Yi **** has a population of more than 6.57 million (1990 statistics), is a more populous, more widely distributed ethnic groups. They live in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Guangxi provinces and regions. Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, the Yi ethnic group called themselves "Nuosu", Yunnan Honghe Yi ethnic group called themselves "Luo Luo", Guishan, Mile area of the Yi ethnic group called themselves "Sani" and "A fine". The Yi in the area of Guishan and Mile mostly call themselves "Sani" and "A fine".
The Yi are an ancient people. According to the evidence: the Yi and the ancient inhabitants of Qiang have a close relationship, that: is the ancient Qiang people south and southwest of the indigenous long-term integration and the formation of an ethnic group.
The Yi have their own language and script, *** divided into six dialect areas, four sub-dialect areas, twenty-one vernacular areas, twenty-two sub-vernacular areas.
Although there are big differences among the dialects, dialects and sub-dialects, there are similarities in grammatical structure, basic vocabulary and phonetics, and there is no greater obstacle to communication among the middle-aged and young people of this ethnic group.
In addition, most of the Yi people have been bilingual (e.g., Yi-Chinese, Yi-White, Yi-Hani ......) and multilingual since ancient times. This huge variety of minority languages constitutes an extremely marvelous and special Yi language family.
The Yi people have their own national script, the history of the ancient Yi language called "toms writing", "Bo Wen", "Yi Wen", "Bimo Wen", etc.. "
The first time I saw the Chinese language, it was in the middle of the night.
In 1975, the development of the Sichuan "Yi standardized pilot program" identified 819 standardized characters.
Torchlight Festival
Yi Traditional Sports
Wrestling: Wrestling is one of the most important and common sports among all the traditional sports of the Yi. Especially during the Torch Festival, Spring Festival and the Year of the Yi, wrestling is an indispensable element.
In the past, in the area of Mile and Lunan in the east of Yunnan Province, the day of the sacrifice of "Mi Zhi God" (the god in charge of livestock in the legend) was the golden season of wrestling.
The day of the sacrifice, by the village of Bimo (specializing in serving the host of the ritual activities) and the elders lead, people followed by long poles carrying "hanging red" with the red cloth into the field, around the field for a week, and then burned incense to worship, and finally the young people around the hanging red dance in honor of God.
Until the end of the ceremony, it began to wrestle, lion dance and bullfighting and other cultural and sports activities.
Before the wrestling match, the first referee to make a short ceremony, the end of the ceremony, the players to take off their shirts, shorts, squatting at the edge of the field, meaning to the referee to request the start.
The referee then enthusiastically greeted the front, the players picked up, around the field, and shouted in Yi language: "Warriors, come on! Don't miss this great opportunity ......"
After that, one by one, the challengers came out successively.
The referee, based on his experience and eyesight, determined the weight and age of the contestants, and led the other into the arena, and then a fierce wrestling match scene began. Depending on the number of participants, several pairs or even dozens of pairs of wrestling matches can take place at the same time.
Yi wrestling is not divided into weight classes and there is no time limit. Generally, the first to enter are young novices, and after the end of the two-person match, the loser voluntarily withdraws, and the winner stays and fights again.
The basic way of Yi wrestling is to wrestle from a standing position to a cyclic style of kneeling and supporting. The main movements are grabbing each other's belts, holding a single leg, crossing the back, clamping the arms over, and wearing the legs. The process of wrestling, so that the other side of the shoulders on the ground for the win.
This rule is very similar to the international freestyle wrestling, as long as a little training players, you can participate in international competitions.
A wrestling match usually consists of three rounds, with the winner of two rounds and a tiebreaker when both wrestlers fall to the ground together. If all three rounds are tied, the match is considered a draw. Those who win more than two consecutive matches will win the prize.
Yi wrestling has cultivated many talents for the country, and many of them have won awards in various competitions at home and abroad.
Long Wencai, the famous Yi wrestler known as "Yunnan leg-holding", has defeated many famous generals with his leg-holding moves, and has won the 73kg freestyle wrestling national championship.
Injury: The bow is an ancient, indispensable weapon for self-defense and hunting tool in the life of the Yi people. Crossbow shape like a bow, is made of hard rock mulberry tree or pear tree. Shooting a crossbow is like shooting a bow horizontally, as long as you pull the trigger, the arrow will fly out of the arrow slot in the crossbow bed, the range is farther.
As the Yi people live in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas, the forest is often infested with wild animals, so the men go out, the bow is never away from the body. As a sport, the competition in the traditional festivals is to determine who shoots far and accurately as the winner.
Fire Rope: Widely spread in Sichuan Liangshan Yi folk, mostly held on festivals or happy days, is a mass sports program unique to the Yi folk.
The fire rope jumping is mainly for male and female youths, and the fire rope used is twisted with thin rattan canes, the length of which varies from person to person. Before the competition, the rope is doused with pine oil, tung oil, or tied to a good kerosene-soaked cloth.
