The mysterious and strange customs of the Taliu people in western Yunnan

Living in Yongsheng County in northwest Yunnan and a branch of the Yi people on the edge of Shangri-La), young men and women have a mysterious and strange custom of dating, which is probably unique in the world.

After the young men and women he retained grew up, before they formally fell in love, they had to perform a complete set of strict and solemn procedures such as baptism, dress change, worship their ancestors, and pass the "seven passes". Especially for passing the "seven passes", the sanctity of its metaphor, the bizarre nature of the process, and the arduous nature of the task are unimaginable to outsiders. This is also the essence of his marriage and love custom. After understanding this, it is not difficult to understand that the "freedom" he retains in young men and women is by no means like some young people in the city who flaunt "modern concepts" and "open consciousness", who have no worries about social influence or do whatever they want. Cherish yourself and do whatever you want.

Generally speaking, the girls he keeps in other people will undergo the baptism of adulthood after having their menarche or have grown into adults in appearance. The mother and other female elders chose a good time to burn good incense and clean water to wash the girl's whole body until it was moist and white. After that, the well-dressed and long-awaited female partners changed her out of the white dress she wore as a child and the black dress that symbolizes an adult woman. Both skirts are knee-length skirts), while changing her clothes and saying something to praise her and bless her. At the same time, the family built a "youth shed" for the girl next to the courtyard door outside the main house, allowing her to live alone in it and begin to interact with "outsiders." From then on, the parents did not care about what happened in the "Youth Shack". The more lively the shed and the tighter the young men traveled, the more pleased and comfortable they felt. The girl was capable, charming and popular! And he left his son to look like an adult, so the male elders chose a day to set up gifts, clean the house and burn incense, and let the young man kowtow piously to the ancestral memorial tablet, thank the ancestors for passing on his flesh and blood, and pray for the ancestors to protect him all the way. After completing this procedure, the young man becomes a "formal" adult and can formally associate with the girls.

Although theoretically speaking, young men and girls who have been baptized by adulthood have the qualifications of "adults" and can have a legitimate relationship, they should not be reckless and wandering around to welcome the old and new knowledge. In order to be more mentally mature, have broader knowledge, and be more appropriate in speech and behavior, they must first find a guide. The young man worshiped himself as an "elder brother" teacher other than his own brother) and asked him to "repair" himself. In addition to teaching the "apprentice" the knowledge and rules to be followed by when interacting with girls, the eldest brother also took him to this youth shed to play, visit and study, make extensive friends, and accumulate perceptual knowledge. Similarly, the girl must first find an "elder sister", ask her for relevant knowledge, and follow the "elder sister" to some veteran youth sheds to see how those "shed owners" act, talk and use their eyebrows, and gather enough insights for future operation. Next is the "seven levels".

First of all, the "elder brother" found a top-notch youth shed "owner" for the young man, and led the young man there when the bamboo was spreading in the dusk and the moon was rising. After a period of casual talk,"Brother" saw that the time was ripe, so he pretended to cough twice and said to the girl: "Sister, you see, this brother of mine is barking like a cock. It's time to talk about love. We all admire my sister's good conduct and talents. We came to see her because we asked her to take care of her to help me, promote my brother, teach him the principles of life, use my sister's moon-like mind to illuminate his future, and prepare him for real growth. Please don't refuse, sister. Thank you very much! Thanks a lot!"

"Sister" has a sweet feeling in her heart, but she wants to say it is very polite: "Brother praised me, and I am so ashamed to death! I am clumsy and clumsy, and I am ugly. How can I shoulder this burden! But since you trust me, I'll give it a try. Let me tell you something first. If you flash and lose your breath and can't bring this little brother out and miss his future, don't curse me!"

"Brother" kicked out the first kick and felt a little more at ease. He said,"It's almost time for me to go. Please tell me in detail next. I'll leave my brother to my sister. If he makes a mistake or acts as a prostitute, my sister will have to forgive him."

