The role of sheep in folk customs

The role of sheep in folk customs

Sheep is one of the six animals. As early as the matrilineal clan commune period, the primitive residents living in the grassland areas of northern my country have begun to choose the lush riverside and lake areas for herding and hunting. Xu Shen in the Han Dynasty explained the meaning of the word: "beauty, sweet. From the sheep to the big. The sheep is fed by the six owners." Qu Dajun followed Xu Shen's model in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty, and said in "Guangdong Xinyu": "Southeast young sheep If there are more fish, there are people in the border sea who don’t know the taste of sheep, and in the northwest there are more sheep but less fish, so the people of them.

"Sheep" and "Xiang" pass holiday. The Western Han Dynasty scholar Dong Zhongshu has said: "Sheep is auspicious, so auspicious ceremony is used." "Han Shu·Nan Yue Zhi" record: "At the time of Wei Tuo, there were five-colored sheep, thinking of Rui." Guangzhou is known as the city of Yang, originated from a beautiful legend. : In the reign of Zhou Yi, five immortals came to Chuting (an ancient name in Guangzhou) riding five sheep with six grain ears in their mouths, and gifted grain ears to people, wishing there would never be famine. The immortal said Bi hidden away, and the sheep turned into stone. "Guangzhou Ji" records: "During the Warring States period, Gao Gu was the prime minister of Chu, and the five sheep carried the ears of grain in the Chu court. Therefore, the five sheep were painted on the halls and beams in Guangzhou, and they were also used as grain sacs." Nowadays, Yuexiu Mountain, Guangzhou City There is the Book of Five Rams in the park, on which stands an 11-meter-high five-star stone sculpture, which has become a famous sculpture of the city at home and abroad.

Kazakh, Mongolian, Tajik and other ethnic groups are popular in the "Kick the Sheep" game. On a festive day, people put a sheep several hundred meters away, and the riders divided into teams to rush to grab. There was also a young man who rushed out of the horse team with a sheep in his hand. The people behind followed closely. Some of them cooperated to compete for the sheep, while others protected the sheep. The one who grabbed the sheep to the end was the victory. The victorious person cooked the sheep on the spot. Then everyone enjoy it together.

In the old days, the Han folk had the custom of "sending sheep", which was popular in southern Hebei. Every year in June or July of the lunar calendar, grandfathers and uncles send sheep to their little nephew. Originally, they sent sheep to live, but later they sent sheep to flour. Legend has it that this custom is related to the agarwood splitting the mountain to save the mother. After Agarwood split Huashan to save her mother, he wanted to kill Yang Erlang, his uncle who had abused his mother. Yang Erlang gave Agarwood a pair of live sheep every year (a sheep and Yang homophonic) every year for the sake of rebuilding his brothers and sisters, thus leaving behind the custom of sending sheep. . In addition, the folks regard the sixth and ninth day of each month as the sheep day, and Tibetans in Qinghai prohibit sheep catching on this day. There is a proverb in Shandong, Hubei, and Jiangxi: "June 6th is overcast, and cattle and sheep are as precious as gold." They also think that people who belong to horse , dog, and rat should avoid sheep day, and those who belong to sheep should avoid rat, cow, horse, and dog days.

The Xibe people have a marriage custom of "grabbing sheep bones", which is popular in Xinjiang today. After the wedding, the bride and groom put a piece of lamb thigh bone on the edge of the kang of the bride and bridegroom. The sisters and brothers gathered in the new house. The mother and mother put two wine glasses tied with red lines on the plate, and the mother and mother quickly put the two wine glasses. Switching back and forth, so that the two newcomers can't tell which is water and which is wine, and then let them choose a drink, the one who drinks the wine is good, and then they have to drink three glasses in a row. After that, the brothers and sisters of both sides began to grab the bones of sheep. The man’s family robbed the bones of sheep and believed that the bride was diligent and capable, able to raise his wife, and the family was happy and happy; when the family of the woman robbed the bones of sheep, they believed that the bride would take care of the family and would not be affectionate, and the family would be harmonious and prosperous. ( Chinese Zodiac http:///shengxiao/)

The communicative custom of "sheep's head respecting guests" is popularized in Xinjiang Kazakh. New friends arrive, slaughter the sheep to entertain. When eating a plate, first serve the cooked lamb's head with the lamb's face facing the guest. Then the host invites the guest to cut the lamb ribs and offer it to the sitting elder, and then cut a piece of lamb ears to the young ones present, and then cut a piece at will He then returned the sheep's head dish to the owner. In addition, whole sheep is a traditional delicacy of Mongolian, Kazakh, Kirgiz, Tajik and other ethnic groups. When serving, put a large piece of mutton into a tray and lay it out as a whole sheep arm.