What is the Yi torch festival like?

The Yi people, a nation that worships fire. So far the Yi people have retained the most ancient and strongest cultural traditions. They are the nation of fire, the children and grandchildren of fire. The ancestors of the Yi people believe that fire is the continuation of the sun, symbolizing bravery, passion and light. For thousands of years, fire has symbolized the love and pursuit of a better life for the Yi people.

The Yi Torch Festival is a traditional festival in all Yi regions, popular in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other Yi regions. White, Naxi, Jinuo, Lahu and other ethnic groups also celebrate this festival. Torch Festival is divided into "Big Torch Festival" and "Small Torch Festival" two, the festival period of three days. The Small Torch Festival is held on the 24th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar every year, and the Big Torch Festival is held on the 24th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar every year. The activities of the big and small torch festivals are the same. The Torch Festival on the 24th day of the 6th lunar month is the most solemn, the grandest, the most spectacular, the largest number of participants, the most rich in ethnic characteristics of the festival, is the whole people's feast.

Every year during the Torch Festival, the Yi people put up a torch in front of every house, they use three or four feet long upright pine or cypress, and then use a pile of pine branches and firewood to surround the pine or cypress into a huge pagoda shape, the top of the pagoda and then inserted into a section of Cuimu, a string of safflower, white cake, begonias and other things hanging in the Cuimu, and some also use colorful ropes tied to a number of small fruits, adorned with around the torch, the local people called this torch, the most grandest and most spectacular, the most rich ethnic characteristics of the festival. The local people call this torch "Songminglou".

At night. Men, women, and children gather in front of their own Songmyungro and set the tree tower on fire. Then, people came to the village and fields with torches in their hands. The Yi people celebrated the harvest by shining torches on the fields. Folklore has it that the torch festival is to draw the ears of grain out to see the torch, and the juggling of fire is to extinguish the pests and diseases of the seedlings. During the festival, some places have to kill pigs and cows to offer sacrifices to the gods; in some places, each household has to hold a chicken to the field to sacrifice "Tian Gong Di Mu". Folk believe that the torch can drive away ghosts and evil spirits, so after lighting the torch to go door to door, while walking to the fire sprinkled with rosin, known as the "send the evil spirits".

Torch Festival in Yi language called "are", for the meaning of fire sacrifice. Initially, it was a folk custom for the Yi ancestors to use torches to drive away insects and evil spirits, and to pray for a good harvest. In the historical process of conquering and transforming nature, it gradually evolved into today's folk culture and sports festivals. Since the Han and Tang dynasties, the Torch Festival has been practiced for more than a thousand years. There are different legends about the origin of the Torch Festival.

One says that Nanzhao chief Pirogue attempted to annex the other five edicts, will be the other five edicts of the chief in the Songming building and burned to death, Deng fine edict wife of the charity lady has long recognized the sinister intentions of the Pirogue, but she could not dissuade her husband not to go to the feast, they will put their own gold bracelets on her husband's arm, wishing her husband a safe return. When she learned the news of her husband's murder, she rushed to find his body, she used both hands to plow through the coke and ashes, ten fingers abraded, blood stained fingers, she relied on that gold bracelet to find their husbands. After Pirogue wanted to dominate Mrs. Charity, Mrs. resolutely refused to comply, led the elite soldiers defended Deng fine city, finally outnumbered Mrs. Charity threw herself into a well. To commemorate Mrs. Charity's fidelity to her husband, later on the day of the Torch Festival, women have the custom of dyeing their fingernails red.

