Tujia Folk Beliefs and Culture: Nuo Deity Worship (Part 3)
That autumn, the empress fell ill with dysentery, and no treatment worked. After half a year she was reduced to skin and bones. Later, an official sent by the palace to seek out skilled physicians came to the cave where human heads were enshrined, and hearing locals say that worshipping the head could cure illness, he sent word to the emperor.
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 Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated.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.
In the autumn of that year, the empress in the imperial palace contracted dysentery and could not be cured no matter what. The illness dragged on for half a year, and the empress became emaciated, reduced to skin and bones. Later, an official sent out from the palace to seek a good doctor came to this cave where human heads were enshrined, and heard the local people say that worshipping these heads could cure illness, so he sent a message to the emperor. The emperor then issued an order for these cowherd boys to carry the two heads from the cave to the capital to cure the illness. When the boys reached the capital and sang and made noise while sacrificing to the heads, the empress's illness indeed was cured. The emperor was very happy and went to look at the two heads. At a glance he was greatly shocked, for the two heads were those of Yang Yao and his wife. The emperor quickly bowed and said: "I beg your pardon, you two. Since you eliminate disasters and cure illness for people, I hereby enfeoff you two as the Sage Duke of the Eastern Mountain and the Holy Mother of the Southern Mountain."
Later, the two heads gradually rotted, so people carved two wooden heads in imitation for use in sacrifices.
Legends about Nuo deities manifesting spiritually to cure illness often explain the Nuo deities as evolved from two human heads, which is clearly a forced interpretation. In fact, that Nuo deities are carved only as human heads is related to Nuo ritual masks. Nuo deity images evolved from Nuo masks. To this day, Nuo halls still hang masks as honored deities. The Tujia legend that Nuo deities originate from human heads shows that Nuo spread into Tujia areas relatively late, and the long history of Nuo and its true origin were not understood by ordinary Tujia people. For the Tujia, Nuo is an external culture whose cultural roots have been removed. The Tujia Nuo deities are spirits that fuse Tujia ancestral myths, legends of historical figures, and folk customs; judging from their origins, they are more or less deities with a tragic coloring.
III. Chong Nuo — One of the Tujia Nuo Deity Worship Rituals
There are mainly two kinds of Tujia Nuo deity worship rituals, one called "chong Nuo" and the other called "fulfilling the Nuo vow," both presided over by Tujia masters.
"Chong Nuo" is a sorcery by which a Tujia master, invited by others, cures illness and eliminates disasters for people; in the Tujia master's jargon it is called "striking and untying knots." "Chong Nuo" is a small-scale Nuo worship ritual, generally using only one night. The original Tujia "dispelling evil" sorcery and "chong Nuo" have the same meaning. The Tujia "chong Nuo" is a product of the mixture of Nuo deity worship and Tujia "dispelling evil" sorcery. The greatest difference between "chong Nuo" and "dispelling evil" lies in whether Nuo deity images are enshrined. In addition, the procedures of "chong Nuo" are also slightly different. "Chong Nuo" mainly has the following rituals:
Making documents: The Tujia master is responsible for writing the documents to be sent out to the various deities.
Inviting the gods and sending out documents: First the documents are hung in the main hall, then amid the sound of gongs and drums the documents are sent out to invite the gods, that is, the documents are taken to the courtyard, behind the house, to both sides of the house, to the mountains, to road junctions, and other places to be burned.
Receiving the Tujia master's master and ancestral masters: It is hoped that they will protect the Tujia master's spells so that they are efficacious. Among these is the "building a bridge" sorcery from "dispelling evil," meaning to receive the master and ancestral masters across the boundary.
Welcoming the gods: Welcoming and inviting the Jade Emperor, the "Three Pure Ones," the Old Lord, and other deities, asking them to descend to drive out evil and cure illness.
Inviting to wine: When the gods have descended, the Tujia master announces the gods and invites them to dismount and drink wine and eat meat; in reality it is the Tujia master and the others who eat a meal of wine and meat.
Dispatching Troops: That is, mustering and dispatching troops to set out.
Untying Knots: Dispatching divine troops to chase souls, return souls, and untie knots.
Divination: Consulting divination to learn the effectiveness. There are many types of divination methods.
Sending Off the Gods: By the time the gods are sent off, it is already dawn; at this point the entire 'Chong Nuo' is completed, and the gods are sent back. After sending off the gods, the Tujia masters and others eat breakfast and then leave.
IV. Redeeming the Nuo Vow—The Second Ritual of Tujia Nuo Deity Worship
Redeeming the Nuo vow is when the household head invites Tujia masters to perform Nuo hall opera to fulfill vows previously made to the Nuo deity and other spirits.
