The basic functions of fur throughout history

Skin originated in ancient times. From the beginning of the Paleolithic age 2 million years ago, the ancient human beings at Nihewan River had primitive and instinctive use of animal fur. In the mid-Paleolithic period, human beings lived in the habitat of birds and beasts, and their feather yards. Some thousand years ago, Pelt cold warm life. Until the late Paleolithic Yang Humphorn people have learned to grind spicules, bone cones, and began the process of animal fur simple sewing, fur clothing has a prototype. With the Yellow Emperor "hanging clothes and the world rule," the complete sense of the fur clothing was born, and the pace of history also entered the Neolithic era.

Fur's main function is also warm and warm from the origins, camouflage hunting, self-protection body, and gradually has a totem, decoration and shame and other functions. Here we will fur function in ancient times to analyze.

First, warm and warm. As early as in ancient times, humans, still in their ignorance, began to put on skins to resist cold and cover the body. This is humanity's most instinctive use of animal fur. The warm and warm fur has become the first basic function. The beginning of mankind, is the fourth glaciation of the Earth. In order to live and multiply, human beings must solve the two major problems of eating and keeping warm, and the animals therefore have a relationship with each other. "Food its meat, clothing its skin" has become a human instinct needs of animals. Animals and people, living together, have a natural affinity.

According to historical records, mankind has entered the Homo sapiens stage, has been able to manufacture stone tools, artificial fire. Chi human hair gradually degenerated, in order to survive, in the course of the fight with the bad weather, found that animal fur can shelter, can withstand the cold. "Book of Rites? Li Yun articles," said the ancients "without silk linen, clothing its feather"; "Mozi? Resigned" also said: "Ancient people, unknown to the clothes, the clothes belt 茭." Thus completing the evolution from the nude to the cover. "Post Han? Yu service" - 2 also recorded: "Ancient cave and wild place, hair and brave." Ancient humans capture animals with a variety of simple stone tools. After getting the animals, they are brought into their own caves, "eating their flesh and blood," "The Book of Rites." Li Yun articles "-4 records: 'The past ... ... there is no cremation, herbivorous wood, the meat of birds and animals, drink its blood, Ru their hair'. This is the history of the "rough hair" energy people stage. Archeology belongs to the early Paleolithic. According to the historical records of our country, during the period of 'living skin of grazing plants, skin of clothing and animals', the period of 'sleeping skin' (eating plant fruits, wearing animal fur, sleeping on animal fur, and animal fur under the bed).

Through the study of primitive cave paintings in the late Palaeolithic period, it can be found that there are many signs of early human clothing before and after the "ancient glacier" and at least it can be considered that "cold protection body" is one of the motives of human beings in wearing clothing , Which is the future crown to the "clothing cold body that" the formation.

Second, camouflage and hunting. Ancient fur in addition to the most basic warm and warm functions, the human hunting, but also has the best camouflage function. Can be avoided by other animal claws hurt, but also the fierce animal head fur camouflage themselves to "Fox fox tiger Granville" to reduce the damage of other animals. On the other hand, other animals can be deterred. At the same time, it also helps close to animals and offers the best chance of successful hunting.

In the mid-Paleolithic period, Yangyuan Houyao kiln, about 100,000 years ago, has been able to use the "flying sapphire" to hunt. The animal fur is cut into strips by stone tools and then tied with stone balls to make " "Hunting horses or hunt other animals, so that in the distant past, the fur has somehow a more advanced hunting function. Then people made clothes out of hunted animal fur, or as a symbol of their hunting abilities. For example, the fur of an animal to be hunted will be peeled off, and a hole will be made in the neck over it, leaving the head hung on the chest and the tail hanging on the back of the hip.

