Yi is one of the ethnic minorities in China. The existing population is over 570,000. It is mainly distributed in Lushui, Fugong, Gongshan and Lanping counties of Nujiang Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. The rest are distributed in more than 30 counties in Yunnan Province, such as Zhongdian, Deqin, Weixi, Lijiang, Yongsheng, Huaping, Ninglang, Yangbi, Tengchong, Longchuan, Ruili, Lianghe, Luxi, Lincang, Gengma, Chuxiong and Yuanmou, as well as Xichang, Muli, Yanyuan, Yanbian and Yuanmou in Sichuan Province. Mixed with Han, Yi, Bai, Naxi and other ethnic groups.
Yi people have a long history. Its ancestors once lived on both sides of the Jinsha River. /kloc-After the 6th century, it began to move into Nujiang and Dehong. Clan names have appeared in history since the Tang Dynasty. As a national transliteration, Li Su, Li Su, Lu Bu, Li Yue, Li Suo, Li Su and Li Su have been written in different ways in history.
Lisu people have their own language, and Lisu language belongs to Yi branch of Tibeto-Burman language family of Sino-Tibetan language family. Three languages have been used successively. One is the phonetic alphabet created by western missionaries, the other is the syllabic alphabet created by farmers in Weixi County, and the other is the newly created Latin alphabet after the founding of New China.
The economy of the Yi people is dominated by agriculture. The staple food is corn and buckwheat. I like drinking tea, drinking and eating meat. Houses are mostly two-story buildings with dry bamboo and wood structures, and there are also bungalow-style wooden houses or wooden houses. Clothing varies from place to place. The men wore linen robes and knee-length black trousers. Wear a black, white or blue hair band. Women usually wear straight-breasted clothes and pleated skirts. Wearing a beaded hat "Ole" or a variety of Baotou composed of seashells and coral beads. In the past, because of the different colors of clothing, there were common names such as "white", "black" and "flower".
Yi people are good at singing and dancing, and their culture and art are rich and colorful. The main festivals are bath party, new year tasting festival, wide season, happy new year and so on. Believe in primitive religion. At the beginning of the 20th century, some western missionaries entered Nujiang and Dehong areas and introduced Christianity.
The Yi people are hardworking and brave. In history, in order to resist class exploitation, national oppression and the invasion of foreign invaders such as Britain and Japan, they fought many epic struggles and made important contributions to defending and building the southwest frontier of the motherland.
A headdress full of love-"OLE"
The Yi people mainly live in the valley slopes along the Nujiang River, Lancang River and Jinsha River in western Yunnan and northwest Yunnan. In the past, linen clothes were divided into white, black and flower because of their different colors. Young girls of Bai and Hei nationality living in Fugong and Gongshan areas like to braid their hair with red thread decorated with small white shells, while married women like to wear "Ole" and beaded hats.
Ole is made of coral, material beads, seashells and small copper beads. The manufacturing method is: firstly, a dozen white shells with a diameter of about 2 cm are selected, and small holes are drilled on them to form a round sleeve that can cover the back of the head. Tie a small copper bead under the shell in the upper half of the shell ring, and then cross the small copper beads into a string. In this way, a curtain-type half-moon bead cap with seashells on the back of the head, copper beads on the upper and lower sides on the forehead and red and white corals and beads as the center is formed. Wearing it on your head just covers the skull and the temples of your ears. When a woman wears Ole, the seashells on her head are like silver moon, and the beads below are like stars holding the moon. The copper beads at the bottom are inlaid on the forehead, glittering, giving people a kind of beauty and dignity.
There is also a beautiful and moving legend about Ole among Yi people: in ancient times, there was a severe drought, the river dried up, crops were scorched, and hunger claimed countless lives. A pair of young Yi men and women settled in a beautiful place under the guidance of the goddess Mies. The man chased the mountains and hunted, and the woman took care of the housework. The two gradually developed love. Although they work hard, their life is still very difficult. The crude animal skin clothes worn by young men can no longer cover themselves against the cold. The girl looks in her eyes and hurts in her heart. So I decided to knit a comfortable suit for this young man. She went through a lot of hardships and finally found the nettle, and then she kept tearing, boiling, bleaching and twisting the thread. After many days and nights, she finally knitted a striped linen robe. Seeing the beloved girl working tirelessly for herself, the mountain breeze blows, and she is covered by scattered hair from time to time, and tears often flow in her eyes. The young man thought, can you make a hat to cover the girl's black hair? One night, the moon was very high. He looked at the sky and thought how wonderful it would be if he could make a hat with something as white and smooth as the moon and dress the girl as a green hill under the moon! So he traveled all over Qian Shan and finally found a shell at the foot of Tanggula Mountain. He made a beautiful and elegant "Ole" by stringing the shells on the ground into white and red trees with twine rubbed by girls. On a harvest Mid-Autumn Festival night, the young man held out "Ole" and put it on the girl's head by moonlight. The girl took out her dress and put it on the boy. The two were affectionate and eventually became lifelong partners and had children. From then on, young Yi men in love must make an "Ole" and give it to their beloved girl as a token of love. A girl should knit a dress by herself and give it back to her lover. This custom has been handed down from generation to generation.
