A detailed explanation of the origin of paper-cutting by ethnic minorities in the south
Paper-cutting with the theme of "life worship" by ethnic minorities in the south is often used in witchcraft to seek children and protect children. Worshiping ancestral spirits and praying for blessings and warding off disasters are also the psychological basis for the popularity of witchcraft-themed paper-cutting in the south. Various ancient festivals and customs provide a good opportunity for the expression of these wishes. The theme graphics of paper-cutting witchcraft and "life worship" of the Miao people in Guizhou mainly include mother butterfly, dragon, Yang Gong and Yang Po, the legendary heroes of the Miao people. Butterfly mother is a common theme pattern in Miao paper-cutting.
In Miao mythology, Mother Butterfly is the ancestor of all things, and humans evolved from butterflies. Miao women often embroider this image on the edges of sleeves, lapels, trousers, skirts, etc., as a protection for life. god. There are also many works created with the theme of "Jiang Yang Creates Man", which mainly tells the story of the Miao peoples ancestor god Jiang Yang who created man after the ancient flood myth, in order to worship the original ancestor.
A kind of witchcraft to control ghosts was once popular in southern my country, called Nuo. Nuo is a popular witchcraft ritual in ancient times in which people wear masks to attract demons. When the Miao and Tujia people in Hunan and Guizhou "repay their Nuo wishes," they have to make a large number of paper-cut window grilles and paper ties. Among them, the stalls, performance props, backgrounds, and the "guanzha" worn by the altar master must be decorated with paper-cut patterns. The paper-cutting master must cut them on site according to the ancient sacrificial etiquette. Paper-cutting here is a medium for communication between humans and gods, and it is also an indispensable prop in Nuo rituals. Hubeis carved paper-cutting has gone through a long period of time since the "Ren Sheng" festival in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The rich and colorful local folk activities are the driving force for its continuous inheritance and development. As the hinterland of Chu, Hubei is particularly rich in witchcraft paper-cutting. In the old days, it was used for ancestor worship, funerals, soul calling, and begging for children. To ward off evil spirits during the New Year, every household not only puts up colorful door gods and peach charms, but also cuts and cuts paper money to hang on the door.
When sweeping tombs during the Qingming Festival, five-color coins and paper broadcasts should be cut and inserted on the tomb, which are called "Qingming hangings" and "inserting greens". Newlyweds of the Buyi ethnic group in southern Guizhou have to cut eight small figures to perform the "flower bridge" ceremony to pray.Better to have children in the future. In the Tujia area in western Hunan and Hubei, when a child is born, a paper Buddha holding an umbrella must be cut out and pasted on the wall panel of the fireplace or the kitchen cupboard, and it must be kept there until the child is 12 years old. It is said that this is Grandma Ami (or Anipapa), the patron saint of Tujia children. When a woman in Xiantao, Hubei is infertile, she has to ask someone to cut out 7 little figures for the person to wear, one of which is burned every 7 days. During the burning, incense must be burned to worship Guanyin for 7,749 consecutive days. According to popular belief, only in this way can you have children. The four seasons, weddings, funerals, and worshiping ghosts and gods in Chaozhou, Guangdong are all inseparable from paper-cutting. "Sai Da Qian" is the paper-cutting used to worship ghosts and gods in Guangdong. The Yunnan paper-cut theme patterns lying in the southwest highlight local characteristics, such as elephants, cattle and sheep, pagodas, auspicious paper-cut patterns of flowers and birds, etc., which have a primitive and childish meaning and a mysterious religious atmosphere.
