The main characteristics of storytelling in northern Shaanxi

For a long time, storytelling in northern Shaanxi has always been the patent of the blind. The old blind man teaches the little blind man, and the master accepts his apprentice by dictation. The master patiently teaches, and the apprentice carefully remembers, generation after generation, which is the continuation. In the old society, discerning people didn't learn books. First, because of immorality, we can't take away the business of the poor and blind; Second, I am ashamed to run this industry, which is considered cheap and not noble. Without the guidance of people with knowledge and vision, blind artists who are blind and illiterate will innovate and develop in a very narrow circle, which makes this folk art very popular among the masses, but it can not be developed vigorously after all.

In the old society, in order to make a living, almost all blind storytellers also engaged in feudal superstitious activities such as fortune telling, doll deduction and giving ghosts. Fortune-telling is mostly a "blind man rolling a meteor", that is, to memorize twelve earthly branches of A, B, C, D, E, G, D and sixty heavenly stems and earthly branches of Jia, B, C and D, remember which year one of them is, and then calculate the date of birth; According to the date of birth, infer the fate of a person's life. Blind people roll meteors, because they are blind, lack observation and judgment, and have irrevocable conclusions, so they can confuse ignorant people and do great harm.