This year, on August 8, 8:00 pm (that is, the lunar calendar of the June 24th), Qinglong County, Annan Ancient City Square, people such as the tide, everywhere overflowing with lively and festive atmosphere of the festival, in 2015, Qinglong County, the fifth session of the Yi "Torch Festival" is being held here in grand style. Visitors from all over the country as well as more than 10,000 people in Qinglong gathered here, **** enjoy a "bonfire feast"!
Jiang Shikun, secretary of the county party committee of Qinglong County, said in his speech at the scene of the party: Tonight, the hard-working, kind and hospitable compatriots of the Yi ethnic group will once again ignite the auspicious torch, play the emotional music, and dance joyfully to welcome friends and guests from afar. Let's hold high the torch of unity and the torch of hope, and release our moods and dreams amidst the roaring bonfire and limp dance. After that, Mr. Long Gang, Chairman of the State Political Consultative Conference, declared the opening of the "Torch Festival". Afterwards, students from Sanbao School performed the Yi dance "Amei Chito". From the Yi family production labor, unaccompanied but neat and tidy dance steps to the audience marveled at the sound of crisp and powerful dance steps under the curtain of the night of the old city of Annan, bringing people beyond the ordinary original flavor of the original ecological art enjoyment.
Ancient customs, every year from June 24 to June 26 of the lunar calendar, the Yi villages will hold a grand pig killing, cattle slaughtering ritual activities, sacrifices to heaven and earth, sacrifices to the fire, sacrifices to the ancestors, to drive away the evil, and pray for the prosperity of six animals, grains and cereals, reflecting the people of the Yi people respect for the laws of nature, the pursuit of happiness in life's best wishes, by six Mr. Bi Mo held the most solemn and sacred ceremony of sacrificing the fire.
The fire ceremony is held by six Mr. Bhima.
According to research, the origin of the "Torch Festival" has been described in a variety of ways, but its origin has the most direct relationship with the natural worship of fire, which is expected to use fire to drive away pests and protect the growth of crops. The "Torch Festival" is called "Du Zai" in Yi language, which means "Fire Sacrifice"; in the ceremonial song "Offering to the God of Fire" and "Offering to the Potter's Stone", there is a narrative of the performance of the god of fire, Ai Diegu. The original form of "Torch Festival", in short, is the ancient fire worship. Fire is the symbol of the Yi people's pursuit of light. About the classic legend of "Torch Festival", there are different stories. One says that the god of heaven and the god of earth struggled, and people used torches to help the god of earth to exterminate insects and defeat the god of heaven. The said from the "Nanzhao wild history" and Normal "Dian Department". These two books: Nanzhao chief Pi Luoguo attempted to annex another five dao, will be five dao chief *** in the Songming building and burned to death, Deng fine dao wife of charity advice husband do not go, the husband is not thus killed, charity to the wisdom of the savvy and obsessive love for her husband, to find her husband's body and smooth burial, Dian people are the day of the burning torch hanged. Shilin Yi Sani people regard "Torch Festival" as a festival to commemorate the victory of the people and the struggle of the devil; Wuding Yi people believe that the "Torch Festival" is to grow the ears of grain as thick as a torch. The later people use this fire sacrifice to drive away the evil spirits in the fields, so as to keep people and animals safe.
Another said in China's Sichuan Basin and the mountains of southwestern Sichuan, the largest Yi settlement in the size of the Liangshan Mountains, on the "Torch Festival" origin of many legends. Among them, the most influential, the most widely circulated, the most representative of the Yi heroes defeated the gods and demons, united the people with the story of evil and disaster.
Legend has it that in the ancient times, there were six suns and seven moons in the sky, the sun shone during the day, and a strong light shone at night, and the land was barren, the demons were rampant, and all things in the world were facing a catastrophe. At this moment, the Yi hero Zhige A Long shot the five suns and six moons, tamed the last remaining sun and moon, cured the raging flood, and eliminated all kinds of demons that were harming the earth. From then on, the world was windy and sunny, the water and grass were abundant, and the Yi people began to live a peaceful and paradise-like life. However, the rule of all things in heaven and earth, the god of the sky En body Guzi see the earth so prosperous and affluent, dissatisfied, so year after year to send his son Hercules Szhei A ratio of heavenly soldiers to the earth to collect harsh taxes. Wherever the heavenly soldiers went, they burned, looted and plundered, doing no evil. The good earth and by the gods and demons stirred up people's lives, people living in deep water, suffering. Later, the hometown of the Zhig A dragon out of a Yi hero called the black body Raba, he is very strong, superhuman intelligence, valor, cross the steed can travel thousands of miles, open footsteps can fly cliffs and walk on the wall. He often for the various tribes to solve problems, to eliminate violence and peace, loved by the people. One day, the black body Raba hunting in the mountains, standing high on the mountain tops, intoxicated by the breathtaking scenery, he could not help but draw the voice of song, express the love of nature, to the United States and the hair of the thirst for life. High-pitched singing voice attracted another mountain shepherd girl Nizhang Azhi melodious singing. They sang love songs across the mountains and rivers until dark. From then on, they loved each other and swore an oath.
Long to Nizhang Azhi coveted Hercules Szeto Abbey heard of the two love, the heart of the intertwined resentment and jealousy, always want to find an opportunity to put the black body of the Raba to death. Not long after, unable to bear the hatred, Srirang Abhi came down to earth and challenged to a wrestling duel with Heti Rabha. The result of the wrestling duel, was the Yi folk hero black body Laba fell to death, the sky god for this anger, they released a sky of insects (locusts) to the earth to destroy the ripe crops.
The clever Nezhang Azhi crossed the mountains and found a highly respected big Bimo (priest) in the sky, who read the book of the sky and told Nezhang Azhi: to destroy the locusts, we need to use torches. Nezhang Azhi and the black body Raba led the people up the mountain to tie artemis pole torches, tied three days and three nights of torches, burned three days and three nights of torches, and finally burned all the sky worms, to save the crops. Seeing this scene, the abominable body Guzi stormed. Using his magic power, he turned the overworked Black Body Raba into a high mountain. Nezhang Azhi looked at all this, heartbroken, pain, in the big Bima's prayers to give up his body into a mountain full of beautiful Soma flowers bloom in the black body of Raba into the high mountain. This day, it happens to be the lunar calendar June 24th.
Since then, the Yi people in order to commemorate this day, every year on the 24th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar will be the traditional way to strike the flint to ignite the sacred fire, light up the torch, to the field, in order to pray for the wind and rain, the next year's harvest. People sing and dance, celebrating the victory of the disaster, singing about the bravery of Heitie Laba and the wisdom and beauty of Nezhang Azhi. Over time, it has formed the annual "Torch Festival" of the Yi family. Yi "Torch Festival" usually lasts three days and nights, divided into three stages: welcoming fire, playing with fire and sending fire. (Author: Meteor across the night sky)