Generally choose a piece of flat dam, the two ends of the flat dam on the starting point and the end of the line for the race site. The distance of the race is not strictly required and regulated, generally between 30 and 50 meters.
Competitors should be prepared in advance at the starting point, to be an order, the first thing is to ignite the fire rope, and then like a single rope skipping flinging the fire rope jumping forward.
The fire rope jumping competition, to reach the end of the first for the win, in addition to the single jump, there are also collective jump.
During the competition, you can only jump rope forward, such as running with the fire rope in the middle of the race, it is considered a foul. As this competition is burning fire rope race, generally more selected at night. So the scene is very spectacular.
Horse Racing: Horse racing is a traditional sports activity of the Yi people, usually held during the New Year's Eve or large-scale ceremonial activities. The race track is an oval track with a circumference of about three to four hundred meters. During the race, all the horses and riders need to be well dressed.
The riders are dressed up, the horses are saddled with colorful saddles, and bridles are fitted with gold and silver jewels.
The race is the fastest and the first to cross the finish line is the winner. In addition to horse racing, there are also horseback hurdles and fire rings, and the victor's horse is given added status.
Sanding autumn: also known as "grinding tandem autumn", because this activity is very much like pushing the mill-like rotation, so it is named. It is widely spread in the Yi folk in Dafang County, Guizhou Province, especially the four Yi girls in the local Baina Yi Township, who are the most representative of the Yi people.
The "mill fall" is similar to the Han turn pressure plate. Choose a diameter of 50 centimeters, 1 meter high, the top of a slightly smaller wooden column, take a cross wood of the same diameter 6 meters long, the middle of a round hole.
Each end sits on one or two people of equal weight. Landing on one side of the foot stirrups the ground, so that the wood rotation, and then do a roll, roll, ride the pole and other actions, both beautiful and thrilling.
Among the more difficult roll on the body, ride the pole back to return, roll, etc., is the Yi young man's specialty. In addition, sanding fall or Kunming, Chuxiong Yi youth around a way to choose a spouse, sanding fall men and women each pressure a head, rotating each other to please each other, winning each other's goodwill, will continue to deal with the folk many young men and women is through this way to tie the knot.
Sanding is also practiced among other ethnic groups, but the name is different.
The gunpowder gun: also known as the gunpowder gun, shaped like a rifle, but slightly longer, with gunpowder ignition, homemade lead pellets, the sound of firing like a cannon.
In the Yi and some ethnic minorities have it as the main weapon for hunting. In addition to hunting, in the Yi traditional festivals, copper gun shooting competition, and ultimately determine who is the fastest and most accurate.
Climbing oil poles: Muding County, Chuxiong Prefecture, "March will" held on a traditional sports activities. "March will", the time for the annual lunar calendar March 28, in the county seat **** and the town held a grand rally, which lasted three days.
In the lively venue, each time to carry out the traditional climbing oil pole race. Before the race, first erected a towering skinned and very smooth wooden pole in the center of the venue, the top of the pole fluttering with colorful ribbons, and hung on the pole oil bags, asked to participate in the pole climbing race bare arms and bare feet of young people to climb the pole need to bypass the pole on the oil bags, a breath of air climbed to the top of the pole for the win.
Of course, if you accidentally break the oil bag, then the oil will flow all over the pole all over the body, to win that would be difficult.
(Jingpo, Li and other people also have this sport, the method is similar)
Squatting bucket: the Yi language is called "Hu Bu Ji Zai", which means cock fighting. After labor, men often squatting fight competition. The two sides are one or two people. All take a squatting style, two hands palm and chest, was a semi-squatting state, each other with the left shoulder into the right shoulder, or the right shoulder into the left shoulder, not allowed to push the hand; collision to make each other's hands, buttocks first landed for the win. Another method of competition is squatting around the circle or walk "zigzag" shape, the number of participants is not limited to adhere to the longest time to win.
Dancing bells: traditional Yi cultural and sports activities. It is popular in Liupanshui, Guizhou, where the Yi people live. Every year on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, "cut fire grass festival" held. It is said to have a history of more than 300 years. Dance several young people holding five colorful silk tied even the copper bells in each hand, two feet ankles each hanging a string (ten) small bells block, dance while jumping, fast-paced, coordinated action. Jump to the climax, every two people stacked up "Luohan", or for a variety of difficult actions, such as: "back flip shaking bells", "bow lying bucket" and so on. The judges will decide the winner based on the difficulty of the skill.
Catch the old cow: popular in Kunming, Yunnan Fumin area, also known as "catch the old cow". ""Generally in the dirt field. Site area of about 12 meters long and wide can be. Earth field in the middle of a 30 cm diameter, 10 cm deep nest, the edge of the field and then dug a number of nests, equal distance, the number of nests according to the number of participants, each nest 1 person.
