Studies of Maogusi (Part Two)
Before the Grand Hand-waving Dance begins, the Tima ritual master divides the various hand-waving teams into different formations, including the flag-bearer team, the sacrificial team, the Tima court-tablet team, the Pai Jia team, the Qilin-staff team, the horn team, and the firecracker team. Because the Grand Hand-waving Dance involves such a huge contingent, the order of entry is highly particular. For example, the entry order of the Grand Hand-waving Dance at Nongche Village, Mati Township, Longshan County: the flag-bearer team first...
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
Before the Grand Baishou is held, the Tima altar master divides the various Baishou teams into all kinds of formations. Among them are: the flag-bearing team, the sacrificial team, the chaojian Tima team, the paijia team, the qilin-staff team, the earth-horn team, the firecracker team, etc. Because the Grand Baishou has a huge formation, the order of entering the ground is very particular. For example, the order of entry for the Grand Baishou in Nongche Village, Mati Township, Longshan County: first the flag-bearing team enters, holding high triangular dragon-and-phoenix flags of many colors and charging mightily into the hall (the Temple of the Eight Great Kings, also called the Baishou Hall); next the sacrificial procession carrying offerings enters the hall; then the Tima team holding chaojian (wooden blocks about two chi long) enters; fourth the armored team (draped in Xilankapu) enters; fifth the qilin-staff team enters, each member holding a one-meter-long qilin staff four centimeters in diameter, lacquered to a gleaming shine, entering with the cry of "hehe ye"; sixth the earth-horn team made of tree bark enters. As they enter they blow the ancient earth horns, bringing a mysterious atmosphere to the entire Baishou ground; finally the firecracker team enters, mainly holding three-eyed guns and firelocks, shouting as they enter (mainly singing "hehe ye, ye hehe"), and along the way setting off three-linked three-eyed guns and firelocks, pushing the atmosphere of the entire Baishou ground to its highest climax.
The entire procedure of the Grand Baishou is:
First, "paijia". "Paijia" means arranging the Baishou teams. Only after the Baishou teams are arranged can they march in mighty procession into the Temple of the Eight Great Kings (the Baishou Hall).
Second, killing livestock for sacrifice. Mainly white water buffalo, white sheep and pigs are killed.
Third, the Tima (altar master) leads the Baishou teams in worshipping the gods with great devotion and solemnity (called "Gameifeng" in the Tujia language).
Fourth, after the worship of the gods, the fourth procedure is carried out: the Tima or altar master sings the "Baishou Song" praising the gods. The main contents of the "Baishou Song" include: "The Origin of Mankind", "The Migration Song of the Tujia", "Song of the Eight Great Kings", "Song of Heroic Stories", "Song of Labor Scenes", "Song of Sweeping the Hall", etc.
Fifth, the Grand Baishou activity is carried out. The movements of the Grand Baishou include forward swinging and backward swinging, interspersed with some movements of farming activities, but the steps must repeatedly advance and retreat, and sometimes one must also step in a cross pattern.
