The Lisu people are good at using crossbows.
The Lisu people are one of the ethnic minorities in China. The current population is more than 570,000. Mainly distributed in Lushui, Fugong, Gongshan, Lanping and other counties in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The rest are scattered in Zhongdian, Deqin, Weixi, Lijiang, Yongsheng, Huaping, Ninglang, Yangbi, Tengchong, Longchuan, Ruili, Lianghe, Luxi, Lincang, Gengma, Chuxiong, and Yuanmou in Yunnan Province. and more than 30 counties, as well as Xichang, Muli, Yanyuan, Yanbian, Miyi, Huili, Huidong and other places in Sichuan Province. It coexists with Han, Yi, Bai, Naxi and other ethnic groups.
The Lisu people have a long history. Its ancestors originally lived on both sides of the Jinsha River. After the 16th century, they began to move into Nujiang, Dehong and other places. The clan name Tang Dynasty has been recorded in history. As the national self-proclaimed transliteration of the word "Lisu", there have been "Lisu", "Lisu", "Lisu", "Lixie", "Lisuo", "Lisu" and "Lisu" in history. Wait for different writing methods.
The Lisu people have their own language. The Lisu language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Three scripts have been used. One is the pinyin script created by Western missionaries, the other is the syllabic script created by farmers in Weixi County, and the other is the Latin alphabet script newly created after the founding of New China.
The Lisu economy is mainly based on agriculture. The staple food is corn, buckwheat, etc. He likes to drink tea, drink wine and eat meat. Most of the houses are two-story buildings with stilt-style bamboo and wood structures, and there are also bungalow-style wooden houses or wooden houses. Clothing varies from place to place. Men mostly wear linen gowns and knee-length black trousers. Wear a black, white or blue bun. Women mostly wear right-front blouses and pleated skirts. On their heads, they wear a beaded cap "ore" or various colored turbans made of shell pieces and coral beads. In the past, due to the different colors of clothing, there were common names such as "White Susu", "Black Susu" and "Hua Susu".
The Lisu people are good at singing and dancing, and their culture and art are rich and colorful. The main festivals include bathing party, Changxin Festival, Kuo Shi Festival, Susu New Year, etc. Believe in primitive religion. At the beginning of the 20th century, some Western missionaries entered the Nujiang and Dehong areas and introduced Christianity.
The Lisu people are hardworking and brave. Historically, in order to resist class exploitation, national oppression and the invasion of foreign invaders such as Britain and Japan, China has fought many heroic struggles and made important contributions to the defense and construction of the southwestern frontier of the motherland.
A headdress full of love - "Ole"
The Lisu people mainly live in the valley slopes on both sides of the Nujiang River, Lancang River and Jinsha River in western and northwestern Yunnan. In the past, due to the different colors of the linen clothes they wore, they were divided into white Susu, black Susu and flowered Susu. Among the white and black Susu people who live in the Fugong and Gongshan areas, young girls like to tie their braids with red threads decorated with small white shells, and married women mostly like to wear bead hats "Ole".
"Ole" is woven with coral, material beads, sea shells and small copper beads. The production method is: first select a dozen white seashell slices about 2 cm in diameter, drill small holes in them, and thread them flatly with thread to form a round sleeve that can cover the back of the head. Tie a small copper bead under the shell in the upper half of the sea shell circle, and then cross the small copper beads into a string. This forms a curtain-type, half-moon-shaped bead hat with a string of seashells at the back of the head and a string of copper beads in front of the forehead as the upper and lower sides, and a string of red and white coral and material beads as the center. When worn on the head, it can just fit the head and Cover the ears and temples on both sides. Women wear "ore". The pieces of seashells above their heads are like the silver moon hanging high, and the beads below are like stars holding the moon. The copper beads at the bottom are embedded in the forehead, shining with golden light, giving people a sense of beauty and nobility
About "Ole", there is also a beautiful and moving legend spread among the Lisu people: In ancient times, there was a There was a severe drought every year, rivers dried up, crops withered, and hunger claimed the lives of countless people. A pair of Lisu young men and women were guided by the God of Misi and settled down in a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters. The man went out into the mountains to hunt, while the woman took care of the housework. The two gradually developed a love for each other. Although the two worked hard, life was still very difficult. The simple animal skin clothes worn by the young men were no longer able to cover their bodies and keep out the cold. The girl saw it and felt pain in her heart. So I decided to knit a set of comfortable and fitting clothes for the young man. She went through all kinds of hardships and finally found nettles. After that, she kept tearing, boiling, rinsing and twisting the nettles. After an unknown number of days and nights, she finally woven a horizontal striped linen gown.
