Miao Nationality's Naked Sacrifice to Shennong

Miao people are descendants of Chiyou.

It is extremely unusual for Miao people to sacrifice to Shennong.

"Shan Hai Jing Huang Da Bei Jing" records that "someone dressed in Tsing Yi was named Huangdi Nuwa. Chiyou fought against the Yellow Emperor, who made Ying Long attack the wild land of Jizhou. Ying Long livestock water, Chiyou please Fengbo rain division, longitudinal wind and rain. Emperor Huangdi said that when the rain stopped, he killed Chiyou. I can't go back, and it doesn't rain. "

Sima Qian's "Historical Records of the Five Emperors" records: "Chiyou had no emperor's orders to make an insurrection, and the Yellow Emperor recruited princes to fight against Chiyou in the land of Zhuolu."

Whether in ancient books or among the people, the struggle between two deer is described very clearly. Yanhuang Tribe vs Chiyou Jiuli Tribe. In the myth, besides human beings, Ying Long, Fengbo, Rain God and Goddess of Heaven all took part in the war and fought fiercely between heaven and earth. After Chiyou was defeated and killed, the tribe split.

However, in Xiangxi, there is a kind of pot that rushes to the Miao nationality township, but sacrifices to Shen Nong, the "enemy" of Chiyou, which is called "Huanzhai Festival".

The Miao people here have been passed down from mouth to mouth. In ancient times, the Miao people were miserable and could not survive.

It happened that Shennong Yun swam here and saw the Miao people suffering from natural disasters. There were hungry people everywhere, and they were born with compassion and stayed. Shennong taught Miao people how to plant crops in dry season and brought drought-tolerant millet seeds. In this way, even if the scenic spot is still dry, it has gained a lot and passed the famine year safely.

Therefore, the Miao people designated 1 October1day as "Lent" to offer sacrifices to Shennong and thank him for his kindness in saving the Miao family.

Lent is also celebrated every year. At dawn, families begin to offer sacrifices. There is a bucket of rice and a liter of white rice in the hall, all of which are fragrant. Sacrifices of three animals (pigs, cows and sheep) are placed on the shrine, incense is lit, candles are lit and firecrackers are set off.

There is a custom in the sacrifice, which is extremely interesting. Every Miao family should send a lean man, naked, kneeling in front of the shrine to pray: "The king offers sacrifices to saints and sages, and is sincere and kind." I hope that the Saturnalia can learn from it and go to the farmhouse to enjoy it in person. I will always protect Li's people, with a bumper harvest every year and peace in all seasons. "

Such sacrifices should be presided over by men, and women are not allowed to peek. After the men have finished their sacrifices and set off firecrackers, women can get up and do housework.

The reason is that the Miao old man Yun, when Shennong came, only wore bark and leaves, and other places were naked, and women were forbidden to look at them. In this way, Miao men should be naked, so as not to make Shennong Yuanshen suspicious when he sees them.

When firecrackers are heard in every household and village, Miao people will go out to celebrate festivals with each other. If a surname is sacrificed collectively, the owner will gut the three slaughtered animals and hold a banquet to entertain relatives and friends. ...

PS: This story can't be found in Miao ancient songs, and it is extremely rare in other Miao areas. It is difficult to explain in detail the folk custom of sacrificing ancestors.

It is speculated that in ancient times, there was a drought in Miao township, and it happened that a ragged Han Chinese lived here, and it happened that the Han Chinese knew the planting techniques of drought-tolerant crops in the north, and they also happened to bring some millet seeds.

Seeing that Miao people suffer from growing rice without water, Han people stayed and taught them to grow millet. But when Miao people ask their names, Han people call themselves Shennong when they think of Yan Di Shennong, comforting themselves ... Year after year, Miao people simply offer sacrifices to Shennong, and there is a Lent Festival.

As for going to Zhai naked, it may be that when Han people came to Miao township, their clothes were worn out and they were ashamed to meet people, especially Miao girls, so they had the custom of offering naked sacrifices to Miao men.

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The ancient style is still there, and the text carries the Tao.