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Nuo theatre
Nuo theatre, Nuo drama, Nuo opera, or Nuoxi (traditional Chinese: 儺戲; simplified Chinese: 傩戏; pinyin: nuóxì) is a traditional theatrical art popular in many regions of China. Characterized by features such as ferocious masks, distinctive attire and adornments, a distinctive performance language, and mysterious scenes, Nuo theatre has been selected[by whom?] as one of China's non-material cultural legacies. The opera is a religious performance intrinsic to Nuo folk religion, which is practiced by the Tujia, a recognised ethnic minority in China. The purpose of Nuo theatre is to drive away devils, disease and evil influences, and also to petition for blessings from the gods. Singing and dancing are included in Nuo theatre, and performers wear costumes and masks.
Nuo theatre is a direct and important expressive medium of Nuo culture.[citation needed] Other forms of representation of Nuo culture include Nuo dance (傩舞; 儺舞), Nuo song (傩歌; 儺歌), Nuo sacrifice (傩祭) and Nuo ceremony (傩仪; 儺儀) and others. The unique symbol of Nuo theatre, the masks, are considered a treasure of Chinese folk art.
Nuo theatre has a considerable repertoire, which varies from region to region. Nuo dramas are usually based on well-known Chinese historical events or folk stories such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin and the story of the Dragon Kings. Some famous repertoires of Nuo theatre include Lady Mengjiang, Seizing the Yellow Devil, and Story of Mount Liang. Nuo theatre is popular in rural areas, including Guizhou, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and Guangxi. It is also popular in the regions inhabited by other minorities, such as the Hmong, the Dong, and Yao.
Nuo means an oath, binding utterance, or exorcism in Chinese religious culture. The Chinese character for "nuo" is "傩" in simplified Chinese or "儺" in traditional Chinese. This is a very uncommon character in modern Chinese. The meaning of the character "Nuo" is a patterned step to drive away the devil during the last month of the Chinese lunar new year. The Chinese character for "theatre" or "drama" is "戏" in simplified Chinese or "戲" in traditional Chinese.
Nuo theatre is a kind of folk dramatic art that originated from folk religion. In the Analects of Confucius, "villager Nuo" (or village Nuo) was mentioned. The Lüshi Chunqiu mentions that there was also a custom that whenever there was a celebration, grand Nuo (or royal Nuo) would be a necessity.
The primitive form, dating back to antiquity, of Nuo theatre is Nuoji (傩祭; 儺祭), which is a special sacrificial ceremony. "Ji" means sacrifice or sacrificial activities and events. While performing religious rites, people pray to ward off disasters and receive good luck. So, Nuoji was formed as a sacrificial activity or ceremony to worship gods and ancestors. The exact date when Nuoji was formed is unknown, but the Nuo ceremony was first recorded on oracle bones during the Shang dynasty (17th-11th century BC), and flourished in the Zhou dynasty (11th century-256BC).
In the Zhou dynasty, Nuoji was already very popular within the central parts of its territory. Nuoji was performed during festivals and holidays at that time with the purpose of driving away devils and plague. Nuoji was a very important social, political, and religious event and a specific government department was established to be in charge of Nuoji. At the time, besides the grand Nuo ceremony held by the royal court, the folk Nuo ceremony also appeared in the countryside.
During and after the Tang dynasty (618–907), Nuoji gradually developed into a dance drama and became more of a recreation than a ritual. [citation needed] It became a masked drama enacted by a priest performing an exorcism, and has been described as "theater with a presentational aspect, a festival, and the idea of gatherings to establish ties and norms."[citation needed] The rituals have been incorporated into people's lives and are seen as commentaries on Chinese life.
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Nuo theatre
Nuo theatre, Nuo drama, Nuo opera, or Nuoxi (traditional Chinese: 儺戲; simplified Chinese: 傩戏; pinyin: nuóxì) is a traditional theatrical art popular in many regions of China. Characterized by features such as ferocious masks, distinctive attire and adornments, a distinctive performance language, and mysterious scenes, Nuo theatre has been selected[by whom?] as one of China's non-material cultural legacies. The opera is a religious performance intrinsic to Nuo folk religion, which is practiced by the Tujia, a recognised ethnic minority in China. The purpose of Nuo theatre is to drive away devils, disease and evil influences, and also to petition for blessings from the gods. Singing and dancing are included in Nuo theatre, and performers wear costumes and masks.
Nuo theatre is a direct and important expressive medium of Nuo culture.[citation needed] Other forms of representation of Nuo culture include Nuo dance (傩舞; 儺舞), Nuo song (傩歌; 儺歌), Nuo sacrifice (傩祭) and Nuo ceremony (傩仪; 儺儀) and others. The unique symbol of Nuo theatre, the masks, are considered a treasure of Chinese folk art.
Nuo theatre has a considerable repertoire, which varies from region to region. Nuo dramas are usually based on well-known Chinese historical events or folk stories such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin and the story of the Dragon Kings. Some famous repertoires of Nuo theatre include Lady Mengjiang, Seizing the Yellow Devil, and Story of Mount Liang. Nuo theatre is popular in rural areas, including Guizhou, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and Guangxi. It is also popular in the regions inhabited by other minorities, such as the Hmong, the Dong, and Yao.
Nuo means an oath, binding utterance, or exorcism in Chinese religious culture. The Chinese character for "nuo" is "傩" in simplified Chinese or "儺" in traditional Chinese. This is a very uncommon character in modern Chinese. The meaning of the character "Nuo" is a patterned step to drive away the devil during the last month of the Chinese lunar new year. The Chinese character for "theatre" or "drama" is "戏" in simplified Chinese or "戲" in traditional Chinese.
Nuo theatre is a kind of folk dramatic art that originated from folk religion. In the Analects of Confucius, "villager Nuo" (or village Nuo) was mentioned. The Lüshi Chunqiu mentions that there was also a custom that whenever there was a celebration, grand Nuo (or royal Nuo) would be a necessity.
The primitive form, dating back to antiquity, of Nuo theatre is Nuoji (傩祭; 儺祭), which is a special sacrificial ceremony. "Ji" means sacrifice or sacrificial activities and events. While performing religious rites, people pray to ward off disasters and receive good luck. So, Nuoji was formed as a sacrificial activity or ceremony to worship gods and ancestors. The exact date when Nuoji was formed is unknown, but the Nuo ceremony was first recorded on oracle bones during the Shang dynasty (17th-11th century BC), and flourished in the Zhou dynasty (11th century-256BC).
In the Zhou dynasty, Nuoji was already very popular within the central parts of its territory. Nuoji was performed during festivals and holidays at that time with the purpose of driving away devils and plague. Nuoji was a very important social, political, and religious event and a specific government department was established to be in charge of Nuoji. At the time, besides the grand Nuo ceremony held by the royal court, the folk Nuo ceremony also appeared in the countryside.
During and after the Tang dynasty (618–907), Nuoji gradually developed into a dance drama and became more of a recreation than a ritual. [citation needed] It became a masked drama enacted by a priest performing an exorcism, and has been described as "theater with a presentational aspect, a festival, and the idea of gatherings to establish ties and norms."[citation needed] The rituals have been incorporated into people's lives and are seen as commentaries on Chinese life.