Seeing the beloved girl working tirelessly for him, and the mountain wind blowing, her blown hair blocked her sight from time to time, often causing her eyes to shed tears. The young man thought to himself, could he make a hat to hold the girl's black hair? One night when the bright moon hung high, he looked at the sky and imagined how great it would be if he could make a hat out of something as white and smooth as the moon, and dress the girl up like the green mountains under the moon! So, he traveled all over the mountains and rivers, and finally found seashells at the foot of Tanggula Mountain. He used the twine twisted by the girl to string the ground seashell slices and white and red tree fruits together, and made a string. The most beautiful and elegant "Ole". On a harvest night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the young man held out an "ore" and put it on the girl's head under the moonlight. The girl took out her gown and put it on the young man. The two fell in love deeply, and finally formed a lifelong partnership, had children, and reproduced their descendants. From then on, young Lisu men who are in love must make an "ore" and give it to their beloved girl as a token of love. The girl also has to knit a gown herself and give it back to her loved one. This custom has been passed down from generation to generation and has been passed down to this day.
Sincerely “wine with one heart”
Like many ethnic groups, the Lisu people also like to drink. Their wines include water wine and shochu, and they used to brew them in-house.
Water wine is a fermented wine. The production method is to first mash and steam raw materials such as corn, sorghum, buckwheat noodles or barnyardgrass, let them cool, mix them with wine and medicine, then put them into a large tank and let them ferment naturally for seven or eight days. Just add water and filter when drinking. The juice of this kind of wine is slightly turbid, milky white, has a low alcohol content, is mellow and slightly sweet, and has the effects of strengthening the spleen, appetizing, refreshing and relieving fatigue. It has always been deeply loved by the Lisu people.
Shochu, also known as "Liji" in Susu language, is a distilled liquor obtained by putting fermented dregs of water into a pot and distilling it. This wine is clear and transparent, has a higher alcohol content, and is spicier and more refreshing than water wine.
The Lisu people believe that "there is no ceremony without wine", and wine is an indispensable drink for them to entertain guests. According to traditional customs, at the beginning of the banquet, the host should fill his own bamboo cup and sprinkle a little on the ground to express sacrifice to the ancestors. Then he raises his glass and drinks a little to show that the wine is good. Then he fills the guests' glasses one by one and offers them to the guests for drinking.
Among the banquet customs of the Susu people, the most interesting thing is drinking "Tongxin Wine". "Tongxin wine" is also known as "joint wine", "bilateral wine", etc. It refers to the drinking custom in which two people hold a tube or a bowl of wine at the same time, put their arms around each other's neck and shoulders, open their mouths together, and drink together, so that the wine flows into the mouths of both host and guest at the same time. Drinking Tongxin wine is generally done between men and women, and can be done between relatives, close friends or lovers. In the past, it was often used on occasions such as entertaining distinguished guests, signing oaths of oaths, or sworn brothers.
Tongxin wine symbolizes unity and friendship. During a banquet, if a Lisu compatriot invites you to drink from a cup of wine, it means that he has full trust in you and regards you as a friend.
Kuoshi Festival and Bathing Song Contest
The Susu people have many festivals, the larger ones include "Kuoshi Festival", "New Rice Festival", "Knife Pole Festival" and "Torch Festival" ", "Harvest Festival", "Bath Party", "Singing Festival", "Crossbow Shooting Party", etc.
"Kuoshi Festival" is also called "Yoshi Festival". "Kuoshi" is the transliteration of Lisu, which means "the beginning of the year" and "New Year". It is the most solemn traditional festival of the Lisu people. Because in the past, the date was mostly determined by observing phenology, there is no unified and definite festival date in various places. It is usually held from late December to January of the following year in the Gregorian calendar. In December 1993, the People's Government of the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province decided to declare December 20 to 22 every year as the Kuaishu Festival, so that Lisu compatriots from all over the country can welcome the New Year and celebrate the festival together.