Another legend is that in ancient times, there were six suns and seven moons in the sky, with the scorching sun in the daytime and a strong light at night, the land was barren, demons were rampant, and everything in the world was facing extinction. The hero of the Yi tribe, Zhig A Long, shot the five suns and six moons to death, and tamed the last remaining sun and moon, cured the raging floods, and eliminated all kinds of demons that had been inflicting harm on the earth. From then on, the Yi people began to live a peaceful and happy life. However, the god of heaven who ruled all things in heaven and earth, En Ti Gu Zi, saw the earth so prosperous and affluent, and was dissatisfied, so he sent his son, Hercules S Jar A ratio of heavenly soldiers to the earth every year to collect exorbitant taxes and levies. Wherever the heavenly soldiers went, they burned, looted and plundered, doing no evil. The good earth was stirred up by the gods and demons, and the people lived in dire straits. Later, the hometown of the Zhig A dragon out of a Yi hero called the black body Raba, he is very strong, superhuman wisdom, he often for the various tribes to solve problems, to eliminate the violence and peace of mind, loved by the people. One day, the black body Raba hunting in the mountains, reached the top of the mountain for the beauty of the intoxicated, he could not help but sing, express the love of nature and the thirst for a better life. His song attracted another mountain shepherd girl Nezhang Azhi melodious singing. They sang love songs across the mountains and rivers until dark. From then on, they fell in love with each other and swore an oath to each other. And has long been on Nizhang Azhi drooling Hercules Sjak Abi heard of the two love, the heart of the incomparable indignation and jealousy, always want to find an opportunity to put the black body Laba to death. Not long after, unable to endure the hatred, Sjaya Abhi came down to earth and wrestled with Heitiraba, and was killed by Heitiraba. The gods were so angry that they released a vast army of locusts to destroy the ripening crops on earth.

Nezhang Azizi went to great lengths to find a highly respected priest, Dabimo, who read the book of the sky and told Nezhang Azizi to destroy the locusts with torches. So, Nezhang Azhi and Blackbody Raba led the people to the mountain to tie artemisia stalks torch, tied three days and three nights of torch, burned three days and three nights of torch, finally burned all the sky worms, to save the crops. The God of Heaven was furious and used his magic power to turn the overworked Black Body Laba into a high mountain. Nezhang Azhi was heartbroken, and in the prayers of Dabi Mo, she gave up her body to become a mountain full of beautiful Soma flowers, which bloomed on the mountain that Heibei Raba had turned into. This day, it happens to be the lunar calendar June 24th.

To commemorate this day, the Yi people sing and dance on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar every year, celebrating the victory of the disaster, and singing about the bravery of the black body of Raba and the wisdom and beauty of Nizhang Azhi. Over time, it has become an annual torch festival for the Yi family.

The origin of the Torch Festival, although there are many ways of saying, but its origin is still the most direct relationship with the nature worship of fire, the purpose of which is to expect the use of fire to drive away insects and pests, to protect the growth of crops. In Liangshan Yi language, the Torch Festival is called "Du Zai", which means "Offering Fire"; in the ritual song "Offering Fire God" and "Offering Potzhuang Shi", there is a description of the divine performance of the fire god, Aidigu. The original form of the Torch Festival, in short, is the ancient fire worship. Fire is the symbol of the Yi people's pursuit of light.

The Torch Festival has been passed down to the present day and has become an important festival of the Yi people, celebrated mainly by:

Bullfighting: In a large circle surrounded by the crowd, the two bulls fight desperately in the yells of their masters and the shouts of the audience. Bullfighting is divided into two kinds of bulls and buffaloes, compared to the yellow bulls to fight to "civilized" some, so the first fight with the yellow bulls. Buffalo fighting, if you meet two grumpy buffalo fighting, is undoubtedly a vicious battle. Sometimes the winner will chase each other to death. At this time, the owner of the bull will risk his life to stop the fight. The final victor is honored with a prize and is praised by everyone for being a good farmer.

Wrestling: Wrestling is very popular among the Yi people, and there are two kinds of wrestling: tripping and non-tripping, and losing by falling. Each village selects strong and capable wrestlers to compete in the event, and the winners receive prizes, and their own villages also celebrate and encourage them with wine, sheep, cows and other delicacies.

Bonfire party: people will torch around a pile of bonfire, groups of Yi children dance "big three strings" dance, all the people are instantly immersed in the sea of fire, song, dance and flowers in the sea, singing and dancing until dawn.

In addition, there are wonderful archery, shooting, song contest, beauty contest, cockfighting and other activities.

The Torch Festival is also a good time for young men and women to convey their love, with girls wearing their own sewn clothes to show their dexterity, and young men winning the hearts and smiles of the girls in all kinds of competitions and performances. According to the custom, the man can snatch the token from the woman as a token of love; they also express their love for each other by singing and dancing all night long.

The Yi torch festival has a long history and far-reaching influence. The festival fully embodies the national character of the Yi people, which honors fire and retains the ancient information about the origin and development of the Yi people, and has important historical and scientific value. The Torch Festival is one of the most iconic symbols of the traditional culture of the Yi people.