The boat of culture

Tibetan ancestors have a special relationship with sheep. They regard sheep as gods and are important spiritual and cultural carriers. The analysis of sheep in Tibetan folk culture can reveal the uniqueness and individuality of Tibetan culture (Lin Jifu).

According to the legend of Bonism, the first sheep in Tibetan areas-the God Sheep Lavabuqin-was created according to the wishes of its founder, Shiba Inu Ye Man Qinbo. Tibetan sheep are closely related to the legend that the Tibetan soul is immortal. Sacrificing sheep shows the Tibetan people's expectation and desire for adequate food and clothing. After being baptized with clear water and chanting, the sheep sacrificed to the patron saint cannot be sheared or slaughtered until they die of old age. Every major festival, Tibetan families will put a sheep's head wrapped in five-color wool on the door frame as a door god. In rituals such as evoking souls and exorcising ghosts, Tibetans often regard the skull of sheep as a treasure, and think that the head of sheep has the functions of evoking souls, exorcising demons and suppressing evil spirits. In the ancient Tibetan funeral custom, sheep played two roles in the process of extraditing the soul of the deceased to the kingdom of heaven: saving the deceased and guiding the soul.

In Tibetan folk semantics, ancient Tibetans called sheep or goats "sheep", which means good luck. In Tibetan, the sheep is the god's vein, which is clearly stated as follows: the sheep god (mountain god)-the ancestor god (clan name, dharma name and Zanbo name)-the center (goodness, auspiciousness and beauty). Tibetan folk semantics preserves many ideological connotations of primitive sheep culture, which provides a reliable guarantee for objectively and fairly evaluating the role and status of sheep culture in religion, culturology, aesthetics and folklore in our province.

People of all ethnic groups who believe in Buddhism and Taoism in agricultural areas of Qinghai choose an auspicious day in the seventh month of the lunar calendar to hold the "Arrow Insertion Festival" and offer sacrifices to a mountain god in the village. People use square wood as a fence at the top of the mountain. Wooden arrows, branches, wooden broadswords, spears, etc. At the upper end of the wooden pole, it is cut into clusters, wrapped around the prayer flags, and hung with wool to pray for good luck and harmony forever.

Qinghai folk also make handmade candles with sheep oil as the main raw material to entertain the gods and people. In the old days, there was a wax craftsman in the Ministry of War Street in Xining, who specialized in making a pound of heavy wax, which was triangular and nine inches long. It is exposed to the sun and can be lit for three days and nights.

Second, folk customs.

Tibetan wedding custom, the first time the man comes to the woman's house, he will let the young man eat the cooked sheep neck. By observing his skill of eating meat, we can test his patience and perseverance, so as to measure whether he will live. In some places, when Han people ride horses to visit their old Tibetan friends' homes, Tibetan women will quietly weave a delicate halter with wool. When the guests leave, they will pull the horse up and put on a new halter, which symbolizes the friendship between friends. Therefore, halter is the bond of Sino-Tibetan friendship.

In Xunhua and Hualong areas, when Tibetan children have a one-year-old banquet, please ask their parents to sit at the table and worship the sheep breast fork. In some places in Hehuang area, when engaged, the sheepfold will be specially cleaned and covered with grass to entertain guests, which means good luck. This generation of Hui and Salar people pay attention to sending Tibetan mutton recipes from marriage proposal to engagement, and regard sheep recipes as the "fast break" of Ramadan. Salar people call it "Mehail" to send bride price, and its practice is to send four sheep. Hui people recite the Joy Sutra when their newly-married wives give birth, and make "A gei clothes"-to slaughter two sheep for boys and 1 sheep for girls to celebrate.

In Hehuang area, when Han people get engaged or give gifts, they also specially put mutton recipes and gift wine on the red cabinet to show good luck and celebrate their hospitality. Mutton is essential. When the bride gets on the horse, she has to carry the sun and moon mirror, which is round and made of copper, and the red wool rope is used to pass through the mirror. This custom is said to have been left by Princess Wencheng, which means to comfort her daughter to get married far away, indicating harmony between Yin and Yang. After the death of the elder, the girl's son-in-law will also present a whole sheep to the deceased to show filial piety and good luck.

When the Tu people get married, the man takes a sheep cavity and sends it to the woman's house. In the evening, people attending the wedding will send a white ewe to the woman's house. As a girl, her body will double before they get married. The "Maha recipe" used in Turkish hospitality table is to put a large piece of cooked mutton on a plate, insert it into the meat with a knife, and tie a pinch of white wool on the handle to show the origin of ancestors' nomadism.