During the festival, people usually brew water and wine, kill chickens and pigs, pound rice cakes, and prepare various sumptuous foods. They also need to pick off pine branches as many as the number of men in the family and put them at the door, hoping to cure diseases and bring happiness and good fortune. As is the custom of the Han people, there is a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve. Even if a person is in a foreign country, his family should set aside a seat and set out dishes and chopsticks for him. In some places, starting from New Year's Eve, it is forbidden to go to other people's homes. Even fathers, sons and brothers who have separated from each other are not allowed to communicate with each other. Restrictions were not lifted until the third day of the Lunar New Year. In most places, starting from the first day of the Lunar New Year, people gathered in sunbathing areas or open areas to carry out a variety of cultural and sports entertainment activities such as antiphonal singing, dancing, swinging, and crossbow shooting competitions. Some Lisu compatriots in the Nujiang area also go to the Denggeng Bathhouse in Lushui County to participate in the "Bathhouse Song Contest".
What’s interesting is that during the Kuai Festival, the first piece of cake that the Susu compatriots grind out will be given to the dogs first. It is said that this is to thank the dog for "bringing food to the world." There are many legends about dogs and grains circulated among the Lisu people. One of them says that ancient humans wasted so much food that the gods were furious when they found out and ordered all the food to be taken back to heaven. Humanity is facing catastrophe. At this critical moment, a dog risked his own life and climbed up the heavenly palace to steal grain seeds and save mankind.
The Knife Rod Festival falls on February 8th in the lunar calendar of the Lisu people. According to legend, the Knife Rod Festival on February 8th in the lunar calendar of the Susu people commemorates an ancient Han hero who showed great kindness to the Lisu people. . The Lisu people regard the anniversary of the death of this hero as a traditional festival of their own nation, and use symbolic rituals such as climbing mountains of knives and descending into seas of fire to express their willingness to go through fire and water to repay him. On the day of the Knife-pole Festival, several strong men first performed the "fire-walking" ceremony. They bare their feet, jump into the red-hot coals, and perform various stunts. The next day, they tied 36 sharpened long knives with the blades upward and tied them horizontally to two wooden frames more than 20 meters high with rattan rods to form a knife ladder. The performers climb to the top from the edge of the sharp knife with bare hands and feet, and perform various difficult moves on the top of the pole. Today, this thrilling traditional memorial ceremony has evolved into a sports activity in which Lisu heroes perform stunts.
The "Bath Bath Song Competition", also known as the "Spring Bathing Festival", is also a traditional festival of the Lisu people. Nowadays, it is mostly held in the first month of the Susu New Year. The location is more than 10 kilometers north of Liuku City, the capital of Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, in Denggeng, Mazhanghe and other hot springs. At that time, people from neighboring counties and districts dressed in costumes. There were loads of people carrying dry food, luggage, and even cooking utensils. The usually quiet hot springs are now full of tents, crowded with people, singing and laughing, and it is very lively. The Spring Bath Festival, which used to be centered on bathing and curing diseases, has now become a holiday for people to relax and enjoy singing and dancing. Especially young people in their prime, there are dozens or hundreds of people in groups, competing songs and poems, looking for a love partner, staying up all night, never getting tired of it.
“Lover buried in river sand”
“Lover buried in river sand” is a traditional festival entertainment and courtship activity for Lisu youth in Fugong County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province . It is held around the fourth and fifth day of the first lunar month every year. At that time, young men and women will gather on the banks of the Nu River to sing, dance and play. They also have to dig a sand pit on the beach with the help of their companions, carry the loved one into the "burial", and pretend to be very sad and crying, singing funeral songs and dancing funeral dances. After the trouble is over, the person you like is pulled out. They believe that through this activity, firstly, they can express the sincerity and depth of the relationship between lovers, and secondly, they can bury the "god of death" attached to the person they like, so that the person they like can live a long and healthy life.
