Nu opera culture
Puppet playIt is the oldest form of sacrificial dance in ChinaOriginated in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Fang Xiang's exorcism activities have a history of thousands of years。It is not only a synthesis of history, folklore, folk religion and primitive drama, but also a form of opera formed by absorbing folk opera on the basis of ancient sacrificial rituals.
The performance content of the opera is arranged according to the production and life content of the ancestors, including the performance process, character dialogue, storyline and simple storyline. Around the time of the Song Dynasty, Nu opera began to evolve into a form aimed at rewarding the gods and repaying vows, becoming a synthesis of history, folklore, folk religion and primitive drama. As an evolution of Nu opera, Maonan Nu opera adapts to the development trend of secularization, continues to maintain the early ritual characteristics in the scope of Nu culture, and enhances the secular content to be in line with modern society, and at the same time absorbs the nourishment of folklore and Han and Zhuang ethnic drama arts, develops along the direction of dramatization and secularization, and evolves into the secular drama of modern Maonan opera.
Twenty-four gods
The 24 gods include the Taoist deities corresponding to the 24 qi of nature, which are divided into the eight gods of the upper scene, the eight gods of the middle scene, and the eight gods of the lower scene. The details are as follows:
Upper view Yagami: Brain God, Hair God, ** God, Eye God, Neck Essence God, Arm God, Nose God, Tongue God.
Medium view Yagami: Throat God, Lung God, Heart God, Liver God, Gall God, Left Kidney God, Right Kidney God, Spleen God.
Bottom view Yagami: Stomach God, Poor Intestine God, Big and Small Intestine God, Carcass God, Chest God, Two Wedges God, Left Yin God, Right Yang God, etc.
However,The specific list of gods may vary depending on the region and cultural background。For example, in Shangli County, Pingxiang, there is the name of "a general in five miles, a god in ten miles", there are more than 20 ancient Wu temples in the Ming and Qing dynasties, more than 50 kinds of classical Wu dances, and more than 400 kinds of ancient Wu masks. This shows that the beliefs and practices of the god Nu have different manifestations and characteristics in different places.
It is also said that the twenty-four gods include the first official who sent the son, the prince of the old man, the landlord of the mountain king, the grandfather of the head of the mountain, the head of the mother, the east chef of the order, the little god, the Taibai Xingjun, the soldier immortal master and other characters. These characters represent the gods of fertility, land, ancestors, cooking, etc., respectively, reflecting the wide application of the god Nu in folk beliefs.
The cultural significance of the god of Wu: The gods are not only objects of religious belief, they also carry rich cultural connotations and historical values. For example, Grandpa Nutou is believed to be the incarnation of Fuxi, while Niangniang is believed to be the incarnation of Nuwa, reflecting the ancient Chinese worship of nature and feminine power.
The artistic expression of the god of the gods: The image of the god is often represented through masks, which are not only artistic, but also contain profound cultural meanings. For example, each of the twenty-four gods in the Wanzai Nu Dance has its own unique design and symbolism.
The inheritance and development of the god of WuAs an important part of traditional Chinese culture, the inheritance and development of Nu culture has gone through a long historical process. From the primitive witchcraft rituals to the later dances of entertaining the gods, the gods gradually became an activity of entertainment and blessing.
In modern times, the god still plays an important role in folk activities, such as the parade of the god of the gods.
To sum up, the 24 Wu gods are an important part of Chinese Wu culture, and they carry a wealth of cultural information and folk beliefs through various forms of performances and sacrifices.