The theme of paper-cutting in northern Shaanxi is to ward off evil spirits and ward off disasters
Due to the accumulation of culture and history, paper-cutting in any place has its own characteristics and themes. It is this thematic creation that makes the paper-cutting art in various places full of unique charm, allowing people to In the process of appreciation, you can feel its unique connotation and taste the cultural fragrance behind the art. Northern Shaanxi paper-cutting also has its own eternal theme because of its unique local culture.
The theme of exorcising evil spirits and warding off disasters is an important part of paper-cutting in northern Shaanxi. "Shui Geography" says that people in northern Shaanxi "like to worship ghosts and gods, but are especially jealous of confusion", "simple and unliterary, not very interested in profit, and addicted to food". The local customs are strong and Taoism is respected, and there is still a legacy of Zhang Lu. People in northern Shaanxi are very religious and do not have ancestral halls, but they have fixed days for religious sacrifices (Taoist temple fairs). There is no village in northern Shaanxi that does not have a temple, and there is no village that does not offer sacrifices to gods. Such as breaking earth to worship the earth god, building a house to observe feng shui, inviting yin and yang, and seeking medical treatment to consult the shaman god, etc. Paper-cutting plays an important role in these activities. In Shaanxi superstitious witchcraft, there is a kind of paper-cut "sick doll", as shown in the paper-cut work "Sick Doll".
Paper-cut work "Sick Doll"
In the local area, if a child is sick, a paper man wearing a horse and a bun is cut out of yellow paper. During the practice, after burning the paper-cut figurine, wrap it twice in front of the patients head and body, saying something like: "Send it to the head, the head will be light; send it to the body, the body will be light; if it is scattered, it will disappear, and all diseases will never come again." Finished." After reciting, the paper-cuts turned into ashes, which were then sprinkled into the bowl and onto the crossroads. He thought that the childs illness had been driven away along with the evil spirits, and that his soul had returned to his body. There are many such activities among the people, so there are also many paper-cuts corresponding to them. For example: "The Soul-Calling Doll", "The Boy Who Chases Disasters", "The Five Dolls", "The Hanging Donkey", "The Girl Wins the Dustpan", etc. This kind of paper-cutting has a strong mysterious color, and people often think it has spiritual energy.We are respectful and don't dare to speak loudly, hoping that it can exorcise evil spirits and cast down ghosts, cure diseases and save people. This type of theme shows the peoples yearning for an ideal living environment in northern Shaanxi. People long for and pray for peace, harmony, and health; they hate evil and avoid diseases, famines, and plagues. The prosperity of this type of paper-cutting is closely related to the geographical and cultural environment of northern Shaanxi. Northern Shaanxi has been located at the border of a land of change since ancient times, with mixed ethnic groups and diverse cultures. Coupled with the unique geographical and landform environment of northern Shaanxi, inconvenient transportation and isolation from each other, some primitive and martial arts activities have been passed down and still retain their original characteristics. As a result, todays custom of worshiping ghosts and gods in northern Shaanxi has been formed, and it has also provided a great space for the development of paper-cutting art, greatly improving the richness and complexity of paper-cutting art in northern Shaanxi.
Author: Yang Yujia, Department of Art, Yulin College