In addition to this activity, Lisu youths in Fugong area will also hold a crossbow shooting competition of "shooting eggs on the head." During the competition, a young man carries a quiver and holds a crossbow. His sweetheart holds a bowl on his head and puts an egg on the bottom of the bowl (or a wooden bowl on his head with rice and eggs in the bowl) as a target. He stands a few meters away. outside. When the game started, the young man calmly pulled the string, nocked the arrow, and fired the shot. There was only a "pop" sound, the eggs flew, and his sweetheart was safe and sound. Suddenly, a warm applause broke out on the field. This is a thrilling and exciting competition, an activity that tests skills, courage, and true feelings. Of course, a young man with poor skills would rather miss the egg than hurt his sweetheart.
Crossbows and Poisoned Arrows
""Jingtai Yunnan Book Records" of the Ming Dynasty records: "The famous Lisu people... often carry medicine arrows in their crossbows to hunt animals." "Nanzhao Unofficial History" Zai: "The stronger ones are Li Su... who are particularly good at crossbows. Every time they ask their wives to carry a small wooden shield and move forward, they can shoot from behind and hit the shield without hurting the women." This is the superb crossbow skill of the Susu people in historical records.
The mountains and valleys where the Lisu people live were once covered with vast virgin forests, and various birds and beasts roamed the forests. In their long-term life practice, the hardworking and brave Lisu people lived in the mountains and valleys. The people of the tribe have invented and created a variety of production tools, and have developed a set of skills and abilities for fighting ferocious birds and beasts, adapting to the environment, and transforming nature. Crossbows and poisonous arrows are among them.
The crossbow is a kind of bow that uses mechanical power to shoot arrows. The crossbow of the Susu people is composed of a crossbow body, a crossbow plate, an arrow trough, a crossbow string, a crossbow tooth and a crossbow machine. The crossbow plate is made of hard and elastic rock mulberry wood. Or Qinggang chestnut wood, different sizes. The crossbow string is twisted with 4 strands of fine hemp wire of appropriate thickness. The crossbow teeth and crossbow machine are made of bone.
When using it, pull the tough crossbow string to the crossbow teeth, place the arrow on the crossbow body, aim at the target and trigger the crossbow machine, and use the elasticity of the crossbow plate and crossbow string to shoot the arrow out.
The crossbow arrows are made from bamboo blocks, and the tip of the head can be equipped with an iron arrowhead. The tail is equipped with a triangular tail made of bamboo skin to increase flight stability. There are two types: non-poisonous ordinary arrows and poisonous arrows. Ordinary arrows are generally used to shoot birds, squirrels, pheasants, hares and other small animals. To deal with ferocious and strong tigers, bears, wild boars and other large animals, poisonous arrows must be used. The poison is brewed from the rhizomes of the extremely poisonous wild plant Black Grass. Apply it to the small groove at the tip of the arrow and it becomes a poisonous arrow. This kind of poisonous arrow is extremely toxic. When the arrow is shot into the body, it will quickly flow throughout the body when it comes into contact with the blood, causing the animal to be poisoned and killed.
The crossbows and arrows of the Lisu people seem simple, but in fact, the determination of their shape, the selection of materials, the installation of arrowheads, the design of arrow fins, etc. all reflect scientific principles in many aspects , reflecting the scientific talent and wisdom of the Lisu people.
The poisonous crossbows of the Lisu people are not only their traditional hunting and production tools, but also used as weapons in the struggle against the national oppression and economic plunder of the feudal ruling classes of the past dynasties, and in the fight against foreign aggression. He played a huge role in the struggle to protect the motherland's borders.
Today, the appearance of the Lisu region has undergone earth-shaking changes. As a production tool, the use of crossbows has been greatly reduced, but they still appear in many sports competitions and mass entertainment activities. .
Top bars and swings
The traditional sports activities of the Lisu people are mostly derived from production and life. They are rich in content and diverse in form, integrating entertainment and fitness. The more popular ones include jacking bars, swings, climbing knife poles, wrestling, cutting bamboo poles, zipline racing, and holding stones, etc.
