What is the origin of Miao Opera?

Legend has it that in ancient times more than 5,000 years ago, Chiyou, the ancestor of Miao nationality, was an all-powerful god of war. For the image of Chiyou, there is such a record in the Dragon Fish River Map, one of Wei books in Han Dynasty:

Animal body and human language, copper head and iron forehead, eating sand and stone.

The image of Chiyou is also recorded in China's ancient geography book Nerve:

Body like a cow, face, eyes under his arm, cannibalism.

According to legend, the chieftain of Chiyou Jieyi tribe, a man of ***8 1, also wore the same clothes.

During the Chiyou period, Chiyou not only used ingenuity and witchcraft, but also created a war mask. Its makeup is strange: its face is covered with a ferocious shell made of metal, and the top of the helmet is equipped with a pair of metal-cast horns, and its ears and temples are protected by sharp halberd-shaped metal sheets, which were later integrated into the so-called "mask".

In order to scare off the other side, Chiyou dressed himself as a fierce beast, with four eyes on his forehead and wings under his arm, and became the "god of astronomical phenomena". Its feet are decorated with hooves, and two arms are added to its left shoulder and right shoulder.

After Chiyou was captured and killed by the Yellow Emperor, many tribes did not listen to orders, and the Yellow Emperor "painted a statue of Chiyou to make all peoples submit". This shows the prominent prestige of Chiyou in that period.

According to many historical records, since the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chiyou has still been worshipped by emperors. Qin Shihuang visited Ba Shen, the ancestral temple in the East China Sea, where Chiyou lived as the "head of the military". Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, set up the Chiyou Temple in the imperial court, "making it the first temple". At the beginning of the world, "Chiyou Temple was established in Chang 'an".

Chiyou is the founder of China mask. He first used the mask in the war. After Chiyou's death, the Miao people experienced thousands of years of migration. In order to pray for the blessing of Chiyou, Miao Wu painted a pot of soot on his face, hung his head upside down with iron feet, and dressed up as the god of war Chiyou to exorcise evil spirits for Miao people.

This is what later generations call the most primitive Chiyou drama. It should have happened shortly after the death of Chiyou. For example, in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Ren Fang, a famous writer in the Southern Dynasties, wrote a legendary description of Chiyou Opera in Shuo Wen Jie Zi:

There are horns on the head and Xuanyuan. You can lick people with horns, but people can't. There is a famous Chiyou drama in Jizhou today. Its people are in twos and threes, wearing horns and slapping each other. The Han Dynasty created the Horn Opera and covered up its legacy.

The "Jizhou" mentioned in the article is located in the south-central part of Hebei Province. In fact, Chiyou Opera not only continued in the Central Plains, but also remained in the southern Miao witchcraft, which has continued to this day.

Famous contemporary drama theorists Zhang Geng and Guo Hancheng said in History of Chinese Drama: "The origin of China's drama is related to ancient sacrifices." This is a insightful authoritative assertion.

In fact, a large number of field data prove that the predecessor of Miao Opera is Chiyou Opera, which is a ceremony for Miao witches to dress up Chiyou, the ancestor of Miao people, to drive away ghosts and epidemics. Its basic rituals and skills are the necessary items to obtain the qualification of Miao witch, so this drama form has been passed down to this day. This is the argument that Chiyou Opera became "China Opera originated from ancient sacrifices".

Miao wizards are important inheritors of Miao traditional culture and play the role of intellectuals in Miao society. Witches have made indelible contributions to the inheritance and development of Miao Opera.

Most Miao people believe in witchcraft. The main witchcraft activities are yin-crossing, divination, divine judgment and offering sacrifices to ghosts. In addition to magic. Witchcraft activities are presided over by wizards. Wizards are mostly unprofessional.

Wizards play the role of hosts in various primary worship and witchcraft activities, and some local wizards also serve as village elders. In addition to being familiar with the ways of offering sacrifices, wizards can mostly tell the genealogy of their clan, major historical events of their nation and the route of migration sources, and are familiar with all kinds of myths and legends, ancient songs and folk stories. Some wizards also have the functions of singers and dancers.

In Miao people's ideological understanding, ancestor worship occupies a very important position in Miao society. They believe that although their ancestors died, their souls will always be with their children and grandchildren, and they will be worshipped with wine and meat on festivals, even in their daily diet.

Every time the ancestor worship ceremony is held, the Miao people will sing and dance and perform Miao opera. During the performance, artists don't want to be loud, just want to master the style and charm, with simple tunes and multi-purpose vocals.

Chiyou Opera, performed by Miao compatriots, has gradually developed into the present Miao Opera. The Miao drama not only reflects the Miao people's desire for a better life with its unique form and content, but also becomes a gorgeous flower in China literature garden.