In fact, this kind of situation where two teams collided on the street during the Chinese New Year also happened from time to time in the Northeast.
It's just that in the Northeast, it's not a wandering god, but a Yangko dance.
Because in the past, during the Chinese New Year in Northeast China, Yangko dancing was an essential celebration, especially in rural areas, where there were many people dancing.
Two Yangko dancing teams collided, and a dance battle was about to begin.
In fact, it can’t be called a dance fight. It’s mainly two groups of people getting together to have fun, especially if there are a few leaders on both sides. Those who can perform the Yangko dance beautifully and are particularly flirtatious will inevitably have to fight for a while. Comparing who is more joyful, competing who is more promiscuous.
So here in Fujian, what will happen if the two teams of wandering gods collide?
I'm very curious.
So we continued to follow the crowd to watch the excitement, and saw two teams getting closer and closer, and both sides were dressed like gods, some in strange clothes, and some were shirtless.
Soon, the two teams finally faced each other, and then stopped. The two groups began to gesture at each other, as if they were singing a show.
We don't know what they are gesticulating about. Regardless of what they say about taking action, I am fairly well-versed, but when I get here, it's almost like a black eye.
But I guess this is similar to Yangko dance, where two groups get together to have fun?
So I asked the senior brother what the two groups were going to do next. Should they go their separate ways after the gesture, or what should they do?
The senior brother shook his head and said that you guessed wrong. There are officers and generals on both sides of the team. They are exorcist generals. Since they are facing each other, one group must give way.
I didn't understand the officers and generals he was talking about at all, but Uncle Ma next to me gave us a brief explanation.
He said that this official general, also known as the second general of Zeng and Loss, is the collective name of the green-faced general who lost and the red-faced general who increased.
Increasing the general will increase blessings and longevity for good people, while losing the general will reduce the negative virtues of evil people.
According to legend, these two generals were originally demons that harmed the human world and were invincible to all ghosts in the underworld. Later, they were awed by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Dharma and became Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Dharma protectors, entrusted with protecting the world.
In this kind of wandering god activity, the number of officials and generals was initially played by two people. Later, perhaps because they felt that the number of people was not impressive, the number was increased to three, five, or six people.
It is said that those who play the role of officials and generals must first fast for several days, refrain from sexual intercourse with women, and abstain from eating meat to show their sincerity.
When going out on patrol, their faces should be painted with facial makeup, green or red, etc., and they should hold tridents, handcuffs, fire signs, tiger signs, etc.
In addition to the official generals, there are eight generals.
The eight generals are General Xie, General Fan, Lord Gan, Lord Liu, and the gods of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Moreover, their performances are actually very regular. They are not just random gestures as I said. They have certain formation changes and their movements are all regular.
Therefore, today's performance is actually more like a folk drama, which is inherited and highly ornamental. It is a kind of folk culture.
After listening to Uncle Ma's explanation and looking at the pious reactions of the people around me, I actually felt a little sad and couldn't help but sigh secretly.
Look at the belief in gods here, compared to ours, it’s a world of difference.
If on the streets of Harbin, one day a group of great gods appeared in shaman costumes, followed by a group of two gods playing drums, and they would also parade through the streets with such a chirping sound...
Then there is no doubt that they all have to be arrested and detained for at least seven days. The crime is that a group of dancing masters openly gathered to engage in feudal superstition activities.
However, this is obviously the same folk culture.
Why is it that what others have is folk belief and what we have is feudal superstition?
Is it because we worship animal immortals?
But they also offer little frogs...
I was thinking wildly in my mind. The two groups in front of me had already started fighting.
But I came up with this word myself. My senior brother said that it is not called fighting, but a ceremonial worship, and all the movements are organized.
But the senior brother also said that the person on the other side today was of unusual origin, and according to the rules, the officers and generals should give way.
I became curious again, so I asked my senior brother, what is the formation on the opposite side?
Senior Brother said that General Qian Shun was coming from the other side today.
This confused me again, but the senior brother then explained that General Qian Shun was clairvoyant and had ears for the wind. He was well-organized by the Eight Classics of Taoism. Although he was not a great god, he was still extraordinary.
But the officers and generals are just the protectors of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. In fact, they are not organized and belong to the auxiliary police. Moreover, the officers and generals have a low background. To put it bluntly, the officers and generals are the great ghosts who have received incense. Of course, there is no general Qianshun. position is high.
Therefore, normally the officer should give way.
Sure enough, as the senior brother said, the two sides gestured for a while, and the officers and generals got out of the way, and General Qian Shun on the other side passed by with his head held high.
I was very curious when I saw this, so I asked my senior brother, if two groups of officers and generals collided, who would give way?
The senior brother smiled and said that was not necessarily the case. At this time, there was often a fight, and maybe even a bloody head.
I asked him how he fought like this, and the senior brother said that it was very cruel. For example, he might hit himself on the head with a mace. For example, one person had a mace nailed on his head, but what about this person? If nothing happens, it means that his side is powerful, so the other side gives way.
I grinned when I heard it, thinking that this was too bloody.
Ma Yunfeng was also curious and asked his senior brother, if someone really nailed a mace to his head, how could nothing happen?
The eldest brother laughed and said that if someone invited a god to come over him, of course nothing would happen, but after the god retreated, it would be time to go to the hospital, which would be quite painful...
He also told us that one year he saw a man who had a god on his body. He drank a bottle of liquor and nothing happened. However, after the god retreated, the man was so drunk that he fell unconscious.
It seems that this invitation to gods is similar to the invitation to immortals in Northeast China, basically the same.
Next, the team of wandering gods continued to move forward, and we followed suit, but as soon as we turned a corner, something happened again.
I saw a commotion in front of me, and I couldn't understand what was said. I saw the officers and generals all looked excited, and they were about to rush aside with their weapons raised.
The senior brother still acted as a translator and explained to us that an official general had discovered that there was an evil spirit in the house in front of him and wanted to exorcise it.
I said, where can I go to exorcise evil spirits in broad daylight? Besides, this procession is noisy with gongs and drums, and with so many officers and generals patrolling the streets, are there any evil spirits who dare to show up?
The senior brother spread his hands and said: "I don't know this either, but it is a blessing to be able to see the heads of officers and generals exorcising evil spirits. As the saying goes, the three sticks of sun on the head are incense, the sky opens and the mist reveals yin and yang, and the world turns upside down. Liujia, slaying evil spirits and slaying monsters shocked all directions, increased and destroyed two generals, and always only kills, not saves!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a crazy woman running out of the door of a house in front of him. When he saw the group of officers and generals from a distance, he let out a strange cry and ran away.
These officers and generals were all ready to go. When they saw this, they shouted out, rushed out of the team, and chased the woman directly!
