The Old Man under the Moon was a deity in Chinese mythology who was in charge of the marriage between men and women. The story was based on Li Fuyan's novel, The Mysterious Strange Record: The Wedding Shop, from the Tang Dynasty. In the story, Wei Gu, a native of Duling, lost his father when he was a child. He wanted to start a family as soon as possible but failed to do so. Once, when he was staying in Qinghe, someone proposed a marriage for him. The other party was a girl from the family of Sima Pan of Qinghe. Wei Gu was overjoyed and went to the appointment before dawn. In Longxing Temple, he saw an old man reading a book he couldn't understand under the faint moonlight. The old man claimed that he was an immortal who was in charge of marriage in the human world. The book he read was the "Yuanyang Pu", which was the marriage certificate of the world. Wei Gu asked about his marriage with Miss Pan. After the old man flipped through the Heavenly Book, he said that the marriage was not successful. Wei Gu's wife was only three years old at that time and could only marry her when she was 17 years old. The old man also said that the red rope in his sack was used to tie the feet of a man and a woman who were destined to be husband and wife. No matter what the conditions of both parties were, the man and woman tied by the red rope would eventually become husband and wife. Wei Gu asked where his future wife was. The old man said that she was following a woman selling vegetables at the market not far away. After daybreak, the matchmaker that Wei Gu had arranged with had not arrived. Wei Gu followed the old man and saw the little girl with fluffy hair, dirty body, and blind mother. Wei Gu was furious. The next day, he asked the servant to stab the little girl with a knife. The servant stabbed her once, but it might have only grazed the girl's eyebrows. After that, Wei Gu left Qinghe in a hurry. Later, when Wei Gu went west to Chang 'an, several of his marriages encountered unexpected changes. First, he was engaged to Miss Tan, but Miss Tan committed suicide because she fell in love with someone else. Then, he was engaged to the daughter of a landlord near a village temple, but the woman fell seriously ill. In the end, her hair fell off and she became blind. The marriage was called off. Although the engagement was successful, there were also twists and turns in the middle. Many years later, Wei Gu found out that his wife was the little girl from back then, so he firmly believed that marriage was destined. The title of "Moon God" began to be used in the marriage customs of the Song Dynasty. From the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to modern times, it became a widely circulated prototype in the literature of various ethnic groups in ancient China. It was also respected as one of the Taoist gods and also regarded as the "matchmaker god". There were temples worshipping the Moon God in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangdong. There was also the custom of "praying for the moon" in Dongguan, Guangdong.
The following is a possible step for a simple drawing of the Old Man of the Moon: 1. First, he drew the outline of the old man's head, which could be round or oval. Then, he drew two curved eyebrows in the upper middle of the head to show a kind expression. 2. Draw eyes under the eyebrows. The eyes can be in the shape of a crescent moon to show kindness. 3. Draw a nose and a smiling mouth under the eyes. 4. Draw the body parts of the old man, such as wearing a loose robe. You can use simple lines to represent the folds of the clothes. 5. Draw the shape of the moon behind or beside the old man's head. It could be a curved crescent or a semicircle. 6. The hair and beard of the old man could be represented by strands of lines. 7. Finally, he could add some decorations to the old man and the moon according to his preferences. For example, he could draw some simple patterns on the moon or some patterns on the old man's clothes. Of course, according to different creativity and painting styles, there would be many different ways to draw the Elder Moon's stick figure.
Perhaps the old cartoon man on the moon is on a mission to save the moon from a danger or is simply enjoying the beautiful view and making friends with the moon creatures. The possibilities are endless!
The main characters are, as the title implies, the old man and the old moon.
In the 'the old man and the old moon story', it could also be a moral about the connection between the old and the new. The old man and the old moon might represent the traditional or the past. The story may be trying to tell us that we need to balance the old with the new. We can learn from the old (like the old man's experiences) and use it to shape the new, just as the moon's phases change constantly but are still part of the same celestial body.
There were two myths and legends about the stone moon: One theory was that in ancient times, the Lisu ancestors lived happily by the Nu River. The Nu River God was dissatisfied with their happiness and started a flood to drown the people's homes. Seeing the flood rising, the Lisu hero shot a divine arrow with a bow and arrow, piercing a big hole in the mountain peak. The river water instantly withdrew from the cave, saving everyone's happiness. From then on, the stone moon became the totem of the Lisu people. The Lisu people believed that they had come from the stone moon and that it was the root of their lives and the holy land of their survival. Another theory was that in ancient times, the Nu River was still uninhabited. The Lisu tribe's god, Nuwa, used mud to mold a man and a woman, named them "Qisha" and "Lesha", and sent them to live by the Nu River. However, they only addressed each other as brother and sister and were unwilling to become husband and wife. The daughter of the Dragon King in the Nu River turned into a flat-headed fish. When she saw them playing on the water, she turned into a beautiful woman. She met the siblings and fell in love with her brother Qisha. However, the Dragon King did not agree to his daughter's marriage, which led to a flood.
There are various versions. In some Western stories, the old man in the moon is a bit of a curmudgeon, looking down on the follies of mankind. In Native American lore, he might be a spirit that represents the balance between day and night. In yet other versions, he is a jolly old fellow who spreads moonlight magic across the land.
The 'old man in the moon' story varies in different cultures. Generally, it's a folktale about an old man who is associated with the moon. In some versions, he is seen as a wise figure looking down on the earth, perhaps observing the doings of humans. He might be a symbol of time passing or a keeper of secrets related to the lunar cycles.
Well, in the old man under the moon story, he is this important figure. He observes people on earth and uses his special powers or knowledge to connect the right people together. For example, he might tie an invisible red string around the ankles of two people who are meant to be together in the future. His actions play a crucial role in how love and relationships develop among humans.
The story might be about the old man expressing his frustrations or seeking some sort of connection with the moon. Maybe he's had a rough day and is taking it out on the moon.
The main character is of course the old man under the moon. And often, the mortals whose love lives he influences are also associated with the story.