Redeeming the Nuo vow lasts from three to five days at minimum, up to half a month. First, an altar is set up, either in the householder's main hall or in the courtyard. The altar in the main hall faces the spirit shrine, while the courtyard altar faces the main gate. The courtyard altar requires a colorful archway made of bamboo to screen the main gate. On the front of the altar, divine paintings such as the 'Three Purities Diagram' and the 'Altar Administration Diagram' are hung. The 'Three Purities Diagram' depicts the 'Three Purities' deities: 'Upper Purity,' 'Great Purity,' and 'Jade Purity,' also known as the 'Three Primes,' namely 'Upper Prime,' 'Middle Prime,' and 'Lower Prime,' and also called the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy, and the Moral Heavenly Worthy, originally the supreme deities of Daoism. The 'Altar Administration Diagram' lists the successive ancestral masters of this altar; sacrificing to them is to seek their blessing for the smooth performance of the Nuo redemption. The 'Altar Administration Diagram' actually records the names of the masters of each generation in a Nuo sacrificial lineage. For example, the 'Altar Administration Diagram' of the Tujia master Zhang Jinliao from Dejiang County, Guizhou, who performed Nuo sacrifices, lists the masters' names as follows:
Maoshan Initiation Teaching: Liu Yuanxing, Liu Yuansheng, Liu Yingqian, Liu Yingbang, Liu Yingdi
Meishan Initiation Teaching: Zhang Fanü, Tan Fanü, Su Fanü, Xiong Fanü
Former Generation Masters: Ran Fasheng, Tian Fasheng, Zhu Faling, He Daofa, Cai Fatong, Xiong Fafei, Luo Fagao, Li Faqing, Zhao Faling, Wang Fazhen, Zhao Faxing, Zhang Fakai
Main Altar Masters: Lu Faqing, Lu Fagao, Li Fasheng, An Faxing, Liu Fawang, Luo Fakai.
Great Sacrifice Masters: Yang Fadao, Zhao Yingzhou, Zhao Yingli, Huang Desheng, Yang Fakai
Master Gong: Zhang Faling
Transmission Master: Zhang Fawang
Junior Brother Receiving the Dharma: Zhang Faling
Introducing Junior Brother: Luo Yunju
Junior Brother of the Whole Altar: Zhang Deqing
Removing the Plowshare and Topping the Ridge: Zhang Fajin, Shi Fasheng
Junior Brother: Zhang Fayang (from Wenping District)
Junior Brother Accompanying the Altar: Zhang Fayang (from Longxing District)
Transmitting Master: Zhang Faqing to Zhang Jinliao
From the former generation master Ran Fasheng to the transmitting master Zhang Jinliao, a total of twenty-six generations have been passed down.
Below the divine diagram is an altar table, on which are enshrined the head statues of the Nuo Lord and Nuo Lady. On the table are also placed ritual implements such as the court tablet, the command tablet, the master tablet, the ox horn, the ritual knife, the jade seal, the horse whip, and the head wrap.
The basic items of Nuo ritual activities include:
Opening the altar and inviting the deities, that is, inviting the deities of all paths as well as the masters and ancestral masters.
Issuing the document and honoring water and honoring the stove, that is, going to the wellside or the stoveside to invite the Water Palace Bodhisattva or the Stove God, and reciting the Water Official Sutra or the Stove King Sutra.
In addition, there are also rituals such as purifying the ritual arena, establishing the tower and mustering troops, building bridges, releasing troops, setting up camp, opening the red mountain, withdrawing troops and summoning souls, offering cooked offerings, building boats, and lighting fires to send off the deities.
Once the rituals are completed, the altar is opened and plays are performed to thank the deities. For each altar play, there may be as few as three to five people, or as many as fifteen or sixteen. The head of the troupe is called the altar-master. The main Nuo hall plays generally consist of twenty-four plays, further divided into the first twelve plays and the latter twelve plays. The Tu masters believe that the twenty-four plays are governed by twenty-four play deities, who are respectively confined in the Three Caves of the Peach Garden. The three caves are governed by Grandma Tang, appointed by the Jade Emperor, so every time a Nuo hall play is performed, one must go to the Three Caves of the Peach Garden (three caves made of bamboo on the altar) to invite Grandma Tang to open the caves and release the twenty-four play deities. In some places, when opening the caves, the altar-master must also cut a slit on his forehead and drip blood onto paper inscribed with the names of deities and ancestors as a sacrifice. The cave-opening ritual is performed by two people, one dressed as "General Golden Horn" and one as "Grandma Tang," both wearing masks. First, the presiding Tu master, holding the ox horn in his left hand and the ritual knife in his right, goes to the crossroads of the Peach Garden to invite General Golden Horn to open the Three Caves of the Peach Garden. General Golden Horn does not know what to do, so the presiding Tu master guides him to invite Grandma Tang, because Grandma Tang holds the key. General Golden Horn invites Grandma Tang, and one by one they open the Upper Cave Peach Garden, the Middle Cave Peach Garden, and the Lower Cave Peach Garden, and bring out twenty-four masks, meaning that the twenty-four play deities are invited out.
Next, the Nuo plays begin. According to the Tu masters, a complete set of Nuo plays is divided into three parts: the "Upper Cave," the "Middle Cave," and the "Lower Cave." The specific repertoire contained in each cave also differs.
Taking the Nuo play repertoire in the Dayong and Sangzhi areas as an example, the "Upper Cave" includes "The Sweeping Monk," "Opening the Cave," "The Path-Opening General," "The Immortal Official Who Calls the Roll," "The Earth Soldiers Who Lead the Troops," "The Immortal Master Who Escorts the Troops," and "The Water and Land Deities," among others. These have little plot and basically belong to sacrificial rituals with a performative nature.