Chronicle of Chinese Dance (Jiangxi Volume)

Author: Editorial Committee of "The Folk Dance Chronicle of China"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features: [Nanfeng Nuo Dance] "Nuo" is an ancient ritual that was once widely practiced for the purpose of "driving away ghosts and expelling plagues." The dances performed during this ritual are collectively known as "Nuo Dance," characterized by wearing wooden-carved masks and holding props (especially various weapons) to depict legendary or historical figures. According to the "Record of Village Nuo" in the Qing Tongzhi edition of the Jinsha Yu Family Genealogy, the author Fu Dahuai introduces in the text: "I once studied the old editions of the county annals of Song Dynasty, which recorded that General Wu Rui of the Han Dynasty, who was enfeoffed as the King of Junshan, often accompanied Chen Ping in suppressing bandits and stationed at Junshan. He told the people of Feng, 'This place will not be free from warfare in the next few decades, as the Jun Peak stands tall, where evil spirits gather. All the villagers in this mountainous area must follow the system of Zhou Gong and pass down Nuo to pacify the demons.'" Wu Rui was from Yuqian, Jiangxi. During the time when Xiang Yu enfeoffed the vassal kings, he was granted the title of King of Hengshan. After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, changed his title to King of Changsha. Records of his military deployment to Junshan in Nanfeng are found in the Ming Zhengde edition of the Jianchang Prefecture Gazetteer (in the section on rituals) and the Qing Qianlong edition of the Nanfeng County Gazetteer (in the sections on mountains and rivers and military affairs). The "Record of Stone Chamber" further clarifies that Wu Rui, while stationed at Junshan, once sent his general Mei Guo to set up an altar on the mountain and beat drums loudly to "overcome" the evil spirits. Therefore, the Nuo Dance "has more Nuo performances in the western area than in other places, dating back to the Han Dynasty." Wu Rui died in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (202 BC), and his time stationed at Junshan should have been between the first and fifth years of Emperor Gaozu (206–202 BC). This shows that as early as 2,200 years ago, Wu Rui held Nuo performances for expelling evil spirits and plagues at Junshan in Nanfeng and performed Nuo for the villagers. When did the Nuo Dance begin in Nanfeng? The "Record of Village Nuo" states: "The Yu family has passed down the Nuo deity for generations. Every spring and autumn, the old and young gather to play, and its origins are very old. I asked why, and they said, 'This tradition dates back to our ancestors Yao Gong, who was the governor of Hengzhou Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty and moved from Sichuan's Emei Mountain. He received the teachings of the Divine Lord of the Clear Origin and Miraculous Way and has practiced them for millennia without change.'" Ganfang Village, twelve li away from Jinsha, acknowledges that its Nuo was introduced from Jinsha and preserves a hand-copied Nuo ritual and colorful terms for inviting and sacrificing Nuo, which includes a list of the () of the Nuo deity for generations, totaling twenty-four people. The first three belonged to the Zou family, while the next twenty-one belonged to the Gan family. According to the village's genealogy, the Gan family moved from Jinma Lane in the county town to this area in the first year of Emperor Taizu of Song (963), and before their arrival, the place was called Zoufang. Therefore, the Nuo in this village should have originated as early as the late Tang Dynasty during the reigns of Emperor Yizong and Emperor Xizong (859–888). The "Jiangxi Poetry Collection" (Volume 24) includes a poem titled "Watching Nuo" by Liu Tang, a native of Nanfeng, who was born in the twelfth year of the Jiading era of Emperor Ningzong of Song (1219) and whose death year is unknown. His nephew Liu Xun (1240–1319), who is introduced in the Ming Zhengde edition of the Jianchang Prefecture Gazetteer (in the section on scholars) and the "Great Dictionary of Chinese Literary Figures," mentions in the "Record of Seclusion and Communication·Ritual of the Lingxing Gate" that his uncle Qiu Lu (Liu Tang's courtesy name) was still healthy at the age of eighty-seven and lived a reclusive life. This shows that Liu Tang was a learned and talented recluse. This poem "Watching Nuo" has twenty-four lines:
Cold clouds hang low, the sky is overcast with gloom,
Red curtains deep in the hall where candlelight flickers.
