What are some of the mysterious and ancient legends in the Gansu region of China? Or stories?

Gansu Qin'an sheepskin drums ritual dance remains Drums and Chinese culture have an unbreakable bond, a Chinese civilization history is almost accompanied by the rumbling drums and walk through. As one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, the people living in Northwest China not only show favoritism for the use of drums, but also show a unique spirituality for the creation of drums and drums. From the plateau to the mountains, from the loess slope to the Gobi oasis as long as there is smoke rising from the place of drums as long as the drums sound the place of the dance with the rhythm of the figure.

In the many drums widely circulated in Gansu Tianshui Longnan and Dingxi around the sheepskin drums unique. Sheepskin drums, as the name suggests, are made of sheepskin and made of drums belonging to the grip type of one-sided drums. Because of its shape is flat round fan-shaped peach-shaped, so there are fan drums, drums and other different titles. Each shape of the drum is linked to an ancient legend of each kind of drum show the character and aesthetic characteristics of the residents of a place. Every first month, the Dragon Boat Festival and the summer and fall harvest after the people here are to open up their hands to hold the sheepskin drums beautifully ship on a general rumbling drums to express their good wishes.

On the origin of the sheepskin drum dance there are more folk oral traditions and many researchers own speculation and we can only get some sporadic from today's status quo, vague and fuzzy judgment has not been enough historical data will be these seemingly familiar and with the occurrence of the phenomenon of **** smooth in the long river of human memory in the series together. But one thing is clear: the sheepskin drum dance has accumulated a long history and carries the tradition and culture of the people living here. With the passage of time, Tianshui around the sheepskin drums rely on their own growth of cabs in the local folklore and folk art, respectively, along different trajectories of inheritance and development. At present, there is still a typical significance still retain the original legacy of sheepskin drums is the Qin'an County Ganhu Township sheepskin drum dance.

A basic overview of the Qin'an sheepskin drum ritual activities

Qin'an is known as the ancient Chengji, is famous for our country's early Neolithic primitive farming tribal sites a large Bay culture birthplace. And the city is located in the town of Xingguo Ang 309 kilometers from the provincial capital of Lanzhou City. Legend has it that Fuxi, who first drew the bagua and taught the people to share fishing, and Nuwa, who made stones to mend the sky and rolled up the earth to create people, lived here, so this place is also known as Hsi Li Snail Township. Dry household township Wang Tsui village is located in Qin'an Yan City, 17 kilometers west of the village *** more than 500 people surnamed Wang Zhou Cheng main. The middle and end of August of the lunar calendar is the time of leisure for the farmers in Qiantou at this time every family is thinking about the annual Chuan Shen. In the name of ChuanShen, QinAn sheepskin drum dance is a programmed folk festival dance to sing the praises of FuXi praying to the gods for blessings and thanking the gods for the content of the soil. "The event lasts for three days, from August 17th to 19th in the lunar calendar, and this spontaneous folk ritual touches everyone's heart. Men, women, and children of all ages voluntarily contribute to the event, and the money collected by each household is used to buy materials for making the offerings. During the festival, small offerings of food and various fruits and grains from the year's harvest are presented. At that time, a chairman is elected, and the chairman and the older people who are in charge of the procedures and details of the event confer*** with each other to manage this year's Omikoshi event, and the place of the event moves every year, so each family has the opportunity to undertake this event, and during the event, individuals can eat at their own homes or eat collectively at the meeting. Small commodities and home-grown vegetables are also permitted to be peddled during the meeting. The people who work or go to school outside will come back to participate in the event as much as possible, as long as time permits.

The people of this region live and work in agriculture as their main mode of production. The unique culture has given birth to the unique Qin'an sheepskin drum and dance unique sheepskin drum and dance is y rooted in this ancient land. From the basic dynamics of the dance to the dance props from throughout the dance. The lyrics of the dance and the costumes of the characters all reflect the unique cultural connotations and lifestyles of this place.

