people, every spring, the peonies would be happy to blossom in different colors and varied shapes. The legend of the Peony Fairy shows people's admiration for the integrity of defying the authority and is of deep educational significance for guiding people to promote China’s outstanding national culture and establish correct values and outlook on life.