Third, self-protection body. In ancient times, human beings not only had to withstand the severe cold, but also solved the problem of mosquito bites and at the same time prevented various injuries to the outside world. Therefore, they instinctively used the fur to hang themselves on the body and played a good self-defense role. Sleeping on the floor while sleeping, you can also block the moisture, so that the body from damage. Make fur play a positive role in the struggle between man and the natural environment. In the Neolithic period, fur was successfully used in tribal wars. Fur made of armor, put on battle, excellent protection role.

According to the cover of Volume 4, October 1991, National Geographic Magazine, USA, a color deer-skin painting entitled "Pilgrimage to the Emperor of the Yellow Emperor" preserved by Indians was published on the cover of Volume IV of October 1991, which shows that people in ancient China The practice of armor came from the Yellow Emperor. Yellow Emperor invented animal skins with a protective belly also created thousands of years later, "Armor" battle precedent. Fur clothing in the Yellow Emperor has repeatedly played a key role, is an important guarantee for the victory of the war.

Otherwise, Oracle Yellow Pages is a combination of "human" and "Tian" shaped characters. This "Tian" word is also connected with "A". This is not only in Oracle, but also in Tao Wen. Tao Wu unearthed in Wujiang Qingjiang River, "A" word is "Tian" glyph. In Oracle early, "A" is still "Tian" glyph. "A" in Tao and Oracle are more of the other two wording: one of which is "ten" glyphs, Mr. Lin Yiguang in the "source" in a book interpretation: "A man is cracking the skin, the ten as the crack. Therefore, when the Yellow Emperor's war "armor" is made of animal skins. Play a role in protecting the abdomen.

It can be inferred that during the Neolithic period, the fur had been skillfully used in war and better exerting the function of self-protection body.

Fourth, totem and identity. With the long process of human evolution in ancient times, the function of fur has gradually gained the worship totem function except for the initial warmth and self-protection body protection, demonstrating distinguished authority and identity in some aspects.

Ancient ancestors worship the totem of some kind of animal as a clan and pray for the blessing of the gods. They then extend to wearing, hanging or laying on the rare and ferocious animal fur, in order to manifest the mystery and majesty. From the text structure point of view: Yellow Emperor's "yellow" written in Oracle, is an unfolded beast skin, head, abdomen, legs everywhere. Is the leader of the tribe using the skins, it is called the Yellow Emperor, totem for the "bear." According to "White Tiger Pass" contains: "The Yellow Emperor has the world, number bear."

This shows that the Yellow Emperor is a tribal leader of the nomadic tribes in the north who bear the totem. His name is "yellow," meaning animal skins. Can be seen that the ancestor of the Yellow Emperor is to bear the bears as its tribal totem. Those fierce and rare animal fur should be enjoyed by the tribal leaders, mainly to show its authority.

And from now on, the custom of respecting the elders who do not have a boy does not raise the price of fur does not require the sacrificial worship of fur objects, the funeral of fur clothing, the taboo customs of not wearing animal fur, and the feelings of not wearing fur of dogs and cats Customs, including the design of animal prints of fur garments and various fur products now, symbolize and look forward to good fortune, peace, health and happiness. In a sense, this is the inheritance and development of ancient animal totem worship in ancient times .

Five, shame decoration. Ancient costumes are many are made of skins, leaves, for the sake of beauty will be decorated with jade shell feathers and the like. Ancient ancestors undoubtedly found the United States from the animals, began to try to dress in accordance with the beauty of animals to modify their own, to supplement their own bare exposed.

Only after the human consciousness has matured, that is, from the period of ignorance into the brutal period, will it learn more of the animal's wildness and thus show off its bravery. Therefore, when mankind gradually bid farewell to ignorance, toward a civilized society, the fur costumes of the shame and decorative features are increasingly maturing.

In ancient times, fur in addition to the above functions, there are such as "attract the opposite sex" and the like. Because human beings are more dexterous and more intelligent in the use of animal fur in the process of creating, processing and making fur garments. To learn to spliced ​​well and slightly decorated animal skin suits and polished animal teeth, bone and clam shells to beautify themselves to attract the opposite sex attention, gain each other's favor.