One of the incomprehensible rural customs: Why do the dead sing operas?

First, worship God. In ancient China, people worshipped gods. When there are important activities at home, they should worship the gods and pray for their help. Of course, the funeral may be related to God, because people hope that the Buddha can lead their relatives to Elysium. Therefore, when handling the funeral, worshipping God and Buddha is an indispensable link. Therefore, it is necessary to sing and worship God. When singing opera, the first performance is "Shen Opera" (commonly known as stepping on the opera). In this play, seven actors will play the role of immortals. The first is Hei Hu, wearing a black feather crest and a black face, dressed in black and holding a Strafe. His facial makeup symbolizes a strong nature in China's traditional operas. In China traditional opera, it belongs to the net, that is, the painted face. He is a general who paves the way for immortality. His prototype is Zhao Gongming in The Romance of Gods. Later, he was made a god by Jiang Ziya, and he was a pioneer of Taoism. The second place is: Lingguan. Red face, wearing a red envelope and a red crown. Powerful and solemn. Holding a pestle. It can ward off evil spirits. His facial makeup symbolizes loyalty in China's traditional dramas. It belongs to the grand voice of the opera world. Lingguan is the patron saint of Taoism. Taoism has the saying that there are five hundred spiritual officials. Among the most famous "Wang Lingguan", in the first hall of many Taoist temples, the Lingguan guarding the entrance of Taoist temples is generally this Wang Lingguan. The third is the famous Taoist immortal: Fu Tianguan. He wore an official hat, royal clothes and a guard in his hand. The jade belt on the waist was raised by Hu Zisheng in the opera lines. Heaven, earth and water are the three great gods of Taoism, and the celestial official is one of them. Tianguan is the Shang Yuan Yi Fu Tianguan of Emperor Wei Zi, belonging to Jade Qing. Celestial officials are composed of three gases: green, yellow and white. They are in charge of the emperors in heaven. On the fifteenth day of the first month, when people come to the world, the school will punish people's sins and blessings, so it is called "God bless the people". The old auspicious words of praying for blessings and eliminating disasters. Tianguan should say a few words of blessing to his host family after taking office. The so-called "God bless the people". People hope to get good luck from it. Because the ancients thought it was unlucky to hold a funeral at home, when writing an obituary, it was usually necessary to write a soliton (or a mourner) to serve without any signs of disaster, so as to show that he was in trouble. I hope that people blessed by God can change the luck of their families, so I want to invite Tiangong. The fourth place is: Guanyin Bodhisattva came to power. Dressed in white, she is called a scholar in white, with a willow bottle in her hand. It plays an important role in China traditional opera. She comes from Buddhism, and usually she must state her identity in the sermon on the stage, that is, "I live in the South China Sea for safety, I am the master of the South China Sea, my Buddhist disciples are charitable, and my disciples worship three times before the spirit." Guanyin Bodhisattva is widely believed in China, so it has a high status in people's hearts. She is famous for her kindness and compassion, so people hope that she can bless her host family. In addition, Guanyin Bodhisattva is also one of the three saints in the West. People who believe in Buddhism hope that she can help Amitabha lead the dead to Elysium. The fifth one came on stage: Father Land, wearing a Kowloon crown, a yellow gossip suit and a cane. White eyebrows and white beard, like an old man. In China traditional opera, it belongs to old students. He is a local official in charge of Yin and Yang, so he must be invited out to worship, because according to superstition, after the death of the deceased, he will be in charge of the land of the city god, complaining that the county magistrate is not as good as the current one, so he should respect this god very much. The sixth place is: Chef Jun, wearing a blue robe and holding dust in his hand. China traditional opera belongs to students in Taoist robes. He is a god worshipped by every family and is called "the head of the family". I was ordered by the Jade Emperor to check the words and deeds of the people, so if there is something at home, I must give preferential treatment to the Kitchen God and Bodhisattva. The last one on stage was Liu Hai, the god of wealth. He was wearing a black jacket and holding a golden bucket in his hand. The movements on the stage are clean and neat. In China traditional opera, it belongs to Wu Sheng. According to historical records, "Liu Haisheng's ancestral home is Xiandu, and he was born in Qubao Village, Huxian County. The Jade Emperor personally sealed me and made me a living god of wealth, and the water of Fuquan spilled all over the earth. Walking, money is scattered step by step, everything has changed, and happiness and wealth are immortal. " This is a folk song about the god of wealth, Liu Hai, which spread in Huxian County, the ancestral home of Taoism. He usually throws money on stage (the coins prepared in advance are grass flowers). People should hope to get rich by this.