(a) The significance of the three different times of the sheepskin drum ritual activities

The Qin'an sheepskin drum dance in the name of transmitting the seed since the Ming Dynasty since the formation of the generations have been passed down to the present. The so-called transmission can be interpreted in many ways, either as summoning the spirits to convey the will of the gods to the earth on their behalf, or as conveying good wishes to the gods on behalf of the people. In Qin'an County, a thousand households as the leader of the sheepskin drum dance in the villages of its physical activities slightly staggered time, but three times a year is a certain activity and the rituals and significance of each activity are not the same. These three times were the first month of the lunar calendar before and after the end of the New Year's Day and the lunar calendar in August of the agricultural season.

1, the first sixteen is said to be the first ten to sixteen people jumping up the sheepskin drum dance is mainly to commemorate the invention of Fuxi drill wood fire great achievements. The invention of fire so that mankind ended the era of drinking blood will greatly advance the process of human civilization in order to celebrate this virtue of Fuxi, in the first month of the lunar calendar every year on the sixteenth (according to legend, this day is Fuxi's birthday), people jumped up the sheepskin drum dance to celebrate and commemorate his great contribution. With the change of the times today, Chito first month jumping sheepskin drum dance has evolved into a social fire activities.

2, the Dragon Boat Festival is the time to go to the village in the countryside will have a sheepskin drum performance or according to the needs of the countryside to perform sheepskin drum rituals of the fragment but the type of performance. At this time of the sheepskin drum performance with a strong appeal to the gods to drive away disaster refuge witchcraft color. Historically, hailstorms and droughts were the main natural disasters in Qin'an, and every year around the Dragon Boat Festival, when Qin'an was busy, the villagers hoped to pray to the God of Thunder through the dance of the drums, not to have a sudden lightning triggered by hailstorms and storms, which triggered landslides and fires and killed people and animals in a series of inconceivable evils. Also hope to chant through the rendering of the drums produce a huge boom, to be able to dispel the sky at any time may be filled with dark clouds because this time of bad weather may make the hard work of the year's food crops destroyed in one.

3, the lunar calendar August 17 to 19 at this time of the sheepskin drum dance ritual activities is the most grand one in a year, it focuses on the townspeople praying for the gods to lower the amplitude of thanking the gods thanks to all the wishes. At this time, all the villagers, young and old, will gather together with great devotion.

(B) the basic procedures of the sheepskin drum ritual activities

August 17 to 19 of the Lunar Calendar, the Transfiguration ritual activities for three days **** including the following 16 procedures throughout the activities, although the process is complex, but closely linked to the well-organized, and song, dance and music accompanied by the whole time.

Every villager in the Hsi Shen unit does his or her best to make the gods happy, and when the gods are happy, the people will be happy. Therefore, this is an entertaining passage is also an entertaining passage is even more personal God **** entertaining passage calm dance and vibrating drums to create a solemn atmosphere acrobatic stunts reflecting the extraordinary personal boldness and skill, but the drummers devoutly "playing the God song" is a true song of the earth's wise, in the process of entertaining the gods of the entertainment of man and God, the celestial and human beings are united.

In the back of the drum unit two masters from holding two drums to the body of four eight drums in the mouth biting the two drums in the body of twelve drums to do counterclockwise and clockwise rotation of the difficulty is conceivable. People follow the drums and the drums follow the people. It is not possible to see clearly the people surrounded by the drums in the center, only to see the twelve drums rotating constantly.

Sitting on the altar is the main form of ritual activities in the form of rap, late at night, people are tired, but the achievements of God is three days and three nights can not be said. Around the bonfire to recall the virtues of the ancestors to talk about the first singing after the dynasty from the three kings and five emperors to the various gods and goddesses one by one. People sing and dance with their hearts to please the gods and goddesses so as to desire their care and blessing and blessing. At the same time in the long life of farmers continue to sum up the experience in the sunshine and land, mountains, rivers and trees in coordination with each other and the operation of the gradual and all around them related to all things in heaven and earth to reach a certain *** knowledge that is united in the same structure and rhythm in the operation of the same and from the cultivation and sowing collection and the dependence on the timing of the relationship between man and nature in the abstract a set of ontological views of the unity of man and heaven. Thus, a picture of traditional Chinese culture was established, which is the home of Qin'an people's existence and the foundation of their farming life and beliefs.

