What are the customs of the Miao minority?

The Miao is one of the oldest ethnic groups in China, with a large population and a vast distribution, of which the Miao in western Hunan is one. In the process of long-term historical development, the Miao people in dress, festivals, marriage, funeral, entertainment, etiquette, taboos, food and other aspects of the formation of their own unique customs.

One, clothing

The ancient dress of the Miao people in western Hunan, the difference between men and women is very small, and all are "colorful"; they wear flowery clothes on top and pleated skirts underneath, and their heads are covered with long hair, wrapped in ochre-colored flower handkerchiefs, and their feet are covered with boat-shaped flower shoes, and they wear various kinds of silver ornaments.

The Qing Dynasty, the Yongzheng years, "land reclassification", the government directive, "clothing should be divided into men and women," after the larger changes, and even a lot of people all changed into Han Chinese clothing. Such as today's Yongshun, Longshan and other counties of the Miao, their costumes and Han have no difference. But in Huayuan, Baojing, Phoenix, Jishou, Guzhang, Luxi and other counties within the territory of the Miao dress is still characterized.

Miao men's clothing is relatively simple; head wrapped in cloth, wearing a lapel coat, long and small sleeves, pants short and large, like to wrap the green foot. There are two kinds of headpa: green and flower, and the length of the headpa is more than one zhang, and there are as many as three zhang. Wrapped wear more into a diagonal cross, as big as a bucket hat, the color of the clothes are lattice, all green, all blue, etc., which is the most characteristic lattice cloth. Clothing buttons are generally seven. Some young men, in order to make people envy their own rich and bold, wearing clothes to seven. The outermost layer of clothing only buckle the bottom of a pair of buttons, the second layer of clothing buckle the following two pairs of buttons ...... and so on, until the buckle finished the innermost layer of seven pairs of buttons. In this way, the layers of new clothes all-around from the outside to see, there is a kind of fun.

In contrast to the simple clothing of Miao men, Miao women's clothing is very fine and complex.

Headkerchiefs: The headkerchiefs of Miao women vary from place to place. Phoenix County within the territory of the Miao women more than a short package of a dove, more than three feet long, by the forehead package to the back of the head, even the ears are wrapped in the inner surface. Hua Yuan and other counties within the territory of the Miao women like to use the black pa (parents who died to wear white pa), folded neatly, wrapped flat and square, not biased, not oblique, the end of the pull a line, just Qi Qi forehead eyebrow. Jishou County within the territory of the Miao women's head of more mixed, and Phoenix County, the area adjacent to the package of flowers, and Huayuan County adjacent to the area of the package of black. Miao women in Luxi, Guzhang and the eastern part of Jishou County wear white headgear. Four pairs of green flowers and butterflies are embroidered on the headgear, which is simple, beautiful and unique. The so-called "four corners of the head of the four corners of the embroidered moths," said this white handkerchief.

Jewelry: Miao women's jewelry, beautifully shaped, a wide variety. To make raw materials, there are gold jewelry, silver jewelry, copper jewelry, aluminum jewelry, jade jewelry, etc., and silver jewelry is the most common. From wearing parts: there are silver caps, silver pots, phoenix crowns, Su Shan earrings, collars, bracelets, rings, toothpicks, buckle trips, etc., and bracelets and rings must be often worn. From the modeling points, only earrings, there are melon hanging earrings, pomegranate earrings, plum blossom needle earrings, circle earrings, dragon earrings, plum hanging melon earrings, rake earrings, dragon head melon hanging earrings, and so on.

Clothes and pants and other: Miao women's clothes, over the waist large and long, large and short sleeves, no collar. The cuffs of the large, about a foot or more. Chest and cuffs, it is customary to piping, embroidered flowers or wisps of yarn, and to add railing petals in its ask. In some cases, the edges of the front and back sides of the openings and hemlines were embroidered with a hook for digging out clouds. The dresses are all full-breasted, with no lapels. It takes dozens of days of work to make a set of Hmong women's clothes and pants with exquisite sewing and embroidery. The pants are shorter and have larger legs. The edges of the pants are piped, embroidered or yarned in the same way as the clothes. Gift skirt long and wide, the lower leg along the edge of the full embroidery pattern, and rolling rail and the size of the petals, colorful, blanch dazzling. Shoes full of embroidered flowers, head pointed mouth, heel on the ear, in order to wear.