Before singing magic tricks, you usually need to shoot. On the stage of magic performance, the host's family will wear red clothes to cover the "immortals" on the stage. Burning incense and drinking on the stage. It is said to support your deities.

Secondly, this is also the need of memorial service. Rites and music system prevailed in ancient China. Music should be accompanied when making gifts. My hometown is called "the hometown of Duke Zhou", which is the place where Duke Zhou was named "the system of rites and music" in the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, we attach great importance to the etiquette system. Inviting Shaanxi opera to participate in the sacrifice is also in line with the requirements of the ritual and music system. Therefore, in the eulogy, it is usually necessary to write a statement of "Celebrating the sacrifice with the elegant music of Qin Opera ...". In addition, in funeral scenes, crying is usually the main repertoire that plays a commemorative role. Often performed plays include: Sacrifice to the Spirit, Mourning Zhu's Tomb, Mourning Zhou Ren's Tomb, and Zhuge Liang's Sacrifice Lamp. And some classic aria related to grief, such as: 56 "Cry" in "Catch a Frame in the Lower East River" and 72 "Never Again" in "Chop Li Guang". Waiting for drama and classic arias to play the role of mourning. In addition, there will be some magic plays to comfort the gods, such as "Wishing at Xiangshan Temple" and "Hei Hu Sitting on the Stage". And "Three Mothers and Godsons" and "Four Sages Books" to illustrate good parenting before death. The last scene is often "Ascension" or "Ascension to Heaven Hall", which indicates that the host family will be promoted step by step and make a fortune from now on. This is also a spiritual sustenance, so the funeral drama is very particular, not only acting, but also those comedies will not be staged. Therefore, singing opera is for sacrifice, not for entertainment, which should be clear.

Third, in order to continue to be filial. Because almost all the old people in Shaanxi love to watch Shaanxi Opera, their children hope to watch it once when their relatives leave home. Even if it is the return of the soul, we should be filial. Therefore, during the funeral, after passing through the land shrine and crossroads, when the funeral stops, we must sing operas, hoping that our relatives can watch more operas. Really? Take your time.

Fourth, exorcism. In ancient times, people thought that in the process of funeral, because many people came to burn paper at home, it was commonly called burning paper to attract ghosts. Will lead to an unknown omen. Therefore, I hope that singing can exorcise evil spirits, because Hei Hu and Lingguan in the play are the immortals who exorcise evil spirits. In addition, beating gongs and drums with music can also exorcise evil spirits.

Fifth, singing opera in vain can reflect a kind of fraternity. The ancients said, "I am old when I am old." Because old people love watching plays, they can't be filial because of their death. So take this opportunity to sing a play, let the old people from all over the country watch it, and add the following contents to their spiritual life, because the old people in rural areas rarely have the opportunity to enjoy cultural programs. Therefore, it is a kind of "fraternity" to spend money on singing operas for the living elderly.

In addition, it is also to increase the solemnity of the funeral and attract more condolence guests. Because according to tradition, the funeral of the elderly should be treated solemnly and filial piety should be reflected, but we are not advocating "caring and burying with heart" here. We should be filial to our loved ones before they die, and the necessary procedures for funeral after death should also be carried out. Otherwise, there will be no material carrier for mourning, and of course thrift is also necessary. Some customs should be abolished. It also depends on people's local customs and beliefs. Don't speak lightly.