Oroqen Shaman Dance

Heilongjiang
🎧  Listen to Introduction

"Shaman dance" is also called witch dance. "Shaman" means an excited and angry person. The Oroqen people used to place their hopes for human safety and hunting harvest on the spirits of their ancestors. Shaman is the "messenger" between people and gods. Although they are specialized wizards, they generally do not leave production and do not receive any material rewards. This is different from religious wizards in class society. Therefore, the shamans of the Oroqen people are respected by hunters and enjoy high prestige. The shaman's hand drum (called "wentuwen" by the Oroqen people) is a flat single-sided drum. The drumhead is made of roe deer skin, with a diameter of generally 50 cm and no handle. There is a copper ring on the back of the drum, which is connected with a leather strip for easy holding. The drumstick is made of roe deer skin wrapped with roe deer tendons and is about 30 cm long. The drum is held in the left hand and the mallet in the right hand. The drum beats are composed of single, double and broken points. The main dance movements are: 1. "Drawing circles in the air". Stand on one foot, lift one foot forward and lift it more than one foot off the ground, and make two circles from the inside to the outside (you can also make it from the outside to the inside). Each time you make a circle, beat the drum with both hands above your head or diagonally above. 2. "Step forward, step back". First beat: jump forward with your right foot and land forcefully, while your left foot follows and steps on the ground, and your hands beat two drum beats directly in front of you. Second beat: keep your posture unchanged. Third beat: take a big step back with your left foot, while both hands beat a single drum beat from below. Fourth beat: pull your right foot to the side of your left foot, and keep your hands still below. This movement can be done in four directions. 3. "Stamp on the ground for three beats". On the first beat, take a big step with your right foot, and on the second beat, follow with your left foot (you can also turn around). On the third beat, stomp the ground with your right foot, and naturally lift your left leg. Do this continuously, with your hands shaking with the steps, and beat the drum on the third beat. 4. "Turn on the spot with small steps". Quickly change your feet, stomp the ground and turn around, and you can rotate rapidly to the left and right. Use both hands to beat the drums below the waist, or you can beat the drums above the left and right front. 5. "Double jump step on the spot". Jump with both feet on the spot, stomp the ground hard when landing, and beat the drums forward and backward with both hands in front of the chest. 6. "Moving double jump step". Jump sideways with both legs, close your feet together into a squatting position when landing, and beat the drums up or down with both hands in the direction of the jump. When the shaman dances the god dance, he must wear god clothes and hold the "wentuwen" while singing the middle drum. He must sing a tune for each god he invites. Some tunes are similar to folk songs, and sometimes folk song tunes are used to convey the will of the gods. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)

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