Oroqen Shaman Costume

Heilongjiang
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The Oroqen people are one of the ethnic groups with a smaller population in China. They have lived in the Heilongjiang River Basin and the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains in the northeast for generations, and are known for their ability to ride and shoot. The Oroqen people believe in Shamanism, a primitive religion that believes that all things have spirits. It includes the worship of nature, totems, ancestors, and other contents and sacrificial rituals. Before the shaman dances, he must first dress himself up. The god's clothes are called "Sama" in the Oroqen flag. They are mostly made of deerskin. They are about four feet long. The parts above the knees, collar, cuffs and front are embroidered with various cloud-shaped patterns, and are equipped with many objects. They mainly include shoulder guards, streamers, copper bells, copper mirrors, etc. The whole god's clothes weigh about fifty or sixty kilograms. The god's hat is called "Benboli" in the Oroqen language. Its frame was originally made of leather about ten centimeters thick, and later gradually iron was used to replace the hat with an iron ring, with a cross-shaped semi-dome on top, and two three-branched or six-branched deer antlers were often installed on the cross semi-dome. The iron ring and the iron beam are all wrapped with colorful strips of cloth. The hat is sewn with tassels of colorful strips of cloth. Ten strings of beads are often hung on the front of the hat, covering the eyes and half of the face. The main instruments of the shaman are the sacred drum and the dangshi. The sacred drum is called "wen tu wen" in the Oroqen language. It is a flat single-sided drum with an oval shape. The drum frame is mostly made of pine wood, and the drum surface is made of roe deer skin and elk skin. A cross handle made of leather strips is nailed on the back of the drum, which is equipped with three copper or iron rings. You can pick up the drum by reaching in. Before using the sacred drum, it must be roasted with fire to make the drum surface tight and make a crisp and loud sound when struck. The drumstick, about one foot long, is made of roe deer leg skin wrapped with deer tendons. A leather rope loop should be tied to the handle, which can be put on the finger to prevent it from falling off. The dangshi is a magical instrument specially used by shamans to register gods. It is mostly made of pine wood. It is a four-sided stick about 50 cm long with colorful strips of cloth tied on the top. Every time the shaman finishes dancing, he will register the gods he has invited on the file. That is, notches are carved on the four-sided file. More notches mean more gods have been invited. It is said that the registered gods will never leave the shaman and will serve him. The shaman's divine clothes are made by women, and the drums and mallets are made by men. The shaman's divine clothes and ritual tools are kept by the shaman himself. When not in use, they are placed in a birch bark box or box. Women are forbidden to touch them, let alone step on them.

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