After the liberation, in some Miao and Han mixed areas, the Miao dress by the Han's influence is greater, some young people have changed to wear Han.

II. Festivals and Celebrations

There are many festivals and large-scale activities for the Miao in western Hunan. The most representative ones are:

1. Catch the New Year's Eve. The first month of the lunar calendar, Xiangxi Miao people are the most enthusiastic is to catch the New Year's Eve, the date of its own agreement by the local community. Catch the New Year's Eve. On that day, men and women, young and old, dressed in festive attire, invited each other, in groups to catch the field. New Year's Eve, the flow of people like a tide, bustling, exceptionally lively. People can not only exchange materials, but also to participate in or watch the swing, lion dance, play dragon lanterns, on the knife and ladder and other activities, young men and women also take advantage of this opportunity to identify couples, talk about love. Song Lang singer is a great show of skill, three or five companions, said the ancient and modern, singing at the top of their voices, singing and each other, or Pangen, or congratulations, or recounting traditional stories, or improvised singing of new words. The more people sing, the higher the interest, the more people listen to the spirit of the more invigorating. Even if the snow is heavy, the sky is freezing, the annual festival will be held as scheduled.

2. March 3rd. This is the traditional song and dance festival of the Miao people in western Hunan. On this day, the Miao people automatically concentrate on the agreed-upon song field to take part in singing, listening to songs, dancing, watching dances, and enjoying themselves to the fullest.

3. Catching up with Qingming. This is a large-scale song festival unique to the Miao people in western Hunan, also known as the "Qingming Song Festival". According to legend, because the Miao people live in the remote mountains and mountains, all daily necessities must be to the farther Han district to exchange, often cheated. Therefore, the Miao people will agree to the Qingming Festival day as their own field period, exchanging supplies with each other, while meeting friends and relatives. In this way... Over time, the formation of today's "Qingming song will".

The Qingming song will have a traditional center venue. Miao people in the eastern part of Jishou City to catch the Qingming, the center of the venue every year in the Qingming field of Danqing. When the time comes, the Miao singers put their hands on their cheeks and sing at the top of their voices, singing with me and you in a joyful manner. Some sing until nightfall and still refuse to break up the meeting, and keep singing until all night long.

4. See the dragon field. Every year from the day of the lunar calendar March rain, is to see the Dragon El, customarily referred to as the head of the dragon after twelve days and then rotate to the day of the Dragon, and then see the Dragon day, men, women, children, young and old, are resting for a day, enthusiastic participation. If you do farm work on this day, it is taboo. Therefore, the Miao people for "see the dragon" thing, very important.

5. April 8. "April 8" is the name of a small hill in Phoenix County, the township of Chaojing. Legend has it that in ancient times there was a Miao chief named "Yayi", leading the Miao people to the ruler of the struggle. He had organized various cottage Miao chiefs in the current "drink blood pass" place to drink chicken blood, vowed *** with the United, fighting to the end. And agreed to April 8 in a hilltop gathering of the uprising. After the uprising, the volunteers won successive victories, has been to Sichuan, Guizhou. On April 8 of the next year, Yayi Buxin died in Guiyang City, near the fountain. Miao people in order to commemorate the national hero, to facilitate the day of April 8 every year, to hold commemorative activities to memorialize the performance of the Yayi, for the war dead to sweep the tomb. After the uprising of the Miao people in Qianjia of the Qing Dynasty, the rulers forbade the Miao people in western Hunan to hold this activity, which resulted in the loss of an extremely meaningful traditional festival for the Miao people. After the liberation of the State People's Committee approved, the "April 8" as a unified festival of the Miao people.

6. June 6th. This is an ancient custom, is the Miao people to commemorate the six male and female ancestors, hope that they can also be born six men and six women, reproduction of future generations of ancestral activities. Every year on the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, Phoenix County, the Miao people in the area of the Chao wells to be held in the hook Liang Hill grand song. The neighboring counties of Huayuan and Jishou and the Miao people of Songtao and Tongren in Guizhou also come to participate. The number of attendees often reaches as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people.

