Some time ago, there was a TV show that Mrs. Wu, Countess of Yongchang, often organized polo competitions near Jinming Pool in Tokyo, and invited your children and officials from Beijing to participate. Polo is a kind of sports activity in which people ride on a horse, control the running direction of the horse and hit the ball into the goal with polo clubs.
Wow, it's not easy for us modern people, whether men or women, to ride horses and play ball while riding horses and score points in the game. That sounds really hard! Some friends may also be puzzled: Mrs. Wu organized a polo match. Can girls in the Song Dynasty also take part in polo competitions?
Yes, there may really be no big ladies who often organized large-scale polo competitions in the Song Dynasty, but playing polo was indeed a sport suitable for both men and women in the Song Dynasty.
In the Song Dynasty, the royal family liked playing polo very much, and there was a royal polo team, which often held polo matches. In the fifth year of Northern Song Dynasty, in the spring of March, Song Taizong organized a polo match in Daming Hall.
On that day, a wide polo field was opened outside the Daming Hall, full of people, colorful flags were flying, gongs and drums were loud, and the Royal Orchestra of the Song Dynasty played the magnificent Qiuci drum music.
Two goalposts more than one foot high are set at both ends of the stadium as goals, each with a goalkeeper; The participating teams are divided into left and right friendly forces to fight; In addition, 12 referees, holding small red flags, are responsible for "singing and preparing".
"Singing for chips" means scoring goals. Every time the team scored a goal, the referee raised a small red flag and shouted, "Zuo Peng scored, he is better!" The right friend scored and won the best! " This left friend and right friend is actually the left and right teams. Whichever team wins the third prize first will win.
The team that scored the goal can get a colorful flag and put it on the wooden frame as a scoring symbol, so that the scores of both sides in the stadium can be seen at a glance.
The Royal Polo Championship was held twice. In the first game, the emperor teamed up with several ministers to play. Zuo Peng wears a yellow jersey and your right friend wears a purple jersey. The kick-off of the emperor is ceremonial. After the first tee-off, the emperor went back to his horse to drink, finished it, and then rode on the horse to play the second ball. The game officially started. The prince and the minister competed for a blow, the royal orchestra beat drums and cheered, and the spectators waved flags and shouted. When the ball hits the goal and can be shot soon, the drums are more urgent and exciting. If you score a goal, you will kick off with a drum.
If the emperor scored a goal, the referee would shout, "Peng Yu scored a goal, even better ~ ~" At this time, the drum music stopped and everyone shouted, "Long live!" .
If a group of ministers scored, everyone shouted, "Good!" The official who scored the goal dismounted to thank him.
After playing three chips, the polo match is over. The emperor summoned his ministers to dismount and drink and watch the second game.
The second game is a contest of playing ball and worshipping officials. The official player is the Royal Professional Polo Team. They are also divided into two friends. The friend on the left wears purple embroidered jerseys, and the friend on the right wears crimson embroidered jerseys. They are professional players, their skills are obviously superior, and the antagonism of the game is undoubtedly stronger. I won't go into details one by one.
How many emperors in Song Dynasty could play polo? Song Taizu and Song Taizong were born in the same army, which is natural. They are good at riding horses. However, even Song Renzong, Song Shenzong and Song Huizong, who grew up in the palace, like playing polo very much. Song Huizong, in particular, not only likes playing polo, but also plays it well. In the words of the song dynasty, "today's saints are good at this technique and sensitive to it."
Moreover, Song Huizong also formed the Royal Women's Polo Team, and there is a poem that says: "The Imperial Palace learns to play ball, and the moss flies to the purple flower Liu Hua." It depicts the Royal Women's Polo Team in the era of Song Huizong. This women's polo team has excellent riding skills and excellent hitting. The guards felt ashamed and ashamed when they saw it.
On one occasion, Song Huizong invited the minister to watch the Royal Women's Polo Exhibition.
Song Huizong: "What do you think of this mare riding?"
Minister: "Don't let an eyebrow."
Hui Zong: "It's not a woman's job to ride a horse and hit the ball, but women play polo so well that they won't fall behind with men."
Every spring in March, the royal gardens of Tokyo, Jin and Qiong, are open to the public as usual. The Emperor will also visit Jinming Pool and Joan Lin Yuan on another day to have fun with the people. On the day when the emperor visited the garden, the Royal Art Troupe will hold a wonderful performance in Jinmingchi for the emperor and tourists to watch. One of the performances is the Royal Women's Polo Exhibition. Let's sneak in and have a look.
"The Royal Women's Polo Team entered the stage, guided by several chamberlains embroidered with dragon flags, and filed into Taiwan, with more than 100 riders; The female rider on horseback,' the color is shining and the fragrance is attacking people'. "
Female rider: "Long live my emperor!"
"A group of beautifully dressed men rode small donkeys with carved saddles and divided them into two teams, one wearing a green brocade coat and the other wearing a red brocade coat, playing polo on the field-oh, no, it should be playing donkey balls."
"Now the red team and the youth team are fighting each other and are inextricably linked. Everyone is familiar with riding a horse, galloping like a god, graceful and luxurious. "
In the Tang dynasty, the royal family and ministers also liked to play polo, and there was a royal women's polo team. Then why should we say that polo was more prosperous in the Song Dynasty? Because in the Song Dynasty, polo has evolved from an aristocratic movement to a civilian movement. Not only the royal family and nobles like to play polo, but also civilians can play polo.
Next to Jinming Pool and outside Joan Lin Yuan, there is a stadium called "Tooth Path and Willow Path", which was the place where Tokyo citizens played polo in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is estimated that this is the place where Mrs. Wu organized the polo match in the costume drama "Know Not".
In the city of Lin 'an in the Southern Song Dynasty, there was a big teaching field, which was a square for soldiers to practice. On weekdays, it is also open to the public for people to race horses, play ball, shoot arrows and fly eagles. Rich boys and romantic children in Hangzhou also formed a "play club", which is equivalent to the establishment of a polo association, which is unprecedented in the Tang Dynasty. Think about it, if there are not a large number of polo lovers among the people, how can there be a polo association?
Polo is also very popular in Liao, Jin and Mongolia, which coexisted with Zhao and Song Dynasties. The envoys of the Song Dynasty were sometimes challenged: "Can you play polo? How about a game? " At this time, it would be a bit embarrassing if the envoys of the Song Dynasty could not play polo.
At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Xun, a poet of the Song Dynasty, was sent to the Mongolian military camp to negotiate with Muqali, the Mongolian Hanwang. Zhao Xun found that Mongolians like playing polo very much. They often hold small polo competitions with only twenty riders.
One day, there was another polo match in the Mongolian military camp, and Muqali sent someone to invite Zhao Xun.
Muqali: "Why don't you come to play today?"
Zhao Xun: "I didn't see your majesty's request, so I didn't dare to bother."
Muqali: "When you come to my camp, you are a family. Why don't you come to the theatre, play ball games or go hunting in circles whenever there is a banquet? "
Zhao Xun smiled and fined himself six cups.
At that time, the Song Dynasty and Mongolia were allies, and Muqali was still very enthusiastic about the envoys of the Southern Song Dynasty. Unfortunately, soon, the two sides became enemies and met each other late.
I think war is cruel. Going to the battlefield is not as good as going to the stadium. Moreover, not only men can learn skills from each other, but also girls should learn more from each other, so as to show our feminine side. Is that so?