Really eager for "concentric wine"
Like many ethnic groups, Yi people like to drink. They have two kinds of wine, water wine and shochu, which were brewed by themselves before.
Shuijiu is a fermented wine. The preparation method is as follows: firstly, raw materials such as corn, sorghum, buckwheat flour or barnyard grass are mashed, steamed, air-cooled, mixed with medicinal liquor, and then put into a large pot for natural fermentation for seven or eight days. When drinking, add water and filter. This wine is slightly turbid, milky white, low in alcohol content, mellow and slightly sweet, and has the effects of invigorating spleen, appetizing, refreshing mind and relieving fatigue. It has always been deeply loved by the Yi people.
Soju, called "Li Ji" in English, is distilled from fermented wastewater in a jar. This wine is clear and transparent, with a high degree, which is more spicy and refreshing than water wine.
You people think that "no wine is a gift", and wine is an essential drink for their banquets. According to the traditional custom, at the beginning of the banquet, the host should first fill his bamboo cup and pour a little on the ground to show his ancestor worship. Then raise your glass and drink a little, indicating that the wine is good, then fill the guests' glasses one by one and offer them to the guests with both hands.
In the diet custom of Yi people, the most interesting thing is to drink "Tongxin wine". "Concentric wine" is also called "combined wine" and "bilateral wine". It refers to the drinking custom that two people hold a bucket or a bowl of wine together, hug each other's neck and shoulders, open their mouths together and drink on their backs, so that the wine flows into the mouths of both the host and the guest at the same time. Drinking concentric wine, generally regardless of gender, can be carried out between relatives, friends or lovers. In the past, it was often used to entertain distinguished guests, sign vows or become sworn brothers.
Tongxin wine symbolizes unity and friendship. At the banquet, if your compatriots invite you to have a drink with them, it shows that they trust you and regard you as a friend.
Guangji and Bathhouse Competition Song Festival
There are many festivals of the Yi people, among which the larger ones are "Guangji", "Xinmi Festival", "Knife and Pole Festival", "Torch Festival", "Harvest Festival", "Bathhouse Festival", "Lage Festival" and "shooting the party with a crossbow".
"Guangji", also known as "Hejie". "Guangshi" is your transliteration, which means "the beginning of a year" and "New Year". This is the most solemn traditional festival of the Yi people. Previous dates were determined by observing phenology, so there was no unified festival in various places. Generally, it is held from the end of February to the second year of the Gregorian calendar 1 year. 199365438+February, the people's government of Nujiang Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province decided that February 20th-22nd every year,1993, is a colorful season, in order to let compatriots all over the country celebrate the Spring Festival together.
During the festival, we usually brew water wine, kill chickens and pigs, and prepare all kinds of rich food. Just like the men at home, pick a few pine branches and fold them up and insert them at the door, so that you can get rid of illness and be happy and auspicious. Like the custom of Han nationality, we should have a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. Even if someone is out of town, his family should set aside a seat for him and set the chopsticks. In some places, starting from New Year's Eve, it is forbidden to go to other people's homes, and even separated fathers and sons can't communicate. The restriction was not lifted until after the third grade. In most places, from the first grade, people gather in the threshing floor or open space to carry out colorful cultural and recreational activities, such as singing, dancing, swinging and crossbow shooting competitions. Some Wa compatriots in Nujiang area will also go to Denggeng Bathhouse in Lushui County to participate in the "Bathhouse Song Contest".
Interestingly, in the rich season, the first piece of Baba produced by Yi compatriots will be given to dogs first. It is said that this is to thank the dog for "bringing food to the world". There are many legends about dogs and food among the Yi people. For example, one of them said that ancient humans wasted an amazing amount of food. When the gods knew it, they were furious and ordered all the food to be taken back to heaven. Humans are facing extinction. At this critical moment, a dog climbed up the Temple of Heaven along the pole, stole the grain seeds and saved mankind.
The Knife and Pole Festival is held on February 8 of the Yi lunar calendar, which is said to commemorate an ancient Han hero who showed great kindness to the Yi people. Yi people regard the memorial day of heroic dedication as a traditional festival of their own nation, and express their feelings of going through fire and water with symbolic ceremonies such as going up the mountain and going down the sea of fire. On the day of Knife and Stick Festival, several strong men first performed the ceremony of "jumping into the fire". They jumped barefoot into the red-hot coal and performed various stunts. The next day, they tied 36 long knives with sharp blades up to two wooden frames more than 20 meters high, forming a knife ladder. The performer climbed to the top of the pole with bare hands and feet, and performed various difficult movements on the top of the pole. Today, this thrilling traditional memorial ceremony has evolved into a sports activity in which Wa heroes perform stunts.