7. July 7th. This is the traditional drum meeting of the Miao people, to Jishou, Zhuzai slope, Guzhang through the hole area is most popular. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the Miao people will be dressed up, gathered in the drum field, beat the drums, dance, and enjoy the fun.

8. Catch the fall. Catch the fall is one of the large-scale festivals of the Miao people in western Hunan. Every year, "autumn" this day, the Miao people have to stop farming, dressed in festive costumes, invite friends and companions, excitedly from all directions to the autumn field, to participate in or watch a variety of cultural and recreational activities. The traditional autumn field has Jishou County's Shouzhai field, Hua Yuan County's Mali field, Phoenix County's Gouliang Mountain, Lushi County's Tanxi and Liangjiatan, etc. On this day, the crowd on the autumn field is very large. On this day, the crowd of autumn field shoulder to shoulder, the surrounding slopes, silhouettes swaying, flower clusters, singing curls, laughter, very lively.

Catch the origin of the fall, some say is to catch the "Autumn Day", some say is "catch the swing". Legend has it that a long time ago, the Miao village has a name Ba Gui. Dajia youth, upright, martial arts good shooting, by the admiration of the people. One day, he went out hunting, see a mountain eagle swept through the air, then spit hand bow, an arrow hit the eagle, while falling down a flower shoes. This flower shoes, embroidery is extremely exquisite, a look know is from the smart and beautiful Miao girl's hand. Ba Gui Dajia determined to find the owner of the shoes, with the help of the townspeople, he designed and manufactured a windmill-shaped swing that can sit eight people at the same time, named "eight people autumn". On the day of Autumn, he invited men and women from villages near and far to come and play autumn for fun. Playing the swing is the favorite activity of the Miao girls, Ba Gui Dajia thought, the girl who made the flower shoes, will definitely come. Sure enough, Ba Gui Dajia's wish came true. He found the owner of the flower shoes, the beautiful girl Qiniang, in the autumn field. The two of them built up a relationship through singing Miao songs and became husband and wife, leading a very happy life. Since then, people have been holding this event once a year to choose a good match, forming the "Catching Autumn" event.

9. Cherry. Miao more cherry trees, when the spring cherry ripe, Miao young men and women will meet in the cherry forest singing and songs, social activities. This kind of activity, the Miao language is called "LiuBiWa", with Chinese direct translation means "pick cherry". Some Miao villages in Huayuan and Baojing counties are the most prevalent.

10. Jumping incense will. Jumping incense will be popular in jishou, guzhang, luxi and yuangling area, held this meeting, to dance, and other amusement activities.

Three, marriage

The Miao people in western Hunan are generally monogamous, and before 1949, there were cases of polygamy in some rich households or households with infertile women; after the 1950s, men and women contracted marriages according to the new marriage law.

The Miao people in western Hunan are relatively free to marry, but they need to hold formalities such as betrothal, rite of passage, marriage, and return to the door.

The man's family will prepare wine and meat for the woman and ask the matchmaker to go to the woman's home first to "get a word of mouth". If the woman's family is very happy and enthusiastic after the matchmaker arrives at the woman's home, it means that the woman's family is interested in the matchmaker, and the matchmaker will tell the man's family about this situation. A few days later, the matchmaker would go to the woman's house to beg and formally mention the marriage. According to the custom, the more times you beg, the better, commonly known as "pro to more expensive". If a woman's family wishes to marry her daughter to someone else, it must be approved by all the clansmen before it can be considered valid. After eating the "release mouth wine", even if the formal engagement.

After the engagement, the man's family chooses an auspicious day to pass the gift to the woman's family, which is called "sending marriage wine". A month before the gift, first by the matchmaker to notify the woman's family, the woman's family and notify the family, etc., then come to eat wine. The gifts from the male side are mainly sticky rice, tea, salt, rice wine, pork, sugar, and so on. One person from each of the male family's relatives will help carry the gifts. When walking to the village where the female family lives, firecrackers should be set off. The female family heard the firecrackers, immediately come out to meet, host and guest, congratulate each other. After the guests arrive home, a little rest, wash your face, the host will take sweet wine Yin rice treats people to eat. Women's families, each household to a man and a woman as a rule, eat a full meal. If there are young men and women who can sing, can be in the breakfast, dinner and sing with each other, as entertainment. A *** to two days and three nights before the guests.