The "old bull" is a wooden lump 5 centimeters in diameter and 12 centimeters long. The people on the field each holding a 120-centimeter-long wooden stick to drive the "old cow". The game is divided into offensive and defensive sides, to the middle of the field as the boundary of the nest, the number of attacking and defending sides are equal, the middle of the field next to the nest set up a defense, the game began, the defensive side began to drive the "old cow" in front of the offensive players began to scramble, and actively cooperate. If one side drives the "old cow" into any one of the other side's nest first, it wins the game. If one side of the attack, their own defense of the nest was seized by the other side will be counted as a loss.
Driving the old cow competition, the loser should be punished, the nest was seized or "old cow" was driven to the nest of people to sing a song, or dance, and then continue.
(There are also cockfighting, bullfighting, rock climbing and bow jumping.)
Cockfighting
Bullfighting
Yi Traditional Music and Dance
Music Songs of the Yi ethnic group include: historical poems, love songs, joyful songs, and customary songs - within which there are joyful wine songs, soul-calling songs, songs to send ghosts, witches tunes, and other tunes; in terms of the name, the songs are Russian, Ya, Zuo, and Ger, etc. "Russian" is the name of a mountain song. "Russia" is the meaning of singing, can be sung on various occasions, the atmosphere is more relaxed and casual; "Ya" is a kind of solo mountain song, the singers are generally young men and women, mostly touching the feelings; "left" is a wedding song, the wedding song is a kind of wedding song. " is a wedding song, in the wedding night, by the host and guest of each side of the two singers dance and sing; "G" is a memorial to the dead or ancestor worship activities sung in chorus, a person leading the singing, the crowd to learn to sing, the lyrics by the leader of the improvisation; "Bi" refers to the Yi ethnic group. Bi" refers to the songs sung by Yi Bimo during religious activities, which we call religious music to differentiate it from "Rus". The music includes singing and dancing music, mouth-string music and leaf-blowing music, each of which has many tunes. In addition, there are a variety of musical instruments: the moon zither is one of the favorite instruments of the Yi people, with two strings and strong artistic expression; the mouth string is a reed made of bamboo or copper shaped like a bamboo leaf, with a reed tongue in the middle, which regulates the tone by controlling the breathing; the "Mabu" is one of the unique musical instruments of the Yi people, whose blowing is characterized by the use of nostrils to inhale and make the puffing of the cheeks in a continuous stream. Mabu" is one of the unique instruments of the Yi people, and its blowing is characterized by the use of nostrils to inhale, so that the gills continuously send gas, which can be imitated as a baby crying, birds singing; gourd sheng and suona, mostly used to play Yi folk songs and tunes.
Yi Dance
Dance and song are an important part of the life of the Yi people, and their forms are colorful, most of them imitating the movements of production and labor. Ancient dances include "Cockfighting" and "Sheepfighting" which simulate animal images, "Hairpin Jumping" and "Knife Dance" which symbolize war, and "Harvest Dance" which celebrate the harvest. "and the "Big Drum Dance" to celebrate a good harvest. The "Three-step String Dance", also known as the "Smoke Box Dance" and the "Jumping String Dance", is a dance with more than 100 sets of movements. The Honey Dance is a performance of people digging in the ground when they suddenly encountered a bee attack; Lusheng Solo Dance is a kind of action on the spot to play their own dance; "pot Zhuang" dance is because the dance of the people in the team surrounded by the pot Zhuang shape and so named.
A fine jumping moon: a Yi collective dance, divided into youth dance and elderly dance two kinds. Elderly dance slowly and easily, with the rhythm of the flute, the man played the small three-stringed, moon zither, pulling up the erhu dance, the woman is the hands on the waist to dance and then rotate the legs, and then circle jumping, and then relative to the dance. Youth dance is fast-paced, male and female youth each into a line, dancing toward each other. The Central Committee of the Youth League has A fine moon dance as a youth group dance to the youth of all ethnic groups across the country to recommend the popularity, but also once in the third World Youth Festival performance, now A fine moon dance has become the traditional program of our country and the world of young people's social dance.
A fine jumping moon: circulated in Yunnan Province, Mile, Lunan Yi folk, is a form of dance singing, simple tunes easy to sing, more for festivals, gatherings, places of joy.
Yueqin tune: circulating in Sichuan Province, Liang Yi folk, originally a Yueqin song, tune is light, bright, can be sung and danced, are familiar with the Yi music.
Dance:
Beat Jump: "Beat Jump" Yi called "ancient cane", widely circulated in the Yi folk around the world is a kind of self-entertainment dance, each region "Beat Jump" style varies. The style of "beat jump" is different, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Dayao County, "beat jump" is more rugged, thick. There is also a difference in the name of the dance, which is also called "playing songs", "jumping songs", "stacking feet dance" and "stacking left feet", "Left Foot Dance", "Three Stomping Feet", "Lusheng Dance", "A Chui Le" and so on.