Drumbeats deep, flute sounds crisp,
Ghosts and gods transform in a dramatic play.
Golden streams and jade drips begin to flow,
Suddenly, it seems no longer on earth.
The devil with a wild head and iron-blossomed bones,
Red-faced and blue-skinned, eyes blazing like fire.
Ghosts and demons in puppet-like masks,
Goats and pigs stand side by side, making strange noises.
A girl in red robes fans herself with a banana leaf,
An old man with a green sash holds a reed sword.
Flexing muscles, kicking, arms broad,
Open mouth, tongue out, lips dry.
Shaking heads, looking around, jumping far and wide,
Bending bodies, in myriad poses.
A scholar in green robes dances, suddenly hesitating,
Colorful clouds part, flags flutter.
A golden tablet alone sits on the table,
Horsehairs and ox horns drape the judges.
Fate is not in heaven, but in their own hands,
Bracing their wills, they subdue the small devils.
Roaring in sorrow, the great devil cries,
A white-faced messenger with a bamboo spear boasts of capturing all.
A bull-horned cap, a scroll to inspect,
A tiger's armor, a shield on the shoulder, eyes gleaming.
Five directions, teams in chaos,
What old woman is still smoldering?
A scholar from Zhongnan breaks doubts,
Drunk, unaware of the devils watching.
Eyes wide open, hair bristling, dancing wildly,
All demons subdued, what then?
With disheveled hair, flying a spell,
Wind sweeps clouds, drums fade.
Late at night, all sit in sorrow,
Hosts bid farewell, guests weep.
Returning home, sitting in deep silence,
Eagles and foxes still in sight.
Singing the songs of Chu, large and small,
Sitting long, souls drift freely.
Yu the Great is not dead in the mountains of Kuaiji,
Casting bronze drums, resting the earth like this.
I hear that ghosts deceive by borrowing human forms,
Humans deceive by borrowing ghostly forms.
Tomorrow, in fine attire, faces changed,
By day, in bustling streets, no longer human.
This poem shows that as early as 700 years ago in the Southern Song Dynasty, Liu Tang had already watched Nuo performances in his hometown of Nanfeng. At that time, the Nuo Dance not only featured various characters (devils, goats-faced ghosts, pigs-faced ghosts, girls in red robes, old men with green sashes, Yama, ox-faced and horse-faced judges, small devils, old women, Zhongnan scholars—Zhong Kui, etc.), but also included singing and speaking ("Fate is not in heaven," "Boasting of capturing all," "Goats and pigs making strange noises," "Roaring in sorrow"), accompanied by music primarily featuring drums and flutes ("Drumbeats deep, flute sounds crisp," "Wind sweeps clouds, drums fade"). It was a complete Nuo play, indicating that the Nuo Dance in Nanfeng had already reached a considerable scale at that time.
Due to differences in the history of Nuo performances, program content, performance style, and purposes across various regions, the Nuo Dance in Nanfeng has developed its own characteristics. Overall, it can be broadly divided into two major categories: (1) Old Nuo and (2) New Nuo.
### (1) Old Nuo
Old Nuo, also known as Literary Nuo, generally has a long history, with most performances drawing from myths and legends. The style is rustic and vigorous, with a solemn and respectful atmosphere. The original purpose of performing Nuo was to entertain the gods, though over time, it has gradually shifted to entertaining people while retaining its historical traces of expelling plagues and ghosts. The following are some representative Nuo troupes:
1. Shiyao Nuo
Shiyao Nuo was established in the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1426–1435) and has been performed for over 500 years. The Nuo troupe consists of eight performers and thirteen masks, performing eight programs in sequence:
- "Opening the Mountain" (Solo dance)
Reflects the mythological story of the primordial chaos and Pan Gu's creation of the world. The performer wears a red headscarf, a long wooden mask of the mountain-opening deity, light yellow cloth, yellow sleeve covers, red pants, colorful waistband, red belt, black shoes, and protective knee pads. Holding an axe in the right hand and forming a "sacred fire gesture" with the left, the dance features dynamic, rhythmic movements that are rough yet powerful. The performer chops and blocks, jumps and advances, embodying the fearless spirit of Pan Gu from ancient Chinese mythology. The Jiangxi Song and Dance Troupe adapted the Nuo dance material and the meaning of "Opening the Mountain" into a male solo dance titled "Creating the Universe," incorporating difficult techniques. It won the first prize for creative dance in the East China Six Provinces and One City Dance Competition in 1982, with the performer Shen Ying winning the first prize for performance.
