What kind of bird is the "jiu" in "guanguanjujiu" in "The Book of Songs"?

Wang Chenxu

Most of us have read “Guangguanjujiu”, heard “Jiu Zhan Que Chao”, and memorized “Alas, Jiu, please do not eat mulberries”, right? What kind of bird is the “jiu” here? Is it a turtledove?

The cuckoo and the turtledove are both common birds. Why is it that the turtledove, which appears many times in the Book of Songs, is rarely found in Tang poetry? On the other hand, the cuckoo and the cuckoo (another name for the cuckoo) are becoming more and more popular?

There may be only one truth: the "dove" in "The Book of Songs" is mostly cuckoo, and after "The Book of Songs" people began to deliberately distinguish between the two birds, turtledove and cuckoo.

What is the difference between these two birds? First, let's talk about their "calls". The calls of turtledoves are monotonous and low (coo-coo-coo, a bit like pigeons), which sounds lacking in rhythm; while the calls of cuckoos are loud and rhythmic (the four-tone cuckoo "cut the wheat and cut the grain" or the great cuckoo "cuckoo" "cuckoo"). Whether it is four tones or two tones per section, the rhythm is a bit like the "Book of Songs", which is very popular. In terms of "touching the heart of lovers", the cuckoo wins.

Speaking of the onomatopeia "guanguan", it sounds catchy, which means the bird's call should be very rhythmic. I think it should be "big cuckoo".

Secondly, let’s talk about their “food habits”. Turtle doves are terrestrial birds that like to forage on the ground. Their food is mainly seeds and fruits, and they also eat insects. Cuckoos are climbing birds that like to climb between branches. Their food is mainly insects, supplemented by seeds and fruits.

"Alas, doves, please do not eat mulberries." In terms of their eating habits, both birds are suspects. But if I have to associate one of the birds with mulberries, I think it is the cuckoo.

Why? Because in the north, mulberries and wheat mature at about the same time, and at this time you can hear the "four-note cuckoo" call frequently. Therefore, many people say that the cuckoo is eating mulberries while reminding people to "cut the wheat and harvest the grain." At this time, the behavior of the turtledove is no different from usual.

Next, let's talk about "habits". Many of the national customs in the Book of Songs describe love and marriage. I think this should be the "ritual and music" expression of primitive fertility worship. So, which bird is closer to "marriage"?

The turtledove hatches its own eggs and raises its own babies. The cuckoo, on the other hand, relies on other birds to hatch its eggs and raise its babies. This phenomenon is called "nest parasitism". "Jiu occupies the magpie's nest" comes from "The magpie has a nest, and the dove lives in it." The original meaning is "a woman gets married and settles down in her husband's house". From this point of view, the "jiu" in "The Book of Songs" should be "cuckoo".

In the Book of Songs, when the word "dove" is mentioned, "Clanging, swaying, groaning, groaning", isn't it also about "marriage"? If we add the loud, melodious and rhythmic call of the cuckoo and the red inner membrane of its mouth, which looks like crying blood, don't we have a strong sense of déjà vu? Let's take a look at the image of the cuckoo in Tang poetry again, "King Wang's spring heart is entrusted to the cuckoo", "The cuckoo cries blood and the ape wails"... Do the descriptions of family and love have a sense of "continuity"? Therefore, I think the "dove" in the Book of Songs is actually the cuckoo.

(The author is a teacher at Beijing No. 35 Middle School)