The magical charm of Horqin shamanistic paper-cutting
Shamanism is the primitive religion of the northern nomads. The human figure holding hands may be one of the most primitive graphic symbols used by shamanism when performing witchcraft rituals. In the Neolithic Age, the painted pottery basins of Sunjiazhai in Datong, Qinghai Province, which belong to the Majiayao type of the Yangshao Culture, already have figures of people with handles on them, and in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (To learn about Mongolian shamanic paper-cutting, please see Mongolian shamanic paper-cutting and paper-cutting types)
The figure of a man holding hands has been found in the rock paintings of Hetengger Mountain, the bronze dagger used by the Huns in the Ordos Museum, and the rock paintings of Sunit Left Banner. The earliest paper-cut hand-handled figure discovered so far was unearthed from the Astana Tomb in Xinjiang during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Among the shaman prayer supplies collected from Chenbalhu Banner, there were nine handle-shaped idols with cloth stickers. Among the people in northern China, the human figure holding hands has the functions of exorcising ghosts and summoning spirits, sending illnesses, and begging for children. These seem to be the remnants of shamanic ritual culture, and they are even more common in Aohan Banner, Chifeng City and other places around Horqin. . Judging from the above archaeological data, the figure of the man holding hands exists in the shamanistic rock paintings of primitive people making sacrifices to heaven and celebrating achievements, in tombs, in the decoration of weapons, and in real life. It has the functions of offering sacrifices to spirits, reincarnation, and blessings. The meanings of protection, disgust and exorcism bear the imprint of spiritual communication between man and heaven and earth since ancient times. From this point of view, the existence of Horqin Mongolian shamanistic paper-cutting is not isolated. It has a profound cultural and historical background.
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As for the seemingly simple "Hana pattern" paper-cutting arranged in a diamond shape, its cultural origins are even more ancient. The pottery unearthed in Xiaohe, Aohan Banner, which dates back more than 8,000 years, already has a grid pattern. , which is what we call "Hana pattern". There are a large number of grid patterns in the painted pottery patterns of the Hongshan Culture. Both of them are earlier than the painted pottery pots with human faces and fish patterns of the Banpo Yangshao Culture in the Yellow River Basin about 6,000 years ago. grid pattern. The "grid pattern" spans a vast area in the north, proving that it is not an accidental decorative pattern, but an auspicious pattern that is widely spread, has profound meaning and is still used today. (Read more about shamanic paper-cutting of ethnic groups: Manchu shamanic paper-cutting and folk paper-cutting patterns)
We can see from the Horqin shamanistic paper-cutting that MongolianThe cultural connotation of ancient shamanism is a religious system that combines shamanism, Taoism, and Buddhism. It is the product of long-term integration with other ethnic cultures and the same ancestry and different origins. From an aesthetic point of view, the appearance of Mongolian shamanistic paper-cutting is no longer paper-cutting in the general sense. It does not take formal aesthetic expression as its main goal, but is a spiritual symbol for shamanic expression and implementation of ideas. .