The Small Baishou, relative to the Grand Baishou, has a site much smaller than that of the Grand Baishou. Villages carrying out the Small Baishou are relatively common; apart from the Tujia villages of the Grand Baishou, all carry out Small Baishou activities. The Small Baishou involves only dancing without singing, but the dance movements of the Small Baishou are somewhat more numerous than those of the Grand Baishou, the movements are also very delicate and beautiful, and the rhythm of movement transitions is also faster. The movements of the Small Baishou mainly consist of the three great items: single swing, double swing and whirling swing. In the specific performance process, some temporary movements are added according to the needs of the scene and content. The content expressed by the Small Baishou is also quite rich: the content of the Small Baishou differs from place to place. Below, synthesizing examples of the Small Baishou from relevant places, some main contents of the Small Baishou are given. As early as the mid-1950s, the Xiangxi Tujia Visiting Delegation of Hunan Province also conducted field investigations of the Tujia Baishou dance in Longshan County, and later wrote a report on the Baishou dance. The report said: "The Baishou dance was originally divided into four kinds: farming, hunting, banqueting (there may be a recording error, as there is no banqueting scene or related content in the Baishou), and warfare, among which only a very few elderly people are familiar with the movements. The method of dancing also differs from place to place; for example, the movements danced in Yanchong Township are: (1) plowing the soil, (2) painful cracked heels (that is, cracked skin on the heels), (3) spinning cotton, (4) chasing eagles, (5) planting corn, (6) harrowing the soil, (7) making holes and sowing corn, (8) weeding, (9) hoeing rice seedlings, (10) harvesting, (11) celebrating the harvest. The movements danced in Zanai (now Tasha Township) and Pojiao Townships are: (1) single swing, (2) double swing, (3) burning the mountain wasteland, (4) shielding the sun, (5) planting corn, (6) transplanting rice, (7) sowing seeds, (8) spinning cotton, (9) twisting hemp, (10) shielding the sun, (11) jumping like a frog (gedma), (12) pressing oil, (13) shaking off dog fleas, (14) eagle catching chicken, (15) driving the mountain (driving away wild beasts), (16) hoeing grass, (17) likuda (raising both hands high and then putting them down left and right), (18) kongkieliepengye (one leg bent forward, clapping the hands forward three times, then clapping the hands backward three times). What is danced in Xincun Township is: (1) cutting grass, (2) burning plant ash, (3) sowing, (4) transplanting rice, (5) hoeing grass, (6) shaking off dog fleas, (7) gathering firewood, (8) autumn harvest, (9) drying grain, (10) cutting firewood, (11) heavy snowfall, (12) killing the New Year pig, and so on, twelve sets reflecting the agricultural production and production activities of the twelve months of the year."
The report of the Xiangxi Tujia Visiting Delegation of Hunan Province recorded most of the movements of the Baishou dance in relatively detailed fashion. Of course, there are also some omissions. In summary, the movements of the Small Baishou can be divided into several major categories:
1. Labor and production category. This category mainly includes liqie (plowing the soil), yelangyu (sowing seeds), xiyu (planting millet), xipie (pulling millet), baoguri (planting corn), baoguwo (carrying corn), lifu (hoeing grass), huoshega (cutting swidden fields), huoshewu (burning swidden fields), shitetiangangda (building field ridges), silishe (transplanting rice), silizha (treading the field), libuha (threshing grain), libulanglang (drying grain), zekupi (breaking hemp), jikushu (making straw sandals), kaye (dragging timber), tongbolitutu (picking up tung seeds), kawo (carrying firewood), shijie (hunting), liga (digging soil), sesiha (pressing oil), etc.
2. Daily life category. This category mainly includes Lagadi (poking the ice hole), Likelisi shi (shaking off dog fleas), Xibafu (mending clothes), Jiezhudie (wrapping a turban), Makediha (swatting mosquitoes), Gudubo (squatting), Songgabu (pounding rice in a mortar), Bozuobo (pushing the mill), watching the sun, shading the sun, and so on.
3. Animal imitation category. Wudaji (bulls fighting), Banjijie (a hawk flashing its wings), Haliedaci (dogs mating), Baoqilie pong ye (a pheasant dragging its tail), Halieruoga (a dog biting a sheep), a cow rubbing itself against something to relieve an itch, Morezhu (a cat catching a mouse), Keqima (a frog), and so on.
Whether it is the Grand Hand-Waving Dance or the Small Hand-Waving Dance, once the hand-waving is finished, the Maogusi performance must always be staged at the end. If there is no Maogusi performance, then the hand-waving dance appears very incomplete. To use an inappropriate analogy, it is like what present-day terminology calls an unfinished "half-built building."
Most of the content performed in Maogusi is a reproduction of the content of the hand-waving dance (especially the content of the Small Hand-Waving Dance), and a portion of the content is unique to Maogusi. The greatest difference between the two is this: the hand-waving dance uses body language to make demonstrative movements, giving people an imitative prompt. Maogusi, on the other hand, uses real scenes and actions plus vivid language to reproduce the primitive production and life of the Tujia ancestors, and is an extension of the content of the hand-waving dance. The movements of Maogusi may appear vulgar and crude, but it vividly expresses the social production and living customs of humanity in its earliest period. It is a vivid primitive custom text of sociology and anthropology, and also a concretization of certain contents of anthropology and sociology, adding a generous gift to the cultural treasury of all humanity.