The Bath Song Festival, also known as the Spring Bath Festival, is also a traditional festival activity of the Yi people. It is now held in the first month of the new year. Denggeng, Mazhang River and other hot springs located more than 0/0 km north of Liuku, the capital of Nujiang Yi Autonomous Prefecture. At that time, people in neighboring counties and districts will be dressed in costumes. People carrying dry food, luggage and even cooking utensils came in droves. Usually quiet hot springs, tents are everywhere at this time, people are crowded, singing and laughing, so lively. In the past, the Spring Bath Festival, which centered on bathing and treating diseases, has now become a festival for people to take a leisure vacation and dance and revel. In particular, young people in their prime, dozens and hundreds of them, play poetry and find a loving partner, staying up all night and enjoying it.
"Jiang Sha Buries Lovers"
"River sand burying couples" is a traditional festival entertainment and courtship activity for Yi youth in Fugong County, Nujiang Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is held on the fourth and fifth days of the first month of each year. At that time, young men and women will gather along the Nujiang River, singing and dancing. Even with the help of his companions, he dug a bunker on the beach, carried the right person into the "grave", and pretended to be sad, crying, singing funeral songs and dancing. When it's over, I'll get the right person. They believe that through this activity, on the one hand, it shows the sincerity and profundity of the feelings between lovers, on the other hand, it can also bury the "death" attached to the right person, so that the right person can live a long and healthy life.
In addition to this activity, young Yi people in Fugong area will also hold a crossbow shooting competition of "shooting eggs on the top of their heads". During the competition, the young man was carrying an quiver and holding a crossbow. His sweetheart put a bowl on his head and put an egg (or a wooden bowl filled with rice and eggs) at the bottom of the bowl as a target, standing a few meters away. At the beginning of the game, the boys were in no hurry, pulling strings and arrows, pulling the trigger and firing, only to hear a bang, the eggs splashed and the sweetheart was safe and sound. Suddenly, a burst of warm applause broke out on the field. This is a thrilling game, and it is an activity that compares skills, courage and truth. Of course, a young man with poor skills would rather miss the eggs than hurt his sweetheart.
Crossbows and poison arrows
"Records of Jingtai Yunnan in Ming Dynasty" said: "The famous chestnut ... often carries medicine arrows and crossbows to kill animals". "Nanzhao unofficial history" contains: "More vigorous, that is, chestnut millet, ... especially good at crossbows. Every time you let your wife go forward with a Xiao Mu shield, you shoot from behind, and it won't hurt her. " This is a description of Yi people's exquisite crossbow skills in history books.
In the high mountains and valleys where the Yi people live together, there used to be a large area of virgin forest everywhere, and all kinds of birds and animals haunted the forest. The hardworking and brave Yi people have invented and created various production tools in their long-term life practice, and have developed a set of skills and abilities to fight against raptors and beasts, adapt to the environment and transform nature. Crossbows and poison arrows are among them.
Crossbow is a kind of bow that uses mechanical power to shoot arrows. Yi crossbow consists of crossbow body, crossbow board, arrow slot, bowstring, crossbow teeth and crossbow machine. The crossbow board is made of hard and elastic rock Sang Mu or Cyclobalanopsis chestnut wood, with different sizes. Bowstring is made up of four thin ropes with proper thickness. Both crossbow teeth and crossbow machines are made of bones. When in use, pull the tough bowstring to the teeth of the crossbow, put the arrow on the crossbow body, aim at the target, pull the crossbow machine, and shoot the arrow by using the elasticity of the crossbow board and bowstring.
The crossbow is made of bamboo, and the tip of the head can be covered with an iron arrow. The tail is equipped with a triangular tail made of bamboo skin, which can increase flight stability. There are two kinds of non-toxic ordinary arrows and poisonous arrows. Ordinary arrows are generally used to shoot birds, squirrels, pheasants, rabbits and other small animals. Poisonous arrows must be used against fierce and strong animals such as tigers, bears and wild boars. Poison is made from the roots of the poisonous wild plant Kusnezoff monkshood. It becomes a poisonous arrow when it is painted in the small ditch at the tip of the arrow. This poison arrow is extremely toxic. When it comes into contact with blood, it will soon flow all over the body and poison animals.
Yi crossbows and arrows seem simple, but in fact, the determination of their shapes, the selection of materials, the installation of arrows, and the design of arrow tails all embody various scientific principles and the scientific talents and wisdom of Yi people.
