Sheep and goats, major livestock in Guizhou Steppe of southwest China, are of both practical and social value for local dwellers. As sheep is pronounced similar as "Auspicious" in Chinese, its image is widely applied to every aspect of local society, including religious rites, calendar calculation, arts creation and architecture. Thus a sheep-related culture has been developed and prospered.
Sheep-related Culture as to Daily Life
Local residents of Guizhou Steppe cannot live without sheep and goats. They eat mutton, wear sheepskin clothes or wool fabrics, sleep on wool blankets and drink wines with vessels made of goat horns or sheep stomachs. Goat horn wine cups, popular in ethnic minority villages of Wumeng Mountains, are used to propose toasts to passers-by during festivals and celebrations. In Guizhou Provincial Museum is collected a sheep stomach-made wine bottle with a gourd inside. This wine bottle, collected from a Yi ethnic minority community, was made through several processes. The sheep stomach was first cleaned and covered on the gourd while it was still wet. Then it was bonded tight at its mouth and left till it dried completely. Thus not only the inside of the gourd was protected from decaying but also the texture-shape of the sheep stomach was highlighted. Such wine bottles enjoy great popularity among Yi people.
Among all the daily objects, the most valuable are parchment files. Yi people created their own written language and recorded their important documentations on paper. In order to keep these documentations from moisture, parchment was used to wrap them over. These parchment files have already become a highly valuable part of the cultural heritage of Yi ethnic group.
Sheep-related Culture as to Religious Rites
People of Miao ethnic minority living in mountain areas have a tradition of worship their ancestors or hold funerals by killing buffalos. Usually buffalo horns are left as offerings. Since buffalos are too expensive to afford, sometimes goats were used as substitutes. Goat horns, once taken as sacrifice offerings, cannot be moved or touched in order to show respect for ancestors or the dead. But kids are exempt from this taboo. If a kid touches a goat horn on an altar, adults will simply say, "Oh, he is playing with his grandpa." Local people offer goat horns in sacrifice rites to pray for a favorable climate and a peaceful and prosperous life. Therefore, goat horns are regarded as a symbol that can bring fortune and dispel evils.
Sheep-related Culture as to Calendar Calculation
As one of the twelve animals to symbolize the year in which a person is born, sheep has been used in calendar calculation since ancient times. There was not only the year of sheep but also the month, day and even hour of sheep. It is believed in some places that a person who was born in the hour of sheep of the day of sheep of the month of sheep of the year of sheep enjoys the best destiny in his lifetime.
There is an inscribed copper drum of the twelve animals collected in Guizhou Provincial Museum which was made in the Ming Dynasty (about 600 years ago). Copper drums are the most cherished objects for ethnic minorities of southwest China. It is generally believed there that copper drums fall into two categories -male drums and female drums. In some villages of Miao people, copper drums are also called "ancestral drums" because they regard copper drums as their ancestors. On big occasions such as religious rites, funerals and new years, people dressed in festive attires will dance around copper drums.
Sheep-related Culture as to Artistic Creation
The image of sheep and goat appears on many local artworks, including ceramics, wax printings, embroideries and cross-stitch works. In 1972, archeologists from Guizhou Provincial Museum excavated a tiny lamb pottery in a tomb of the Han Dynasty (about 2,000 years ago). It was so delicate and exquisite, with only 6 cm tall and 11.5 cm long. With its tail raised onto its hip, the lamb looks content and sleepy as if it has just had a big meal. It is really a rare masterpiece.
The image of sheep often appears on embroideries made by Miao women living in mountain areas. Called "sheep dragon" it resembles real sheep, but with many colors. The image of sheep in wax printings and cross-stitch works, however, are quite different from real sheep. Usually a complete shape of sheep is not presented. Only sheep horns are highlighted. Baby back bags are often embroidered with the design of sheep horns, because it is believed to keep evils away from babies. It is also said that ancestors will surely protect babies if they are worshipped with sheep offerings.
Sheep-related Culture as to Architecture
As sheep is pronounced the same or similar as "sun" "auspicious" and "elephant" in Chinese, designs of sheep often appear on local buildings of Guizhou Steppe. For example, on the brick archway on Feiyunya Cliff, a site under the key protection of Guizhou Province, is carved a relief sculpture of three goats symbolizing a peaceful and prosperous society.
As "sheep" and "auspicious" are pronounced similar, sheep is generally considered a symbol of good luck. Therefore, the image of sheep can be often seen on ancient objects such as bells and vessels.
"Sheep" is also pronounced similar as "elephant" in Chinese. So elephant also become a sign of auspiciousness and strength. Much local furniture feature elephant legs and some eaves are made of the shape of elephant trunk, which represent not only strength but also anticipate successful careers.
Source: www.zwwhjl.com Editor: Li Guixiang.