The performance mechanism of the ritual dance of Qin'an sheepskin drum

(a) The inheritance of sheepskin drum dance:

1. The participants are not limited to the members of Wang's family in the village, but all the interested males in the neighborhood can learn the drum dance no matter how old they are.

2. The way of teaching: (1) the family passes on from generation to generation (2) it is passed on to others by people who are highly respected and have strong performing ability.

(B) the role of sheepskin drum dance distribution:

The dance in the performance of three main roles that

1, the master

red turban, forehead right in front of the yellow pompoms. The upper body wearing a black lapel blouse lapel collar cuffs are set with a red border. The waist is tied with a black or red silk belt and the lower body wears black lantern pants. The foot wears black cloth shoes.

2, Shiba (male disguised as a woman)

The headdress is locally called Longma head. With black red or colorful rope prepared by the net-like hat inlaid with red cloth le headband tied to the back of the head to leave two red silk respectively hanging in front of the chest net-like headdress is decorated with a long braid. The upper body wearing a red lapel sleeveless coat. Red wrap skirt and black shoes. Shoulder clad in fuchsia color lapel long-sleeved knee-length robe.

3, the drummers

yellow turban, wearing a pink round neck lapel blouse lapel lapel flap are set with red edges. Red sash around the waist, pink lantern pants underneath, and black shoes.

(C) sheepskin drum modeling characteristics

Qin'an sheepskin drum ritual dance is the main props of sheepskin drums, which is both a dance tool is also a musical instrument and sacrificial vessels. The drum consists of three rings and nine buckles. Legend has it that these three rings symbolize Fuxi Nuwa and Regulus respectively. Perhaps because of the nine in the Chinese culture of the unique meaning of the sheepskin drum snare drum ring and even set of nine small rings called nine buckle. The production of sheepskin drums is very delicate from the selection of materials to the maintenance of the use of a set of strict procedures. As a symbol of good luck and sacredness each time the use of the people have to be wrapped up in a heavy cloth bag concentrated together solemnly stored in the village of prestigious villagers home.

1, drum shape and drum surface

Sheepskin drum drum shape for the regimental fan-shaped by the fan-shaped iron circle masked with a single side of sheepskin is usually divided into the size of the two number of drums, the diameter of the large number of drums for 62cm in the use of the drum before the drum is usually placed flat on the ground to the drum surface to the surface of the drum sprayed with a small amount of water for a short period of time to infiltrate the drum surface to prevent the interval between the use of the drum surface of the bursting.

2, the drum handle and drum circle

Drum circle to flat iron bent into the iron circle bent to close the stretch that is the drum handle is about 13cm long. drum handle external cloth or twine wrapped around the handle in order to prevent the iron handle abrasion of the hand is easy to hold. In addition can also play the role of the drum circle and drum ring connected together.

3, drum ring

The big drum ring is about 18cm in diameter iron ring iron ring is decorated with about 7cm in diameter six small iron ring iron ring in the middle of the ring is decorated with an insomnia. The lower end of the big drum ring is set with a small drum ring of about 8cm in diameter, and the small drum ring is also decorated with three small iron rings of about 7cm in diameter. The local people call it three rings and nine buttons, and when shaken, they collide with each other and "swish".

4, drum whip

Sheepskin drum drum whip is used to beat the drum and props about 40cm long. to wood carving and become. The top of the drum whip inverted grinding into an oval or round head to increase the elasticity of the drum whip. Drum whip whip rod with cloth or rattan wrapped. To prevent damage to the drum surface when struck. The end of the drum whip to colorful cloth hanging into a spike for decoration.

