Lang.
Manchu belongs to Manchu branch of Manchu-Tungusic language family of Altai language family. Manchu is created at the end of 16 with reference to Mongolian letters. Later, we added "circle" and "dot" to the borrowed Mongolian letters, which is called "Manchu with circle and dot" or "New Manchu". In the past, it was called "the old Manchu without circles". Since the Qing Dynasty, a large number of Manchu people moved to the Central Plains, and a large number of Han people moved to Shanhaiguan, where they had close contacts in economy, culture and life, and Manchu people gradually used Chinese. At present, there are only Aihui Town and Fuyu County in Heilongjiang Province, and a few old people can speak Manchu. Most Manchu people in other places have spoken Chinese.
culture
Manchu people have loved singing and dancing since ancient times, and ancient dance evolved from hunting and fighting activities. Manchu people's favorite recreational activities include vault, camel jumping and skating. In the middle of18th century, "Eight Banners' Children" created a new drum word, which was called "Yin Qing's Disciple Book" together with the drum board and three-string songs.
Michelle Ye, the sage of the Qing Dynasty, compiled books such as Interpretation of Phonology, Essentials of Mathematics, Examination of Calendar Images and Panorama of the Forbidden City, which all have high scientific value. In the early Manchu works, there were a large number of books necessary for learning Manchu, such as Manchu Enlightenment, Manchu Classics and Manchu Guide. Wen Qing Jian has been revised several times and compiled into five Manchu dictionaries in different national languages-Yu Wu Shi Wen Qing Jian, which is an important reference material for political, economic and cultural exchanges among Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan and Uygur nationalities. The translation of books is also very common. Most of China's major classics are translated in Manchu. In addition to official books, folk stories such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Romance of the West Chamber, Jin Ping Mei and Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio are all translated in Manchu. Among them, Zhakedan's translation of Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio is the best, with a high level of writing. At the same time, a number of Manchu writers emerged. The famous poet Nalan Xingde's early works "The Collection of Side Hats" and "The Collection of Drinking Water" are fresh and graceful, vivid and natural, comparable to Zhu Yizun, a famous Han Chinese poet at that time, and collectively called "the three great poets".
Dress
"hair crown" and "flag shoes"
the costume of manchu
Great changes have taken place in Manchu economy and culture since the 20th century, and many traditional costumes are very rare. However, from movies, TV series and museums, we can often appreciate the elegance of the old national flag costumes. Among them, the headdress of female head is wide and long, fan-shaped and crown-shaped, which is very eye-catching.
In the past, Manchu women, like boys, shaved off the hair around their heads when they were young, leaving only the hair behind their skulls, braiding it and hanging it behind their heads until they grew up. After marriage, I began to wear a big pot head, a shelf head and two first-class steamed buns, two of which are typical. At both ends, the hair on the top of the head is tied up and divided into two locks, each lock is made into a bun, and then the rest of the hair at the back is made into a "dovetail" long flat bun. Usually, a hairpin with a length of 20-30 cm and a width of 23 cm is inserted horizontally in the bun, so it is necessary to wear a crown when celebrating auspicious days or receiving distinguished guests.
Qitou
The hair crown is a fan-shaped crown with a length of more than 30 cm and a width of more than 10 cm, with iron wire or bamboo rattan as the hat frame and green satin, green velvet or green yarn as the surface. It can be fixed on a bun when worn. Often embroidered with patterns, inlaid with jewels or decorated with various flowers, decorated with long tassels. This kind of headdress is mostly used by upper-class Manchu women, and it is only used when ordinary women get married. Wearing this wide and long hair crown limits the distortion of the neck and makes them straight. Coupled with the long cheongsam and high-grade flag shoes, their walking pace is very delicate, which is particularly stable and elegant.
Horseshoe shoes
In addition to "cheongsam" and "crown", Manchu women's "flag shoes" are also very distinctive. This kind of embroidered flag shoes are made of wood and are called "high-top shoes" or "flowerpot-bottom" shoes and "horseshoe-bottom" shoes. Its wooden heel is generally about 5- 10 cm high, some can reach 14- 16 cm, and the highest can reach about 25 cm. Usually wrapped in white cloth, and then embedded in the middle of the soles of the feet. The heel bottom usually has two shapes, one is that the top is open and the bottom is convergent, showing the shape of an inverted trapezoidal flowerpot. The other is thin at the top and wide at the bottom, flat at the front and round at the back, with the appearance and landing marks like horseshoes. The "flowerpot bottom" and "horseshoe bottom" are named after this, and they are also collectively called "high-top shoes". In addition to embroidered patterns or decorative pieces such as cicada butterflies on the vamp, there are often embroidery or beading on the parts of wood that cannot follow the ground. Some toes are decorated with ears made of silk thread, which is as long as the ground. The high-heeled wooden sole of this kind of shoes is extremely strong, and the upper is often broken, while the sole is still intact and can be reused. High-grade flag shoes are mostly worn by aristocratic young and middle-aged women over the age of thirteen or fourteen. Older women's flag shoes are mostly made of flat wood, which is called "flat shoes". The front end of the flag shoe is slightly cut to facilitate walking. I don't even wear it now.