Top bar is a very simple, convenient and interesting sports and entertainment activity. No special venue or equipment is required, just a wooden pole and a small piece of flat ground. It can be done after dinner or during work breaks. The specific form is: use a piece of wood about 2 meters long and thick as the mouth of a bowl as the top bar. During the competition, each person holds one end of the wooden pole and holds it slightly above their navel. With both feet in a lunge position, stand firmly on the front foot to keep the body balanced, push forward with the back foot, lean forward and push the opponent out of the prescribed limit to win.
Although this activity is simple, if you want to win, you must have both strength, experience and skills. Only by combining the two aspects ingeniously can you be sure of victory. For example, when the two sides are in a stalemate, they can suddenly swing their body and wooden pole to cause the opponent's center of gravity to become unbalanced, and then take the opportunity to push the opponent out of bounds. Or use the lever principle, the front hand slightly lifts the top bar, and the back hand presses down, which can achieve the miraculous effect of moving a thousand pounds four or two times.
Swinging is the most popular sports and entertainment activity among the Lisu people with the largest number of participants. The swings of the Susu people are divided into three types: "Dangqiu", "Cheqiu" and "Moqiu".
"Dangqiu" uses a rope or rattan as a rope, and hangs it on the horizontal branches of tall trees or a specially designed swing frame. There are two types of swinging methods: single person and double person. The competition method is to win by biting the specified leaves or swinging the highest.
"Cheqiu" is named after its shape like a spinning wheel. The "car" is made of two rectangular wooden frames crossing each other. An axis crosses the intersection and can be rotated on the wooden stakes. A hanging stool is tied to each of the four frames parallel to the axis. Competition method: A group of 4 people sit on 4 hanging stools respectively. They rotate around the axis with the "car". When it turns to the side of the ground, they push hard to make the "car" rotate continuously to complete the competition within the specified time. The one with the most circles wins.
"Moqiu" consists of upright columns and a horizontal beam. The column is about 1.5 meters high, and a small grinding shaft is cut out of the top. The crossbar is about five or six meters long, with a small hole drilled in the middle and put on the grinding shaft at the top of the column, so that it can rotate. Because when it rotates, the two ends swing up and down like a swing, and move around like a grinding mill, hence the name. When using it, the number of people on both sides of the crossbar is equal, and they hold the crossbar at the same time and lie on it. If the person's feet touch the ground and push hard, the moqiu will fly around, and the two ends will alternately go up and down, which is thrilling and interesting. It can not only exercise the body, but also cultivate people's brave spirit.
The astronomical calendar of the Lisu people
There are many mountainous areas where the Lisu people live, and the climate is extremely complex. For example, the Nujiang, Bijiang, Fugong, Gongshan and Lushui areas, especially Biluo Snow Mountain and Gaoligong Mountain, stand on both sides of the Nujiang River to the east and west. There is a vertical drop of more than 4,000 meters from the Nu River, Lancang River, and Dulong river valleys to the top of the mountain, forming three different climates: hot, warm, and cold.
I was sweating like rain by the river at noon, but on the top of the mountain, it was still cold in the morning and evening, but the mountainside was mild and pleasant. For a long time, the Lisu people have been very familiar with scientifically mastering production seasons and arranging crop varieties according to the timing of altitude distribution of the terrain. They created a "natural calendar" based on the changing laws of natural phenomena such as mountain flowers blooming, mountain birds chirping, and heavy snowfall, and used it as a phenology to judge production seasons. For many years, the Lisu people have been accustomed to dividing the four seasons of the year into: the month of flowers blooming (March), the month of birds singing (April), the month of burning volcanoes (May), the month of hunger (June), and the month of gathering. 〈July and August〉, harvest month 〈September and October〉, wine-making month 〈November〉, hunting month 〈December〉, New Year month 〈January〉, house-building month 〈February〉, etc. season. ?
According to "Yunnan Bei Zheng Zhi": "Flowers and birds are all valued in farming. Plum blossoms bloom every year to mark the year, bamboo flowers bloom every sixty years to mark the period of time, and azaleas hire workers to bloom. ?
"Yunlong Prefecture Chronicle" says: "The first day of the winter is New Year's Day, and chestnut leaves are used as annual trees."
They can grasp the evolution process from the changes in the four seasons. The essence of is the movement of the earth. And extended this understanding to the understanding of the universe, and came to the understanding that the constellations change once every twelve years, and sixty years are one period.