(D) sheepskin drum dance other props form (or accompanying instruments)

In addition to sheepskin drums Qin'an sheepskin drum dance there are board axe three pointed two-edged nine-ringed knife board board and other complementary props. These props along with the farming beliefs year after year was given a specific meaning in line with its economic life.

1. Three-pointed, two-edged, nine-ringed knife

The rectangular, double-tough blade is about 22cm long and 6cm wide, with a slightly thicker surface in the center that gradually becomes thinner in the direction of the two toughs. The rectangular blade is toothed at the top of the three tips, the bottom of the semi-circular opening, the center of the handle of about 9cm long. The lower part has a large drum ring and a small drum ring of the same shape as a sheepskin drum. Big drum ring diameter of about 13cm, small drum ring diameter of about 7cm. nine small ring diameter of about 1.5cm.

2, board

16cm long, 5cm wide, thickness of about O.5cm six boards, above the chiseled eyes with twine or red cloth will be six boards together, each board above the chiseled eyes padded with like a leather rivets. The first and last two boards are tied at the top with red cloth spikes.

3, board axe

Total length of about 58cm. *** divided into three sections. The front section is about 25cm long and about 2.5cm in diameter with a triangular tip of the iron bar. In the front section of 10cm from the diameter of 10cm fan-shaped axe face of the other side of the iron rod is the shape of the anti-S axe handle and the front section of the iron rod is connected and wrapped in red cloth. The middle section is about 19cm long wooden stick tail section of the iron rod is about 15cm long in the middle of a round ball gradually thinning into a cone.

4. General Flag

The top of the wooden cudgel is about 63cm long and is decorated with strips of silk or colorful cloth.

5. Stick

A columnar wooden stick about 4cm in diameter and 168cm in length.

Three, Qin'an sheepskin drum ritual dance performance field map

Note: the number of performers in the folk dance is often not fixed, in the author of the three investigations in the number of performances each time are not the same, but its movements and changes in formation is unchanged, so in order to make the whole schematic diagram looks clear specially selected 8 people as a group as a label.

The dance of the sheepskin drum is carried out throughout the whole ritual activity, and there are different dances in different stages, which tell the villagers' different wills. The most typical dance in Qin'an sheepskin drum dance is the dance rhythm and dress associated with Fuxi culture. The headdress of Shiba, which is called the dragon horse's head and looks like a fish scale-like mesh hat, and the braid that is attached to the back of the head and thrown up repeatedly, together with the s-shape that keeps flowing in the ritual dance but remains unchanged, bring the whole ritual activity to a climax. In our field research, we have never seen a straight line formation, but the two dragons spitting out whiskers and spinning 8 Yu spinning four horns snake molting two dragons swinging their tails and spinning snail scissors shares and double spinning 8 characters and other shapes are derived on the basis of the sinuous flow of the s-shape. All the viewers are solemn all the dancers seem to be inspired by some kind of emotion of the movement of the monolith. A kind of invisible calling force makes them give up all their needs and desires at that moment and dance for a kind of motivation, an emotion and a kind of purpose. Following the leader of the dance team, the drummers change all kinds of formations in an orderly manner, and thus a set of complete ritual scenes of the Dragon Totem Dance unfolds in front of us.

Four, I sing, I dance three kowtow - a highly programmed

ritual

In the Qin'an "Passing on the God" ritual, by the village of Gongzui all the people involved in the collective activities, in essence, the village **** there is a concentrated expression of cultural beliefs. The first is the centralized manifestation of the village's cultural beliefs. And this **** have cultural beliefs in a series of rituals in the various rituals with the help of ten folk art forms lo invisible, intangible elves into tangible, concrete, tangible and sensible images not only increase the vividness of the rituals, but also for the rituals of the Za activities covered with a mysterious color. It is worth noting that in this folk ritual activities have a high degree of programmed ritual

1, the 17 paragraphs in the seeding program is clear and complete;

2, in each paragraph in accordance with a few flat drums and dance drums and singing divination kneeling and other fixed procedures.

