Folklore of Hainan---Mu Ye and Hainan

 

Hainan Island traditionally called Coco Island as well. As for the origin of Hainan, there is a story. In ancient times, an alchemist or fangshi (方士，Magico-technicians, Han dynasty practitioners of alchemy and immortality whose methods influenced the later flourishing of Taoism. And they were a type of people convincing deeply that human can be immortal forever via training of active substance and self-cultivation), who was named Muye, searched for immortal mountain on the sea by boat, but unfortunately he suffered from a storm. When his boat was being stricken down, a black dragon suddenly appeared and saved him. After a long time, black dragon carried him and touched down on an isolated island near to the horizon of sky. But this dragon bumped the reef for thousands of years on the island, and it did not awake any longer. Meanwhile a fairy flied here and watered dragon head with the water of her white jade bottle, in a flash the black dragon became a high tree. On the leaves of tree, there were full of the strange fruits. This fairy said she was Kwan-yin and did not have the heart to see the infestation of pestilence on the island and the danger of black dragon. On that day incidentally, Kwan-yin met him and ordered him to stay on the island to save local people, and also presented him much divine water and hid the diving water in the fruits. Additionally the flesh of fruits can allay people’s hunger and prolong life as well. The black dragon was edified by Kwan-yin and devoted its body to save life. Mu Ye obeyed Kwan-yin’s demand, and kwan-yin flied away. Mu Ye begun to search the villages, and found local villagers. This island was on the border of sky, and four seasons by turns is out of orders, hence the pestilence appeared, plus the flood for years as well as the threat of the evil dragon, people lived an inhuman life. Mu Ye led villagers to the tree and picked the fruits. They got out of the divine water, and gave the hungry villagers the fruit flesh and cured the ill villagers with the divine waters

Mu Ye was highly respected by the villagers and he decided not to continue his search for immortal mountain. He stayed on the island and taught the villagers the medicine and the methods of farming. One day, Mu Ye came under the tree and saw a young seedling of tree grew, and he was very happy and appealed the villagers to pick the fruits and buried them in the soil. Thanks to the good climate and its warmth on the island, several years later, a forest came out. Surprisingly, villagers on the island had a long life, perhaps it is the effect of the divine water, and the dragons on the sea saw their leader also got the good rewards, and never did the wrongdoings at all; inversely they shouldered the responsibility of protecting the island. After a long time, a strange vine appeared on the island, and there were the big fruits on the vines and the fruits were named cucurbit. After the cucurbit matured, it was light but can not be eaten. It floated on the water. Somebody collected many cucurbits and bound them together, and then the first cucurbit boat appeared. Later on, some groups of people went outside by such a boat, but they were blown to the area of Yunnan province by the huge wind. These people could not return because they lost the sea route, and they settled there and took the cucurbit as their totem. Hence many wooden craftworks in Yunnan mostly are done following cucurbit.

Mu Yu lived for more than 800 years old. One day he dreamed that Kwan-yin came here by driving the dragon and presented him Fucheng. He knew he would became the immortality soon and gather people together to teach them the methods of building house with wood and carving. After it he went to sea by cucurbit boat and never came back again. Several years later, a huge storm came and the village did not be destroyed thanks to the immortal forests. Downpour was caused by the evil dragon because it could not bear the hardship of cultivation. In the black clouds, Mu Ye appeared and conquered the dragon, and then people learned that Mu Yun became the Sea God. Subsequently people integrated his family name and personal name together(木＋耶＝椰) to call the immortal trees Yeshu, or 椰树, which in English is coco tree. The fruit of tree was named coconut. The coco tree was changed from dragon, so local people used it to carve many woodcarving for house decoration, and later people made coco shell be the wine-set and tableware for auspiciousness. Someone improved the carving and the carving here became very special and unique. It is the coco-carving craftwork. Because this island is located in the south side of sea, it is publicly called Hainan Island.