After the ceremony, you can choose a good time to marry. Marriage procession to the door of the woman's home, the host first to close the door "refused" guests, the master of the house and guests outside the house race each other to set off firecrackers. After the firecrackers are set off, the person marrying the bride uses a bag of money to send through the doorway into the door, called the "open door gift". The person who closes the door accepts the opening gift before opening the door to welcome the guests into the room. The guests enter the house, rest for a while, and have dinner before sending the bride. The bride is fully dressed, to be carried by the brothers (cousins) on the sedan chair. Bride in a sedan chair to the male family, in addition to the relatives accompanied by a number of girlfriends to accompany the wedding. In particular, two women with a full family of children to do "citing the bride". Citing the bride with a cloth umbrella in hand, walking in front, open the way to drive away evil spirits. In addition, a singer and a songwriter are invited to participate in the song contest as representatives of the bride's family. Marriage and send relatives to the door of the male family, the sedan chair should be put down, by the combined affairs with the chicken "broken brake" before asking the bride to get out of the sedan chair. Bride into the house before the male family must burn a pile of fire, used to symbolize auspicious prosperity. Some places, but also in the entrance to put a gabion sieve, accompanied by the bride's women around the sieve, only the bride stepped on the sieve into. Many young women, all dressed in full costume, which is the bride, by the sieve a "sieve" will be clear. After the bride stepped sieve into the house, has been walking to the ground floor fire pit side face inward to sit down. The bridegroom will sieve two bowls of wine on the table, pouring a cup of wine, a piece of meat, send the bride and groom *** drink *** eat, said the two good not to share. After eating meat and wine, and send a basin of water to wash your face, this water is boiled with herbs, used to wash your face, it is said to drive away all the evil spirits. After the wash, the bridegroom sings a "song of cooperation" to wish the bride and groom. The lyrics are to the following effect: Husband and wife are in harmony, and the world will last forever. The woman is the yin, the man is the sun, the sun and the moon are the same, everything is auspicious. Mouth to mouth, heart to heart, husband and wife together with the eyebrow with the old, a hundred children and thousands of grandchildren, life and glory ......

Singing the "Happiness Song", the wedding is over. On the same day, the bride can go out with her female companion to familiarize herself with the village, but can not go to the man's family with the same family name to go to the house. After dinner, wait until nightfall, will start singing, entertainment. General custom by the male singer sings, the female singer should be and. The two sides of the singer sings the lyrics, the beginning of mutual modesty, and then compete with each other to win. Sung late into the night, in order to make the many listeners uplifted, the two sides of the singer does not sing the song, but to tease each other, make fun. So the lyrics are sung to laugh at each other, there are riddles, there are stories to tell, said the ancient and modern often lead to the guests burst out laughing. At this time, the host of the male family scattered loaf or boiled sweet wine to the guests and listeners for the night. After the midnight snack, sing the closing song, everyone dispersed to rest. The next day, after breakfast, they sing the guest dinner song again. It takes three days and three nights to finish. Bride and groom in these days, just meet and can not sleep together. Full three dynasty, early in the morning, the bride picked a quart of water poured into the tank, that they have been in the husband's home from now on diligently labor, never lazy to make people laugh. In some areas, the male relatives in order to show hospitality, often stay for dinner, a meal, the Miao language is called "Nonglei on" or "Nonglei high", meaning "eat rows of the village meal", generally Generally speaking, it is called "Paijia rice". Sometimes there are many people in the family, and the number of households invited to dinner is also large. So that the guests have to eat seven or eight meals a day, often, this side just put the bowl off the table, the other side of the call for dinner and drinks, it is really too much to entertain. The more "Paijiayi" meals, the longer the guests stay, the more satisfied the mother's family will be.

