The Battle Across the Blade's Edge
In the folk traditions of western Hunan, the sorcery ritual of climbing the knife ladder was once widely practiced. The knife ladder was typically a rite of passage and vow fulfillment performed by a wizard for children under twelve, though it was also held to avert disaster. The setup: two poles were erected in an open field, with knives bound one above another between them by rope — twelve knives in all...
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In Xiangxi folk culture, the witchcraft ritual of climbing a knife ladder was very prevalent in the past. So-called knife-ladder climbing was generally a rite of passing the gate and fulfilling a vow held by inviting a sorcerer for children under 12 years old; there were also such rituals held to avert disasters. The method was: in an open field, erect two poles, and between the two poles tie layer upon layer of knives ascending upward with rope. There were 12, 24, 36, or 72 knives, with the blades facing upward, and the wooden poles were generally 4 to 5 meters high.
Before inviting the sorcerer to climb the knife ladder, the host family had to prepare a coffin, burial clothes, a horse, a new umbrella, and a thank-you fee for the master. Before stepping on the knives, the sorcerer would "invite the masters" and "pay respects to the masters," then wash his feet, draw an "iron straw-sandal talisman" on the soles, and recite a "knife-sealing incantation," whose words were: "Seal the knives, Zhang Sijie; close the knives, Li Siniang. Lead a cow on stone and leave no hoofprint; drag a knife on water and leave no trace forever. Pain is pain in wind and waves, ache is ache in wind and waves. Thirty-six cloud knives, their sharp edges transformed into a great slab-stone road. We masters, great and small, our hands and feet transformed into bronze immortal masters, iron immortal men. I respectfully invoke the Supreme Lord Laozi, swiftly as the law commands. Be it so!" After the incantation, the sorcerer, holding a stalk of cogon grass flowers, brushed each knife edge three times, and only then carried the child who was to pass the gate on his back and climbed the knife ladder step by step. If it was for averting disaster, the client also had to go barefoot and climb the knife ladder after the sorcerer. While climbing the knife ladder, the sorcerer would also recite incantations: "Step by step upon the knife tips, each one is a gate of ghosts. The three disasters and eight calamities end here; the child shares the cup and passes the gate. Above we knock and ask the gods to protect, register for longevity to a hundred years. Mortals create without knowing the cause; when there is disaster and calamity, they knock and ask the gods... Among worldly hardships, only climbing the knife mountain stands out; risking one's body and life for others. With both hands in the blood basin grasping rice to eat, all depends on the holy lord as witness. The startling tiger's fangs are truly pitiful; turning over the heavenly canopy gains but half. Climbing the knife is easy, descending the knife is hard, like carrying water up the knife mountain in a bamboo basket. Step by step upon the knife tips, for a thousand years and ten thousand ages never forgotten." From this incantation it can be seen that the sorcerer regarded each knife as a gate of ghosts, and each step meant passing through one difficult pass. Each knife symbolized one month; 12 knives equaled one year. The numbers 24, 36, and 72 were merely multiples of 12. And the course of human life is like climbing this knife ladder, with crises and disasters hidden at every time and place; a slight misstep and great calamity may descend. Therefore, each step on a knife tip symbolized passing through one month's hardship, and completing 12 knife tips equaled passing through one year's disasters. A child who had climbed the 12-knife ladder was said to have passed through the 12 difficult passes set by the King of Hell, and would thereafter live to a hundred years and be easy to raise to adulthood. Similarly, an adult averting disaster would, after climbing the knife ladder, enjoy peace for a lifetime.
Finally, after the wizard finishes climbing the knife ladder, he opens a new umbrella on the resting-horse platform at the top. At this moment, the knife-handler on the ground cuts the rope securing the knife ladder, letting it fall, and the wizard descends from the air holding the umbrella. If he lands safely, he mounts a horse and gallops wildly until he encounters someone, at which point he reins in the horse and turns back. If he unfortunately falls to his death, then the coffin prepared in advance comes into use. Generally speaking, wizards climbing the knife ladder mostly pass through danger without mishap, and deaths are extremely rare.
The folk custom of climbing the knife ladder can still often be encountered among the people of Xiangxi today. Only now, climbing the knife ladder has shed many of its shamanistic rituals; some performances are conducted purely for entertainment and to enliven the festive atmosphere. Knife-ladder activities for averting calamity and resolving misfortune, or for helping children pass through life's critical junctures and fulfill vows, are now rarely seen.