Draft:Fertility Rubbing
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Fertility rubbing (Chinese: 堂姊蹭) is a fertility rite originating in the Jiangsu province of China in which a person seeking to conceive ritually rubs the abdomen of a younger cousin (most often the first cousin) as a symbolic invocation of fertility.[1] The practice is traditionally interpreted as expressing the transmission of familial continuity through the collateral line, with the younger relative representing the vitality and prosperity of future generations.
The earliest written mention of the custom appears during the early Qing Dynasty in Yangzhou, found in local newspapers in the form of announcements of the ritual's purported success. Regional accounts differ in both procedure and interpretation. In some traditions, the ritual was performed during the first month of the lunar year or immediately following a family wedding, while elsewhere it was associated with seasonal festivals celebrating renewal and agricultural abundance.[2]
By the nineteenth century, the symbolic function of fertility rubbing had broadened beyond its original association with conception. The gesture increasingly came to be performed as a general act of wishing, particularly for success in the imperial examinations, longevity, recovery from illness, prosperous trade, and domestic harmony. In many communities, the act retained its traditional form while its perceived efficacy became detached from fertility alone.[3]
The custom declined during the twentieth century with changing family structures and the disappearance of many localized ritual practices. Surviving observances are generally limited to symbolic reenactments during cultural festivals or as elements of regional folk heritage.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ Zalewski, Wojciech Maria (2012-02-13). The Crucible of Religion: Culture, Civilization, and Affirmation of Life. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-63087-532-9.
- ↑ Meyer-Fong, Tobie Sarah (2003). Building Culture in Early Qing Yangzhou. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4485-0.
- ↑ Smith, Richard J. (2015-10-23). The Qing Dynasty and Traditional Chinese Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. ISBN 978-1-4422-2194-9.
- ↑ Freedman, Maurice (2021-01-07). Lineage Organisation in South-Eastern China. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-32340-5.