Ritual and mythological semantics of stone sculptures of dogs in traditional culture of south China (based on a study of sculptures of Leizhou peninsula)

Leizhou Peninsula is in the western part of Guangdong Province, PRC. In ancient times this territory was inhabited by luo yue (lac viet). In Qin-Han period one of the man tribes moved to this region. Later in Han period the migration of Chinese (Han) population from the northern part of China to the South began. Thus, a specific heterogeneous culture, that united autochthonous (southern) and adopted (Han) components, was formed in that territory. One of the illustrations of this cross-cultural interaction is the tradition of making stone sculptures of dogs, which are known as «Leizhou stone dogs». The image of a dog was an integral part of the world view of population of Leizhou Peninsula. Legends, which connected a dog with the birth of thunder god are widespread among local people. The importance of the image of a dog for traditional culture of South China was embodied in stone statues. At the present time in the territory of Leizhou Peninsula more than ten thousand sculptures are found. Most of them are concentrated in the territory of Leizhou City, Suixi County and Xuwen County, Chikan, Xiashan, Potou and Mazhang Districts and in south-eastern part of Lianjiang City. Statues were placed near the entrances of houses, temples, villages and towns, at crossroads, on bridges and dams, near wells, on graves, on the riverside, by the sea etc. All statues are carved out of Leizhou basalt. Size and general appearance of sculptures vary widely. The biggest sculptures are more than 1,5 m in height, weight is about 800 kg. While the smallest figures are no more than 0.1 m in height, weight is about 0.5 kg. Dogs are depicted in various attitudes: standing, sitting, squatting. Some statues present the dogs with enlarged reproductive organs. Female dogs can be depicted with puppies. Dogs also can be represented with some attributes, such as belt, necktie, bell, fishing net, stone drum, gourd, coins, scrolls of Buddhist sutras, monster-revealing mirror (zhaoyaojing) etc. Many of sculptures were covered with various auspicious ornaments: triangles, swastikas, lotuses, tortoise shell, anchors, cloud & thunder ornament etc. Some statues have engravings: «Taishan» (泰山), «shigandang» (石敢当), «emperor» (皇), «qilin is here» (麒麟在此 ), «happiness» (喜), «luck» (吉), «longevity» (寿) etc. The origins of the tradition of stone dogs’ sculpturing trace back to totemistic beliefs of Austroasiatic peoples. Dog was perceived as the deity of fertility bringing children and ruling the weather. Later, under the influence of Chinese (Han) culture, the idea of stone dogs as apotropaic objects and deities bestowing happiness, wealth and longevity was formed. Buddhist art greatly influenced the images of stone dogs too. The practice of making the sculptures of dogs still obtains in the territory of Leizhou Peninsula. The article represents only the hypothetical evolutional scheme of this tradition, it can be refined through the further study of archaeological, ethnographical and written sources.