Qiang DanceWhen was the Qiang witch dance performed?

Before the liberation, except for some Qiang people close to the Tibetan area who believed in Lamaism, others generally believed in the spirit of all things and worshipped the White Stone. Legend has it that the ancestors of the Qiang were defeated in war and moved from the north to Minshan Mountain to fight against the local indigenous tribe, the Gogi, an adept hunting tribe that defeated the Qiang many times. When the Qiangs were ready to make their move, God told them to dream and told them to use hard white stones and sticks as weapons and wool around their necks as a sign. The Qiangs did the same. After a bloody battle, they defeated the Gaoqi people and settled down. To thank God for his mercy, the white stone became the supreme deity of the Qiang people. The Qiangs called the witches "Xu" and the White Stone called the witches "O Xu". The witches were the medium connecting the Qiangs and the gods.

It has been passed down from generation to generation among the Wu and Qiang people, most of whom participate in the labor. During festivals, villagers would invite witches to recite epics to pray for blessings, drive away ghosts and pray for rain in times of drought. The customs of the Qiang witches are all manifested through dance. Yak Wishing is usually held in the seventh month of the lunar calendar and lasts for three to five days. It is said to have been quite popular in the Xecheng area of Li County during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This ancient custom still existed in the early years of liberation. At that time, the leading sorcerer wore a robe and a hat and held a sheepskin drum in his left hand, beating rhythmically, bending, jumping, crouching and leaping. The crowd, guided by the guide, holding up spears, daggers, brightly shining muskets and wooden sticks, and stepping on the rhythmic skin drums, surrounded the walled village and gathered in Qiangcun Square to kill cows and sacrifice to the gods. Then the crowd beat the drums and dance. Since liberation, the Qiang people have gradually gotten rid of the fetters of religious superstition, and the "yak wishing" movement has disappeared.

The Qiang people pay special attention to mourning. Zhuangzi once said, "When a Qiang dies, he burns it and blows the ashes. It has been recorded that "the Qiangs, their captives, did not worry about their bondage, but only about their death rather than being burned." It is evident that the funeral rites of the Qiangs were a long-standing custom of sacrifice by fire. In ancient times, fire was a symbol of life. Cremation meant immortality and eternal life for the soul. A three-day funeral after death was a Qiang custom, especially for the rich and wealthy. A shaman will be invited to preside over the funeral.

The first day of the funeral will be marked by the performance of "Ilong", the second day by the performance of "Pigu", and the third day by a grand funeral dance in honor of the deceased in the form of a military ceremony. This is an ancient Qiang ritual meant to honor the memory of meritorious generals and to raise the morale of the people. It is presided over by a military wizard. He holds a crossbow in his hand, two copper bells on his shoulder, and a straw and pheasant feather in his leather helmet, then leads the procession down the dance. This dance is now lost. The dance is divided into three parts: a funeral song at the beginning of the funeral; two pieces of armor dancing together; and three funeral songs.