After the "elder brother" who led the way left, the girl made the bed, untied the quilt, and arranged for bed. The two of them were lying side by side on the bed with their clothes folded, and the young man was lying on the outside), chatting in a rambling but focused manner: How many brothers and sisters are there in your family, how wide the fields are, how much are the crops growing, how many cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens are there, who are you the head of the family, what do you usually do at home, what interesting things have you had in your childhood, where have you been recently, what is there to see and fun on the street? Today, the horse driving men on the post road are always young... Through various topics, the girl understands the young man's family background, speculates the young man's character, and also "obtains" the young man's knowledge and cultivation, and grasps his qualities. Naturally, this allows the young man to get to know the girl in a "three-dimensional" way. As they talked, the two of them became sleepy, so they closed their mouths and closed their eyes, and fell asleep. Throughout the night, although the young man and the girl were sleeping together, they did not interfere with the river water. Each person guarded their own territory. No matter how restless the craze of youth was or how fierce the flames were, they had to grit their teeth to hold it, endure it, and persist and endure it. Even if your waist is sore and your legs are numb and you really want to turn over, you have to be careful and be light and light to avoid alarming the other party and causing misunderstandings.

Early the next morning, if the young man looked calm or walked out of the youth shed happily, it means that he strictly adhered to the rules at night and remained calm. He gained the girl's trust and successfully received the "customs clearance document".

The next night, or some later nights,"Brother" led the young man to "Sister"'s youth shed again. This time, the situation was different: "Sister" went with them to another youth shed to find another girl. "Brother" basically repeated what he said to "Sister", while "Sister" assisted and introduced her. It was almost time."Brother" used an excuse to leave, and "Sister" left some necessary words and returned to her shed. Naturally, the girl and young man left in the shed had a set of rules for sleeping and talking together. If the young man can still speak in a measured manner and behave in a disciplined manner, he has passed the second level.

In this way, the "sister" is responsible for finding six girls for the young man, plus herself, a total of seven girls, so that the young man can pass the test one by one. You can imagine how dangerous and unusual these checkpoints are, and how difficult it is to pass them! What a severe test a hot-blooded man who first entered the world must endure! Once the young man passes the seven levels, it shows that he is of good quality and good conduct. His good name will quickly blow across the youth sheds far and near with the breeze, and will be read and remembered by the "shed owners". In the future, if the young man rides alone in any youth shed, including, of course, the seven youth sheds where he passes and trains, he will be warmly welcomed.

It can be seen that it is the most important thing for a young man to find his first girl. If the young man works hard and does not fail halfway, the first girl will be responsible to the end and fulfill the young man's good name. If there are not seven girls in the village, or there are not enough good girls, then she will have to rely on her own connections and the help of relatives and friends to lead the young man across mountains and mountains to find good girls until there are enough "seven fairies". As a condition of equal reward, or "exchange," the young man's "brother" must also find seven good young men, including his "apprentices", to bring them to this girl for her to interact and choose.

In the process of passing the seven passes, if the young man cannot control himself, cannot suppress the fire, and even has strange thoughts and plots to deviate from the line, he will be immediately kicked off the bed by the girl and expelled from the door. He will go to the fire pond like a god of plague. He will drill into the straw nest because he will not arrange accommodation and luggage for unmarried men). Moreover, in the long years to come, he will be despised by villagers far and near, especially girls, and will become a difficult master of love and marriage. By the same token, if a girl loses her love during her initial contact with the young man, or if the young man feigns and then gives up the pass and does not stick to it, then she will inevitably be regarded differently and entered into a new book.

After passing the seven levels and obtaining the "qualification certificate" for interacting with the opposite sex, he allowed young men and women to interact freely and travel back and forth in the "Happy Forest". There was no need to pay attention to first-come, first-served, nor the depth of theoretical qualifications. Everything depended on which young man the girl was willing to take in as the male owner of her youth shed. As long as the two emotions blend, you can imagine what happens in the shed of youth.

The seventh pass is sad, and the significance of the seventh pass is extraordinary. It not only allows people to undergo training, accumulate experience, and establish a good image of themselves in interacting with the opposite sex. It also makes people deeply realize that the freedom to interact with the opposite sex is hard-won and should be cherished and cherished, and must not be twice blessed. The deeper meaning is that after passing through seven passes that are half sweet and half "suffering", people's will has been tempered and tested, and in the future journey of life, they will be able to withstand hardships and erosion in all aspects.