Manchu shaman paper-cutting and folk paper-cutting patterns
Manchu paper-cutting originated from witchcraft, that is, the Manchu shamanism belief in witchcraft. Shamanism is a primitive polytheistic religion that worships gods of heaven, earth, ancestors, family, animals, plants, etc. The basic concept of shamanism is to believe in the existence of ghosts and gods, and to try to communicate between humans and gods. Therefore, they admit that some people have the ability to communicate with gods, and with the help of gods, they can use divine methods to observe miraculous phenomena. Shaman culture believes that all things are animistic. Not only do they revere and worship heaven and earth, but the animals, plants and ancestors that are closely related to their lives are all gods. In order for them to bless people or turn disaster into blessing, they must be constantly offered, sacrificed and worshiped. Among the paper-cuts that serve shamans, Manchu folk paper-cuts are the most representative. There are more than 170 gods of heaven, earth, ancestors, family, animals, plants, etc. worshiped by Manchu shamans. These gods are often expressed in the form of paper-cutting.
Ancestor worship is an important activity of shaman sacrifice. Sacrifice at home is during festivals. On the west wall of Manchu houses, there is a white hanging sign in front of the ancestor board. In the middle, there are many Manchu characters with the meanings of blessing, wealth, longevity, wealth, wonder, auspiciousness, etc. engraved on it. There are butterfly-shaped and square holes around it. When the paper-cut pattern is connected to the text, usually four pieces are pasted. The sacrifice at the cemetery is to insert a "Buddha head" on the top of the grave during the Qingming Festival. Use colorful paper to cut two consecutive patterns of a wheel and a money tree, which means a money tree, and hang it on a wooden stick about one meter long, with a A flower tied with colorful paper is very different from Han Chinese. It is a semi-abstract paper-cut work. Among the many goddesses worshiped, the Manchus worship the "Grandma God", that is, the old lady god, who is responsible for many things, including the reproduction of children and grandchildren, the marriage of children, and not getting lost in the mountains, etc. Each has its own division of labor. Due to the worship of the "Grandma Toad God", there are various paper-cuts of grandma. There are many works in paper-cutting showing shamans' healing, with rich imagination and creativity. Some show scenes of burning incense and making offerings, and shamans beating drums and ringing bells to invite gods; some of the sacred birds are flying and the pythons are squirming, which are shamans. Invite the gods to help; or exorcise evil spirits and ghosts, so that the whole family is safe and sound.
Before the Manchus had paper, there were shaman paper-cuts. They were patterns cut and carved from leather, fish skin, linen, plant leaves and other materials. They were often pasted or sewn on clothes, pillows and other daily necessities.Or stick it on walls, windows and other household appliances for decoration. In the Changbai Mountain area, corn husks, red peppers, maple leaves, birch bark and other materials are also used to cut and carve a variety of paper-cuts, which have unique local characteristics. The cut figures are all standing frontally, with hands hanging down and fingers spread apart. The facial features are incised and the nose is cut into a triangle. The hair style and clothes of the figures are all authentic Manchu costumes. They are divided into front and back parts, which can be used for sitting or sitting. Some can be placed on windowsills or cabinet lids, resembling ancient rock paintings with simple shapes. The Manchus worshiped many animal gods, such as crows, magpies, bears, deer, mink, tigers, eagles, etc. The most common ones were frogs and turtles.
Zhu Di said: "At the lowest stage of development of art, the art of witchcraft has become one of the earliest cultural models." "It is not only a realistic image that is thought to increase the effect of witchcraft, but also it can The creation of an imitated appearance and the illusion it produces actually induce a feeling of pleasure, which finally becomes a 'pure' aesthetic pleasure. Only then does the imitation of images for magical purposes Only then gradually did it become separated from the actual utilitarian purpose, and it was no longer a witchcraft, but an art." Among the shamanic sacrifices of the ancient Manchu ancestors, there were fire sacrifices, star sacrifices, sea sacrifices, snow sacrifices, willow sacrifices, etc. There are also festivals for wild gods and family sacrifices. The most common one is ancestor worship in family sacrifices. Ancestor worship is performed at midnight without lighting lamps, which is called back lamp sacrifice. The artifacts for ancestor worship are placed in the ancestral box and placed on the ancestral board on the west wall. The portraits of the ancestors are hung under the ancestral board. The shaman uses magic knives, waist bells, and karaoke instruments to play heavy and harmonious sounds, symbolizing the night gods. The sound of footsteps walking in the wind and cloud. The shaman recited congratulations, beat drums, and rang bells, and then led the tribe to kowtow and worship the ancestors. During this period, the doors and windows were closed tightly to prevent making any noise. After that, the lamps were lit and the offerings were removed. The whole family, men, women, old and young, sat on the ground, drank rice wine, and ate pigs with lanterns on their backs.
Paper-cutting with the theme of shaman sacrifice and worship is still popular among the people, but it has gradually become an aesthetically-oriented art work, decorating peoples festival life. As carriers of the worship of heaven and earth, worship of animals and plants, and the concept of animism, these paper-cut window grilles allow us to vaguely see the psychological core of the Manchu ancestors’ sincere love, ecological balance, and ancestor worship and roots. Manchu shaman paper-cutting is closely related to survival beliefs, folk customs, religious beliefs, god worship and many other propositions, and directly reflects the life, beliefs, concepts, as well as the joy of life and good wishes of the Manchu people. It embodies The indescribable and mysterious worship of nature in shamanistic rituals is a primitive instinct for survival consciousness and a directional spiritual desire in real life (such as auspiciousness, wealth, blessings, etc.). It is popular, mysterious and symbolizes multiple attributes. Complex.