Dance and Lantern Opera: It is circulated in the area of Mengzi County, Yunnan Province. It is a new type of dance evolved from the fusion of Yi dance and local lanterns.
Smoke box dance: Yi folk song and dance in southern Yunnan, spread in more than ten counties and cities in southern Yunnan, *** more than two hundred kinds of routines, jumping method. This Yi folk dance covers a wide range of both primitive primary "three-step string", "one and a half steps", "two and a half steps", but also have the skills of "monkey wrenching bao gu", "monkey wrenching bao gu", "monkey wrenching bao gu", "monkey wrenching bao gu", "monkey wrenching bao gu". Monkey pulling the bunya", "upside down golden hook", "immortal bridge"; there are lyrical and emotional "stepping on the grain seed", "Dali string", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge", "Dali bridge" and so on. Dali Strings", "Big and Small Turning Over"; storyline "Mute Playing Straw Shoes", "Pigeon Ferrying", "Whisking Rice Cockles". The first is the "Dance of the Year".
In addition, there are some routines have dance sketches and almost small dance drama factors.
Various ceremonial songs and dances: The Yi people are very hospitable and have a long history of ceremonial drinking, singing and dancing to honor their guests.
As early as in the Nanzhao period, there are a variety of court banquets and specializing in ceremonial activities for more than ten kinds of songs and dances. Nowadays, most of the Yi settlements in western Yunnan are still widely circulating a more complete "tray dance", "jumping vegetables" and other traditional songs and dances dedicated to hospitality and honoring guests.
Other Yi regions have also passed down the "wine ritual dance" and some similar traditional programs.
Yi Lacquerware:
Yi lacquerware is the most distinctive handicrafts of the Yi people. There are three kinds of lacquerware, namely, wooden lacquerware, leather lacquerware and cow horn lacquerware, which are mostly used to make cutlery, drinking utensils, horse harnesses, weapons and furniture, etc.
Yi lacquerware is the most distinctive handicraft of the Yi people.
The colors of Yi lacquer ware are mainly red, yellow and black. The Yi people use red to symbolize bravery, warmth and good fortune, black to represent nobility, solemnity and dignity, and yellow to represent beauty, brightness and wealth.
Yi lacquer ware is ingenious in design, fine in production, simple in shape and bright in color, which fully expresses the aesthetic taste of the Yi people.
Yi men and women wear earrings, rings and bracelets. Men like to wear big red and yellow ear beads decorated with silk spikes in their left ear; women wear double ears, and wear openwork silver plaques on their collars.
The Yi people treat their guests with wine", "no wine is not respect, no wine is not a gift." The Yi people drink wine regardless of location and acquaintances, everyone sits on the ground in a circle and takes turns to drink with the wine cups, which is called the custom of drinking "revolving wine".
The Yi people are very sincere to people. Whenever they are guests in the Yi family, the hosts have to bring out the wine, talk with the guests while persuading them to drink, and say to the guests, "There is no road on the ground that can't be traveled, and there is no wrong wine to drink in the Yi family." Until the guest is drunk, he will no longer be persuaded.
Traditional Festivals of the Yi People
Torch Festival: Widely spread throughout the Yi folk, many other brother ethnic groups also have torch festivals; but the time and content are different. The Yi torch festival originated from a legend, the purpose is to drive away pests and protect crops. It is usually held in the month of Tiger in the Yi calendar (late July in the Gregorian calendar). During the Torch Festival, the Yi people from all villages and hamlets light torches and go around the fields to drive away the pests.
The Torch Festival lasts for three days and three nights, and is accompanied by a variety of cultural and sports activities, including wrestling, horse racing, bullfighting, and a variety of songs and dances. It is the biggest festival of the year for the Yi people everywhere.
Yi year: spread in Sichuan Liangshan and other places of the Yi folk, time is not fixed, not uniform, generally held in the first half of the tenth lunar month. The purpose is to celebrate the harvest, offer sacrifices to ancestors, and pray for a hundred grains and six animals to prosper.
If the next year to get a good harvest, this day as a good day, otherwise choose another auspicious day. Yi year in addition to rituals, but also to carry out a variety of large-scale sports and cultural activities, including wrestling, squatting bucket horse racing, turn mill fall essential.
Dragon festival: handed down in Yunnan Shiping Yi folk festival, held every year after the Spring Festival, the first horse day. The festival is generally chosen as a place to sacrifice the dragon under a big tree in the sky. The villages were held separately to sacrifice the dragon ceremony, but also a few villages together, the past sacrifice is not allowed to women to participate in the sacrifice, after the sacrifice, to carry out a variety of cultural and sports activities.