- "Paper Money" (Solo dance)
The only traditional solo dance unique to Shiyao Village. There are two legends about the role in "Paper Money." One says the role represents Yin Zhou's crown prince Yin Jiao, while the other suggests it represents Nuwa, based on the dance's use of red ropes and yellow paper as props and its traditional order following "Opening the Mountain" (quoting from "Taiping Imperial Compendium," "Nuwa kneaded yellow clay to make people, but lacking strength, she used red ropes to draw figures in the mud"). The dance style is archaic and vigorous, giving a mysterious, ghostly impression. Arm movements should convey inner strength, such as the "pushing and rebounding" action (straightening and bending the elbow) and the "sacred fire gesture" (extending and retracting the middle and ring fingers), while also creating a rebounding force to quickly return the arm and fingers to their original positions. The performer wears a paper money mask and clothing similar to the mountain-opening deity, but with black sleeve covers.
- "Lei Gong" (Solo dance)
A traditional solo dance depicting the thunder god riding the universe, farming clouds and rain, and blessing the people. The performer wears a black mask with a phoenix beak, holding a chisel, and moves with vigorous, rhythmic movements in the sound of drums and gongs. The dance is spirited, with a clear rhythm and strong, masculine beauty, evoking the feeling of lightning and thunder and the god's boundless power.
- "Nuo Gong and Nuo Po" (Pair dance)
Nanfeng has a saying: "An eighty-year-old man has a son, raising a son who becomes the King of Changsha, if the old man has a son himself, the million households of Changsha will laugh." The dance reflects the working people's strong desire for a happy and auspicious life, portraying the joy of an elderly couple in their later years of having a child and entertaining it, filled with family love. The movements are archaic, delicate, and humorous. Nuo Gong wears a long gown, while Nuo Po wears white-and-red casual clothes, red pants, and a red belt. Both masks have upturned corners of the mouth, appearing smiling.
- "Zhong Kui Drunk" (Solo dance)
The black-faced, long-bearded Zhong Kui, holding a wine, drinks wildly, falls asleep, and is sometimes robbed by two small devils of his sword and wine. The dance portrays Zhong Kui's unrestrained nature and the cleverness of the small devils. It was performed in the Second National Folk Music and Dance Competition in 1953.
- "Jumping on a Bench" (Solo dance)
The same characters as "Zhong Kui Drunk," depicting Zhong Kui and the small devils dancing swords and drinking wine after he wakes up.
- "Double Bo Lang" (Pair dance)
A program unique to the Shiyao Nuo troupe. The Nanfeng dialect calls them "Double Bo Lang," meaning two brothers, though their real names are unknown. The legends suggest they are Nezha and Yang Jian or Li Bing and his son, disguised as they sacrificed their weapons before going into battle to subdue dragons. The dance portrays two generals praying to the gods for victory before their battle.
- "Guan Gong" (Solo dance)
The character wears a red-faced, black-bearded mask. It is said to depict Guan Gong sharpening his sword, but some say it is Huang Feihu or Wu Rui, the Han general who named Junfeng Mountain, portraying his mood of sharpening his sword and performing a sacrifice when stationed at Junfeng. The accompanying instruments are a single-faced drum shaped like a scoop and a low-tone gong, both struck with curved bamboo strips, identical to the instruments mentioned in "Music Bureau·Driving Away Ghosts."
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