Yi Sheep Festival

The Yi compatriots in Duohu Village, Midu County choose an auspicious day in the first lunar month every year to celebrate the sheep festival. The Duohu Yi people call this day the "Sheep Festival."

Which day to celebrate Sheep Festival must be determined by the time the herdsman whose sheep population has developed a lot during the year invites the elderly Bimo (the successor and disseminator of Yi history and culture) to determine the day. Obviously, this household of herdsmen whose sheep population has been much more developed has become the "leader" of celebrating the Sheep Festival this year.

On Sheep Festival, sheep farmers in the stockade began to prepare for the festival at dawn. Herdsmen prepare enough holiday items, put on makeup, put on sheepskin jacket, under the leadership of the "leader", the sheep of each household in the stockade to a piece of land with abundant water and grass selected by the "leader". Then the "leader" put the bamboo basket with bowls and chopsticks in the shack where there was a water source. This kind of bamboo ware is called female bamboo basket by locals. Herdsmen will bring their own tea, fruit, bacon, white wine, rice, local take a bowl of water, a handful of green grass into the female bamboo basket for supply. Burn three pillars of fragrance, three knives of yellow paper, three knees and nine bows. The prelude to the Sheep Festival has begun.

Then, the "leadership" began. The "leader" selected the largest cock from the festive items he prepared, washed the cock's beak and feet with clean water, and then bowed three times to the female bamboo basket. Kill the chicken on the spot. Drop the blood on the cover of the female bamboo basket, and pluck a few pieces of feathers on the cock's tail and wings to stick them to the cover of the basket.

The soft rice on the fire pond is ready. The chicken and bacon are cooked. At this time, the "leader" led twelve people and kneaded a sheep each with rice to represent a month's share. According to age or seniority, December is the big sheep, and the classification is based on this type. Then, put chicken heads, cocktails, chicken feet, chicken wings, and chop suey into a bowl, put bacon into a bowl, and put vegetables into a bowl. Twelve rice sheep are neatly served in the female bamboo basket from small to large month by month. Burn twelve pillars of fragrant fragrance and twelve portions of yellow paper. The "leader" tore open the chicken head in front of the female bamboo basket, peeled off the chicken legs, and repeatedly read the chicken hexagram. With the "auspicious time!" With a roar, the herdsmen immediately knelt behind the "leader" to pray for good luck. The auspicious words were like "The sheep will develop greatly in the coming year, as many as countless leaves."

At twelve o'clock noon, the Sheep Festival reaches its climax. Herdsmen placed wooden troughs on wooden frames nailed cross-over with wooden piles. Then they began to set off firecrackers to congratulate the flock of sheep. The herders put large quantities of salt into the trough, and then called out to the sheep scattered by firecrackers. Soon, a black mass of sheep surrounded the herdsmen, and the sheep competed for salt. "Baa... baa..." The cheerful sound of the sheep cut through the fields. Usually, when the shepherd was driving the sheep, the shepherd would inevitably chase and whip the sheep because the sheep did not obey. On this day, the shepherds were uncharacteristically, regardless of the sheep stepping on their feet, and constantly fed salt to give the sheep a good meal. Let them grab food, chase and play freely.

In the Duohu Yi Mountain Stronghold, there is such a legend about the origin of the Sheep Festival: Shinuluo, the first king of Nanzhao, was a shepherd child before he achieved his great cause. He was a mysterious and his reputation among the people was getting higher and higher. The White King wanted to harm him. So the White King sent someone to hand over 1,000 rams to Shinuluo, and the next year he asked Shinuluo to hand over 2,000 sheep. Otherwise, Shinuluo would be executed. With the help of a beauty-bearded male holding a goose feather fan, Shinuluo put the rams into Bamboo Mountain and asked them to find their own mates and reproduce naturally. The next year, at the time and place agreed by the White King, the White King came to order sheep. Shinuluo came to the top of the mountain, picked a leaf, put it on his lips, and blew on it. Thousands of sheep ran out of the bamboo forest in a "whoosh" manner.

The White King looked at the dense flock of sheep and laughed bitterly. His plot to take the opportunity to get rid of Shinuluo also fell bankrupt with those laughter. After Shinuro ruled Nanzhao, in order to commemorate this period of history, this day was designated as Sheep Day.

The Duohu Yi people live in alpine mountainous areas, where there are vast pastures. Most families in the stockade raise sheep, and some raise hundreds of sheep. The Duohu Yi people are inseparable from sheep. They need sheep in daily life such as hospitality, weddings, and funerals. In their lives, having many sheep is a sign of wealth. Therefore, the people in the stockade take great care of the sheep.

The Sheep Festival is over, and what lies ahead is the battle for the position of "leader" in the coming year. Whether the throne of "chief" can be renewed will be determined by the development of sheep, so herdsmen will take extra care of and love for their sheep.