After the guests were dispersed, the bride had to go back to her mother's home to stay the night, called "back to the door". The next day, the woman's family sent clansmen or siblings to escort her back to her husband's home. This night, it is the bride and groom wedding El son. According to custom, the bride first into the new room to sleep, the groom to wait for the guests and the whole family to sleep after all, before the new room and the bride to sleep with. Three months later, the male family and must be pounded to accompany the bride back to the bride's home to rest for three days. After returning home, the couple engaged in all kinds of labor, **** with the creation of a home and business, old age.

There are a few special features of Miao marriage:

Those with the same Chinese surname but different Miao surnames can intermarry. The Miao have their own Miao surnames, although the Han surname is the same, but in the Miao surname is not the same. In the western Hunan Miao, the same Chinese surname but different Miao surnames are Shi, Long, Zhang, Wu and so on. For example, within the Shi surname, there are two clans, "Gelo Gua" and "Gelo Ka". Gelua", generally known as Dashi, worships the ancestor of "vertebrate cattle"; "Gelaka", commonly known as Xiaoshi, worships the ancestor of "eating pigs". Gelaka", commonly known as Xiaoshi, worshiped their ancestors as "pig-eaters". Therefore, it seems that the Shi family name and the Shi family name intermarriage, in fact, "Gelo Gua" and "Gelo Ka" two surnames intermarriage.

The Chinese surnames are different, but the Miao surnames are the same. For example, the Liao and Shi surnames cannot intermarry because they both belong to the Gelugua system.

Freedom of love. Miao young men and women in love, the most important in love. Generally speaking, men and women should at least after a number of contacts, both sides have a deeper understanding, before they are willing to give things as proof, about friendship.

Four, etiquette

The Miao people, although living in the remote mountain villages for generations, but the idea of simplicity, for the etiquette is very concerned.

The younger generation meets the elders. Where the younger generation to see the elders, regardless of whether it is a man or a woman, is familiar with or the first time to meet, must speak sincerely, behavior respectfully, smiling face to welcome, and to use certain words of respect for each other. If the younger generation is walking and sees the old man or elder, they must stand still; if the younger generation is sitting and the elder comes, they should immediately stand up and let them sit. Eyes should be level and hands should be lowered. If you meet an elder you don't know, and the other person is one or two decades older than you, the male should be called "Dene" and the female "Demu". If they are a little bit older, the men will be addressed as "Ada" (grandfather) or "Aneneng***" "Anenengo" (old man), and the women will be addressed as "Ada" (grandmother) or "Aneneng***" (old man), and the female is addressed as "Ada" (grandmother) or "Aneneng***". Only after addressing them can the younger generation sit down or leave each other.

Peers meeting peers. Whenever a junior meets a junior, he must nod his head in greeting. If you know each other, to call each other with a fixed title; if you do not know each other, the male can be called "A Lang" (big brother) or "put the fall" (old table), the female can be called "Aya" (big sister). The first is the "AYA" (Big Sister).

The elders meet the younger generation. Where the elders see the younger generation, generally have to perform a nodding salute. Know each other according to the fixed title to call each other; do not know each other, if it is a strong man, the male can be addressed as "get that", the female can be addressed as "Aya". If the other party is young. Both men and women, can be addressed as "Gou" (little brother, little sister).

Miscellaneous rituals. The old man or elder and young or young walk together, young people or young must let the old man or elder walk in front. When the old and the young eat at the same table, the old man sits on top and the strong man sits on the bottom, and the general public can sit on both sides of the table. Old and young with the fire pit on the ground floor side of the fire to sit and talk, close to the side of the center column, it is customary to let the guests, elders or the elderly to sit. Otherwise, it is free to do as one pleases.