3, drumming and singing show a person singing and the crowd; singing (similar to the song) solo three forms.

4, the three forms of singing and a **** the same characteristics is that each paragraph of the melody and tune is different, but the same paragraph of the same tune and melody is the same only different lyrics with a stack of three singing characteristics;

5, each paragraph of the dance in the dance of the typical dance category is prominent:

6, after each paragraph of the drums after the three kowtow ceremony.

These programmed rituals were not created overnight, but are signs of the high degree of maturity of folk rituals and folk art forms in a long period of social life. These fixed programs in the dance singing sequences reflect the farming culture under the influence of the philosophical interest of the people under the light of the realm of life and the bland style of doing through the form of folk art and folk rituals of the program into one of these long-standing beliefs and rituals are not mediocre and shallow, but washed away the lead after the practice of the profoundly generous and smooth and serene. This is how the rituals are carried out year after year, revealing a rationalized and thoughtful approach. This highly programmed ritual is in fact a microcosm of the social life of the settlers in this region. It is not only related to the environment in which they live and the affairs they carry out, but also to the collaborative nature of their behavior in the ritual activities, which reveals the social rules or customs. Thus, the programmed rituals are, to a certain extent, the concentrated manifestation of the needs of the settlers who have a ****social life, and their human or mental habits are able to satisfy the needs of the settlers either indirectly or directly. (For example, in the ritual activities of Qin'an, we can see the different division of labor between men and women in daily life and work, the status and relationship between men and women, between elders and juniors, between village cadres and ordinary people, the communication between villagers and outsiders, and their attitudes toward everything around them, and so on.) Certainly, along with the development of the society, the programmed ritual activities themselves have gradually moved away from the practical functions of the most basic witchcraft. However, the traditional power (the force of historical means, ideology, and morality) hidden in the programmed rituals still affects the spiritual life and behavior of the people living in the area. Thus, the life actions and social contracts of the settlers were made public and traditional, and standardized to ensure each other's interests and emphasize each other's responsibilities, and at the same time, to arouse public **** actions and memories, which played an important role in maintaining the unity of the settlers.

Of course, the highly programmed folk rituals, as an important product of human spiritual culture, in addition to the above functions, also have the function of eliminating the tensions and constraints of life. People for the culture to bear a lot of hard work after the culture for them to prepare some compensation to spice up the monotonous life to alleviate some of the burden of life. Therefore, in the folk ritual activities in Qin'an folk art in playing this function at the same time to create a relaxed and free atmosphere so that the singers and dancers and the audience have been the soul of the release of the inspiration to stimulate people's lives so that the social relations have a chance to re-adjust the folk art in the programmed ritual activities to play a unique role in the faith rituals of the people in the most vivid and real emotional outpouring. Thus becoming an important carrier of culture has an important impact on their **** the same belief in their own origin ancestors and real-life identification with each other.

Qin'an sheepskin drum dance on the art form and viewed as a synthesis of song, dance and music, to the cultural form and viewed Qin'an folk rituals are folk beliefs and folklore and folk art synthesizer. It is this characteristic that determines its important cultural value. This mixed state implies the basic form of primitive culture. This folk ritual, which is performed with sheepskin drums throughout the whole process, is still carried out in an orderly manner with its own inherent program and unchanging rhythm three times a year in the era of rapid change, which is the natural expression of the simple and unadorned beliefs of the townspeople between the earth and the sky. The sheepskin drums are still clanging and the silhouettes are still dancing and the songs are still echoing in the ears, and the pious souls are still bowing down for a moment.

The study of folk dance culture, starting with the ritual dance of the Qin'an sheepskin drum, has led us into a situation where we need to think seriously and treat it as such. However, every time we set foot on the land of Qin'an in the solemn folk rituals, feel the unique situation there to savor that hidden in the form behind the harmony of the deep and heavy I will pray in the rapid development of the economy today let them breathe freely in this open world of the free flow of it!