"Chicken (bird)" worship in bun dolls
The bun doll is the paper-cut pattern with the widest distribution and the longest history among folk. According to Mr. Jin Zhilins research, its original shape is the emblem of the "Tian" clan, the Xuanyuan Huangdi clan, the ancestor of China. The bun-grabbing doll is also known as the "chicken-grabbing doll" among the people. There are many images of people wearing double chickens on their heads or holding chickens (birds) in both hands (the double chickens on their heads are variations or omissions of double buns). The image of this "chicken" is not an ordinary headdress, but embodies some kind of profound totem. Worship cultural connotations.
Human worship of "chicken" can be classified as a type of bird spirit worship. Bird spirit worship is one of the earliest animal spirits worshiped in human society. It is almost as old as sun worship. Because, in humans primitive thinking, the sun is a firebird flying in the sky. In China, bird spirit worship is almost integrated with sun worship. "Xuanzhong Ji" records: "To the east of Penglai, on Daiji Mountain, there is a hibiscus tree. The tree is ten thousand feet high. There are often roosters singing on the top of the tree, and the sun birds respond to them. The sun birds sing, and the world is full of joy. The chickens all crow." "Shu Yi Ji" written by Zu Chongzhi of the Southern Dynasty records: "There is Taodu Mountain in the southeast, and there is a big tree on the mountain called Taodu. The branches are three thousand miles apart, and there is a pheasant on it. When the sun first rises, it shines on this tree, and the sky rooster is there. When it crows, all the chickens in the world will crow with it." From this point of view, our ancients equated the chicken (bird) with the golden bird that symbolizes the sun, and used it as a symbol of the sun and yang. Perhaps in peoples minds, it is precisely because the crow of the chicken calls for the sunshine to shine and dispel the long night where evil spirits are rampant. Since the worship of the sun by the ancients extended to the identification of masculine and life, it makes sense that the double chickens (birds) on the head of the "scratcher doll" have witchcraft functions such as exorcising ghosts, attracting souls, and sending illnesses away. (Extended reading related content: The function of bun-grabbing dolls in traditional Chinese paper-cutting to protect children and sick people)
In addition, the worship of sacred birds became a type of Nuo worship after humans entered the agricultural era. "Shang Shu·Yugong·Yangzhou Article" has "Yangniao Youju"o;s records, "Yangniao" refers to the farmers in southern China who take "Sunbird" as their totem. According to archaeological discoveries in China, the "Sunbird" worship originated in the early days of farming culture about 8,000 years ago, and has taken on an obvious totemic nature. What is the reason for this? Everyone now knows that the biggest feature of rice farming is that it is inseparable from cultivation. Wild rice grows in swamps. When wild birds forage in the swamps, it also plays a role in cultivation. In the year when there are many wild birds, the cultivated area will be large, and the wild rice yield will naturally be abundant. In the year when there are few wild birds, the wild rice harvest will naturally be poor. Primitive people did not understand scientific principles, so they regarded these wild birds as gods. In order to have a good harvest every year, people prayed for their visits every year, so they formed Nuo sacrifices and regarded wild birds as relatives and considered themselves birds. clan. This is the reason why "bird totem worship" is popular among primitive people. In the ancient Chinese book "Baihutong", it is recorded that the god Zhurong of the Yandi clan "has a spirit of bird, and his spirit is a luan", which means that the totem of the Yandi clan is the luan bird. "Zuo Zhuan" records in the eleventh year of Zhaozhao: "When Shaohao Zhi was established, the phoenix arrived at the right time, so he recorded the bird and named it as a bird master." And Shaohaos name is Zhi, which is a ferocious bird. of birds. "Yu Gong" records: There are "Niaoyi" in Jizhou, and there are "Yangniao" and "Niaoyi" in Yangzhou. There is a myth in the Book of Songs that "the black bird of destiny descends and gives birth to Shang". "Historical Records" records that the female nuns, ancestors of the Qin Dynasty, also had great achievements in giving birth to children by swallowing black bird eggs. In addition, there are "Yu Minguo", "Egg Minguo", etc. in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas", which all show that the worship of bird spirits is quite common in China.
In folk paper-cut patterns, the shapes of "bird holding fish" and "chicken holding fish" are also common. It is affixed to the bridal chamber as a wedding flower cutout. Here, birds or chickens are used to represent heaven and yang, and fish are used to represent earth, water, and yin. The combination of shapes implies the combination of yin and yang, the transformation of all things, the reproduction of descendants, and endless life.
