The application of She people’s paper-cutting in their beliefs and the cultural background of paper-cutting
Another important practical value of She paper-cutting is its use in witchcraft, polytheistic beliefs, religion and other spiritual beliefs, which is inseparable from the entire religious ceremony. In She Village of Mindong, the worship of ancestor gods and Miss Chen Jing is the main thing, supplemented by the worship of animism. Masters (commonly known as masters and gentlemen) are the mediators between ghosts and gods, and paper-cutting is the intermediary between the human world and the ghosts and gods world. People rely on their faith in themselves and their families through various rituals. Different from clothing paper-cutting, although the masters in Fuhu Village and Banyueli Village belong to different branches of the She ethnic group, the existence, specific use, shape and cutting techniques of ritual paper-cutting are all the same. The cultural explanation of this by the Master is also roughly the same, which shows that there is a common belief and custom behind it. And master the types of ritual paper-cutting
The amount is related to the specific teacher-instructor relationship and individual inheritance ability. For example, Lan Zhuxing (male, She ethnic group, born in 1952) from Fuhu Village is an ordinary farmer. He started learning to be a magician at the age of 38. He only knows two types of paper-cutting. Lei Guosheng (male, She ethnic group, born in 1961) from Banyueli Village is now the villages herbal medicine doctor. When he was a child, he often watched his grandfather perform paper-cutting. He also learned Kanyu and magic when he was young, and he still masters four types of paper-cutting. Master Li Xianhui (male, She ethnic group, born in 1971) from Yongqing Temple in Banyueli Village. Since his family has been masters for generations, he has mastered more than 20 kinds of paper-cutting.
Mages ceremonial paper-cutting usually uses red, yellow and white paper, usually prepared by the employer, and some are cut by the mage in advance. Generally speaking, there are three types of ceremonial paper-cutting by the three masters of Fuhu Village and Banyueli Village, namely: summoning spirits and dispelling diseases, warding off evil spirits and warding off disasters, and decorating the dojo. What the two Shecun masters share are paper-cuts for summoning spirits and curing diseases, and the cutting techniques, shamanistic uses and cultural explanations are also roughly the same. Since the ritual paper-cutting can only be passed down orally by the masters, and the masters of the two She villages have no direct or indirect contact, we can only think that there were the same beliefs, customs and ritual paper-cutting traditions behind them.
The ritual paper-cutting is closely related to the common beliefs, customs and real-life demands of local She villagers. Before the age of 16, children of the She ethnic group ask a mage to pass the test as needed based on the eight-character deduction.The magic power of Si Niangniang can help children successfully pass through the hurdles in life. There are usually 36 major passes and 72 minor passes, such as Tengu Pass, Duanqiao Pass, Confucius Reading Pass, and Five Ghost Passes. During the ceremony, the master cuts out dogs, arch bridges, human figures, or five ghosts, and casts talismans to avoid being frightened. Call upon the soul of a child who has lost his soul or is unexpectedly sick to exorcise ghosts. During the investigation, the author found that Fuhu Village has professional She magicians, ritual venues, ritual props and fixed ritual procedures. On September 29, 2013, Lan Zhuxing, the only magician in the village, passed the test for his one-year-old granddaughter, hoping to pass the magic spell. Realize the purpose of praying for blessings and eliminating disasters, and protecting children from growing up healthily and safely. Elderly people over 60 years old suffer from long-term illness and suffer from "White Tiger Tai Sui". The master uses white or yellow paper-cut tigers to get rid of the disaster for the elderly. If young people under the age of 39 are facing calamity in their lives, they ask a mage to cut a human figure out of red paper as a substitute, and perform witchcraft through rituals to make the ritual subject auspicious and safe in the earthly world, and to eliminate disasters and improve luck. If there is evil in the home, the master will cut paper-cuts such as Bagua or Bodhi tree and stick them on the lintel, roof or gate to protect the house and its family from all evil spirits, and all kinds of lonely ghosts will not dare to approach. Decorative paper-cuts such as butterflies and lotus flowers not only add to the mystery of the ceremony, but also decorate the space and express peoples pursuit of beauty.
