The functional meaning of bun dolls in folk paper-cutting
In folk custom, bun dolls mainly have the function of reproduction and fertility, and are called "happy dolls" among the people. "Happy dolls" are usually posted in the bridal chamber when getting married. They symbolize the continuation of descendants and the meaning of having many children and grandchildren. They are commonly known as "happy flowers". This kind of "happy flower" bun doll The most representative of this type of bun doll is the "tent flower" that newlyweds put on their new house, also known as "sitting tent flower".
How to determine that the bun doll has the witchcraft role of controlling fertility and reproduction? We must start with the "tenant flower". "In northern Shaanxi, the bridal chamber is called the tent house. According to the ancient custom in northern Shaanxi, tents are set up in the suburbs for marriages. This is obviously a legacy of the primitive matriarchal clan Jiaoshe in ancient history and legends. Jiaohe is a relic of the era when men and women lived together in the mulberry forest. ". Mr. Jin Zhilin cited the note in "Lu Shi·Postscript" that "Nu Wa prayed to the God of Ci, and prayed to be a matchmaker for women, because she was involved in marriage." "God of Gao", and then further said, "The doll with buns is Nuwa, so it is natural that this doll with buns, the god of reproduction, should be enshrined in the wedding tent." Therefore, the bun doll, which is responsible for witchcraft functions such as fertility and reproduction, is even revered as the "god of protection and reproduction of the Chinese nation" in Mr. Jin Zhilins book.
In the Qingyang area of ??Gansu Province, there is a kind of bun doll that likes flowers in the window. Pregnant. There are three pairs of birds on her head, shoulders, and knees. Her chest is decorated with a masculine symbol, her feet have a "lotus" pattern that symbolizes women, and she is pregnant with a baby on her abdomen. This combined shape directly points to fertility. Education, the purpose of endless witchcraft.