V. Burial

The Miao people of western Hunan generally practiced earth burial, and cremation was practiced only for leprosy patients. Adults use cedar coffins to collect corpses, and minors use wooden boxes to collect corpses. The old people who die at the end of their lives are first bathed in water boiled with peach leaves or water caltrops, and then dressed in their birthday suits on willow beds before being placed in the coffins. The coffin is placed in the center of the hall, and the bier is parked for three dynasties before going up the mountain for burial. When the coffin goes up the mountain, the descendant family should find the oldest person to lead the way with a torch in front. The bier should be led by the oldest person in the family with a torch in front of it. The bier should be carried along the mountain without any detours, and the bier should be carried along the mountain and along the water. After sending the deceased to the mountain for burial, anyone who has stepped on the new cemetery should return to the family. A bowl of rice is placed outside the door of the family's home, and each person must take a grain of rice and put it in his mouth, then spit it out, spit the rice out before going back to his house.

For those who die young, the spirit cannot be stopped and the body is placed outside the house. When to die, when to bury, also do not use a coffin, only with a wooden board nailed to a wooden box for the body. Hanging neck, diving, childbirth and died or was killed by a knife or gun, the Miao called "hit plus" (that is, the meaning of death or not good death), the bier can not be placed in the house. And the family of the deceased and the whole family should immediately throw all the jars with sauerkraut out of the house and smash them to pieces. If they can't break them, they must at least pour out all the contents and leave the empty jars in the field for a period of time before they can be retrieved.

Six, taboos

There are many Miao taboos, mainly the following:

Taboo whistling at home and at night. The Miao people believe that whistling can attract a cool breeze, and all kinds of gods and monsters tend to ride on the cool breeze. Therefore, whistling at home will attract ghosts to enter the house and suffer misfortune. Whistling at night will attract ghosts to haunt you and bring disaster.

Just avoid stepping on the tripod. Miao fire pit put a cast-iron tripod, dedicated to rack pots and pans pots and pots cooking, stir-frying, no one can not use their feet to step on. Legend has it that the tripod is three fire protection ancestors into, step on the tripod is disrespectful to the ancestors.

Just sit "Hango". Miao fire pit on the right (back to the north, facing the south, the rest of the analogous) in the foot of the pillar with the ancestors of the gods, known as the Miao language "Hango". Youth and women are strictly prohibited to sit on this side of the fire, children can not play here.

Just shock Longyan. Hmong people have a stone slab in the center of the house, there is a small pit under the slab, the pit put a bowl of water, is the "dragon" habitat, if the vibration of the slab, it is said that the "dragon" will be frightened away, the owner will be disaster.

When parents are alive, the younger generation should not wear white headscarves.

Jealous of the New Year. Counting from the day of spring, to the son of the day is a small year. If the fourth day of the first month coincides with the day of the child, then from the third night at midnight when the taboo. At that time, the family, you look at me, I look at you, quietly do not say a word. These two days, the whole family are resting, closed doors do not go uphill, do not do farm work. Until the night of the fourth day of the month at dawn, the taboo is lifted.

The taboo words. After getting up early in the morning, until the time before eating breakfast, it is taboo to speak of dragons, snakes, tigers, leopards and ghosts.

Seven, food and drink

The Miao diet, rice, grains, beans, potatoes as the main food, which is mainly rice, grains. The most characteristic is pickled sour fish. Miao people loyal and hospitable, although life is more difficult, but the guests a Bing sincere. If the guests come home, no matter how often or for the first time, we must do everything possible to treat with wine and meat, never less. And that there is no fish and meat listed on the table, they feel that the host is not virtuous. Guests are not respected. Because of the Miao Township usually buy meat is not very convenient, so the general family, are well prepared beforehand, so as to avoid the guests to the temporary after the opening of not week. And to save the spare fish, the best way, such as pickling altar. After killing pigs and catching fish, often cut into small pieces, and rice flour spices, salt pickle, into the altar, seal the altar mouth, inverted over a shallow pan, so that it is impermeable to air. After two weeks, the fish and rice flour slightly sour, you can take out the fried food, taste extraordinary.

Eight, sacrifice

The Miao people of western Hunan have many sacrificial activities, usually said the 36 gods, 72 ghosts have been sacrificed. Among them, the largest and most rich in national characteristics to eat pigs, eat cows and three kinds of dragon. In addition, there is a "return Nuo wish" ritual activities are also popular in the Miao. 20 century 50s, these superstitious colors and consume too much money and material resources of large-scale rituals are no longer held.