When Mongols get married, the woman puts up a whole sheep mat, and the groom breaks the cooked sheep neck to test their intelligence and physical strength, which is called "drinking cloth, meat and tea". When eating, he only used a knife to test his skills. After the bride gets married, the couple should hold the shoulder blades of the sheep to pay homage to the world. Within three days of their marriage, the couple both ate sheep's necks, which symbolizes that the relationship between husband and wife is solid and inseparable. When a child is 3 years old, there will be a "haircut ceremony"-give the sheep to the child and make it his permanent property.

Xining was newly married, and the girl was proud of having a pair of red sheepskin boxes in the accompanying gift. This sheepskin box is made of first-class Tibetan sheepskin, which is smooth and generous, with smooth and detailed lines, sharp edges and corners, light touch and durability.

A dry cigarette rod made of Tibetan sheep fibula, commonly known as "Yangjiaba", has a silver or copper cigarette case at one end and a matching cigarette holder at the other end. After a long time of use, its inner tube is smoked brown and shiny, which can not only effectively filter nicotine, but also be a folk handicraft. Folk crafts made of complete ram skulls are auspicious, exorcise evil spirits and have been passed down to this day.

Third, clothing.

Tibetan sheepskin cashmere products are one of the necessities for people of all ethnic groups in the plateau to keep warm and keep out the cold, and are famous for their genuine products, good quality and durability. "Historical Records Xia Benji" has the saying that "weaving Kunlun, analyzing branches, searching canals, and searching canals in Xirong are the orders", which means that there are places such as Kunlun, analyzing branches, searching canals, and crossing woolen cloth (brown seeds) and leather, all in Qinghai in the upper reaches of the Yellow River.

There are many kinds of clothes made of Tibetan sheep fur. Only leather clothes, including reverse-stitched pregnant collar, smooth leather clothes, five-headed joints, silver nails, etc. As far as materials are concerned, there are autumn boards with dense wool, thick wool, large cashmere and light weight, raw tanned autumn boards with ultraviolet protection, cold protection and heat protection, and sun and rain protection, Tibetan tanned leather boards with soft leather, tight fibers and elasticity, and black and white lamb skins with solemn and elegant appearance. As far as the national style is concerned, there are the front and Tiger Claw styles that Uighurs and Hui people like, Tibetan fur coats with large collars, Tibetan lapels, Tibetan waistcoats, Tibetan tunics, tunics with half waists, tunics with oblique flags, reverse-stitched leather coats, double-breasted waistcoats, and robes and coats of Han people. Tent leather with Mongolian and Tibetan style is a unique product of Xining leather. Their patterns are generous and clear, with rich meanings. There are exquisite workmanship and superb hall curtains. They are colorful, full of vitality and rich in connotation. Combine fur with embroidery and hang it in Buddhist temples, living rooms and halls at home to see its wealth. Wool brown and wool are traditional products in our province, and the wool produced by Yushu has a long reputation.

Fourth, diet.

Winter is long and summer is short in Qinghai, so people attach great importance to outing. In the past, people would take their relatives and friends, lead live sheep and bathe in sunny spring, which is also the origin of modern tea gardens in Qinghai.

There is a folk proverb in Xining that says, "On July 22nd, eggplant with mutton sauce". On this day, people will never give incense to Marshal Zhao Gong, the god of wealth, and eat "eggplant with mutton sauce" and mutton sausage noodles in the evening, hoping to have a long fortune. There is also a saying that "the deaf will be slaughtered in the winter." "Deaf-mute", that is, sheep, still means good luck and happiness.

Known as "the best in a meal", the whole sheep mat is called "black tea" by Mongols. The method is to first unload the carcass of the sheep into large pieces, cook it half-cooked, and then put it on a big plate, and invite the guests to look at it before eating.

The diet of Qinghai series Tibetan sheep with carcass as the main raw material not only affects the northwest, but also is famous at home and abroad. Among them, hand-grabbed mutton is famous for its tender meat, no fishy smell, mellow and delicious. Tibetans take pleasure in eating fresh and cooked meat, and call it "cook the meat". When eating, they grab the meat in one hand and hold a knife in the other, and scrape the bones clean by cutting, digging, picking and slicing. When Hui and Salar people cook food by hand, they don't put seasoning in the soup, and take white strip meat as the top grade. Depending on the cooking time, sprinkle salt and pepper when eating, which will make it fragrant and delicious. When Han people eat mutton by hand, they often add other seasonings to the cooked meat and stir-fry, and then add oil, spicy seeds and mature vinegar to make the meat spicy and delicious, which greatly increases their appetite.

The mutton bread in the "Jixian Pavilion" in Ma Yin Street, Xining, is rotten and delicious. The practice is to put the selected top Capricorn into a cloth bag filled with various seasonings, put it into a pot every afternoon when you are in cook the meat, sew the pot tightly with hard noodles, take it out at eight or nine o'clock in the evening, flatten it on a chopping board after deboning, flatten it with a wooden board, put heavy stones on it, and cut it into cubes before serving the next day.