The Yi people's poisoned arrows are not only their traditional hunting and production tools, but also used as weapons, which have played a great role in the struggle against the national oppression and economic plunder of the feudal ruling class in the past dynasties, and in the struggle against foreign invaders and defending the frontier of the motherland.
Today, great changes have taken place in the Yi area. As a production tool, the use of crossbow has been greatly reduced, but it is still heroic in many sports competitions and mass entertainment activities.
Top bar and swing
Traditional sports activities of Yi people mostly come from production and life, with rich contents and various forms, integrating entertainment and fitness. The more popular ones are top bar, swinging, climbing knife pole, wrestling, cutting bamboo pole, crossing rope, taking stones and so on.
Top bar is a very simple, convenient and interesting sports and entertainment activity. There is no need for special venues and equipment, just a wooden pole and a small piece of flat land. You can have a rest after dinner. The specific form is: use a piece of wood about 2 meters long and the mouth of the bowl as a top bar. During the competition, each of them holds one end of the stick and pushes it on the navel. Lunge with your feet, keep your body balanced with your front foot firmly, push forward with your back foot, lean forward, and push your opponent out of the prescribed limit to win.
Although this activity is simple, you must have strength, experience and skills to win. Only by combining the two aspects skillfully can you win. For example, when the two sides are deadlocked, they can take the method of suddenly swinging their bodies and sticks, which will lead to the imbalance of the other side's center of gravity, and then take the opportunity to push the other side out of bounds. Or using the lever principle, the front hand lifts the ejector pin slightly upwards and the back hand presses it downwards, which can achieve the miraculous effect of four or two kilograms.
Swing is the most popular sports and entertainment activity of Yi people with the largest number of participants. Yi people's swings can be divided into three types: swinging autumn, riding autumn and grinding autumn.
"Autumn swing" is a swing rope made of rope or rattan, which is hung on the cross branches of tall trees or on a special swing frame. There are two ways to swing: single and double. The method of competition is to bite off the prescribed leaves or the highest swing wins.
Qiu Che is named after its shape like a spinning wheel. The "car" is made up of two rectangular wooden frames. The intersection passes through an axis and can rotate on the stake. Each of the four frames parallel to the axis is tied with a hanging stool. Competition method: four people sit on four hanging stools in a group, rotate around the axis with the "car", pedal the ground hard when turning to the ground side, so that the "car" keeps turning, and the number of turns within the specified time is the winner.
"Mercury" consists of a pillar and a crossbar. The height of the column is about 1.5 meters, and a small grinding shaft is cut at the top. The crossbar is about five or six meters long, and there is a small hole in the middle, which can be placed on the grinding shaft at the top of the column for rotation. Because the two ends swing up and down like a swing when they rotate, they run around like a millstone, hence the name. When in use, the number of people on both sides of the crossbar is equal, and at the same time, the crossbar is supported to lie on it. People who hit the ground with their feet push hard, and autumn will fly around, with both ends alternating up and down, which is thrilling and interesting. It can not only exercise, but also cultivate people's brave spirit.
Astronomical calendar of yi nationality.
There are many ethnic groups in mountainous areas and the climate is extremely complicated. For example, Nujiang, Bijiang, Fugong, Gongshan and Lushui areas, especially Robbie Snow Mountain and Gaoligong Mountain, are located on both sides of the Nujiang River. The Nujiang River, Lancang River, Dulong Valley and the top of the mountain have a vertical drop of more than 4000 meters, forming three different climates: hot, warm and cold. Sweating by the river at noon, but at the top of the mountain, it is still cold in the morning and evening, while the mountainside is mild and pleasant. For a long time, the Yi people have been very familiar with scientifically grasping the production season and arranging crop varieties according to the time sequence of terrain and altitude distribution. They created a "natural calendar" according to the changing laws of such natural phenomena as the blooming of mountain flowers, the singing of birds and the heavy snow, and used it as a phenology to judge the production season. Over the years, Yi people have been used to dividing the four seasons of the year into: March when flowers bloom, April when birds sing, May when volcanoes burn, June when people are hungry, July and August when people gather, September when they harvest, and November when they make wine. ?
According to "Yunnan Beizhengzhi", "Farming depends on flowers and birds, plum blossoms bloom at the age of one, and bamboo flowers bloom at the age of sixty, in order to remember Jiazi, azaleas employees, and female flowers are suitable for farming." "Zhou Yunlong Zhi" said: "Take the first day of the winter moon as New Year's Day and chestnut leaves as the annual tree."
They can grasp that the essence of the evolution process is the movement of the earth from the periodic changes of the four seasons. And this knowledge is extended to the understanding of the universe, and it is concluded that the constellation changes every twelve years, and 60 years is a symbol.