Manchu people have the custom of "chopping wood to make shoes" since ancient times. There are different opinions about the origin of this kind of high-top shoes. One view is that Manchu women used to go up mountains to collect wild fruits, mushrooms and so on. In order to prevent insect bites, they tied wooden blocks to the soles, and later made increasingly sophisticated shoes and developed them into high-top shoes. There is also a legend that in order to cross a mud pond and recapture the city occupied by the enemy, the ancestors of the Manchu Dynasty learned the appearance of a white crane, tied high branches on their shoes, and finally won, achieving the goal of revenge and development. In order not to forget those tragic days, but also to commemorate the contribution of stilt wooden shoes, women put on these shoes and passed them down from generation to generation, becoming more and more exquisite and beautiful, and later they became like this.
Historically, Manchu men like to wear blue robes and jackets, with hair and braids behind their heads, domes and trousers. Women, on the other hand, like to wear straight cheongsam, comb a bow or "bun", wear a ring, hang a handkerchief around their waist, and wear patterned shoes. However, today's "cheongsam" is not the dress of Manchu women in history, but a fashion that absorbs western clothing cutting methods, which is very different from the dress of Manchu women in the past.
Manchu costumes once swept the country in the Qing Dynasty, and now they are the same as the Han nationality. Manchu women do not bind their feet, their shoes are embroidered with beautiful floral ornaments, and the center of the sole is padded with wooden heels with a height of 10 cm. Manchu women can walk with their heads held high and their waists swaying. The hairstyle of Manchu women has changed greatly. When they were girls, they simply pulled their hair back. When you grow up to get married, you should braid your hair and tie it in a bun. There are many kinds of hair styles after marriage, double bun and single bun. Double bun hairstyle combs the hair into two parts from the top of the head. The front bun is combed into a flat top for wearing a crown, and the back bun of the neck is combed into a dovetail shape, which is scattered behind the tibia to keep the neck straight all the time. Therefore, Manchu women are more noble and dignified when walking. The picture shows Manchu brides combing their wedding hairstyles. Cheongsam is a costume worn by Manchu men, women and children all year round. Simple cutting, round neck, wide front and back, narrow sleeves, four pieces of cutting, long seam, easy to get on and off the horse. Narrow sleeves facilitate archery. Because the cuff is attached with horseshoe sleeves, it is also called horseshoe sleeves. After the Manchu gradually got rid of riding and shooting career, horseshoe sleeves have become decorations, and putting down horseshoe sleeves is still the etiquette of Manchu to pay tribute to the elderly and respected people. Women's cheongsam is more decorative than men's cheongsam. The collar, front and cuffs are embroidered. With the changes of the times, the style of cheongsam has also changed greatly, and the four-piece cutting system has also been changed into a two-piece cutting system. Cheongsam can show women's figure and curve well. The picture shows the vest worn by Manchu women when wearing cheongsam coats. Embroidered with exquisite patterns. Manchu women dancing in the court in cheongsam. Men wearing traditional Manchu cheongsam include arrow sleeve robes and vests, as well as Manchu men's hats.
Civilian residence
In the past, there were shadow walls in the general yards of Manchu families, and there were "single poles" for immortals. Manchu traditional houses are generally divided into three rooms: west, middle and east, with the gate facing south. The west room is called the upper room in the west, the middle room is called the hall, and the east room is called the lower room in the east. There are three health in the west, namely, south, west and north. Xikanggui, Beikangda, Nankang Small. Visitors live in Xikang, elders live in Beikang, and younger generations live in Nankang.
custom
Manchu people honor their elders and pay attention to etiquette. When they meet elders on the road, they should bow sideways and wait for them to pass by. Not only the younger generation should greet the elders, but also the younger generation should greet the elders. When relatives and friends meet, in addition to shaking hands to say hello, some people will also say hello. During the Spring Festival, we should worship once every two years, once on the evening of the 30th, once on the New Year's Day, which is called welcoming the new year. Indoor Xikang is not allowed to sit and lie down and pile up sundries at will; Avoid beating, killing and eating dog meat; Guests who don't wear a dog skin hat or a dog skin mattress are forbidden to wear a dog skin hat or a dog skin sleeve.
Manchu people regard the Western Wall as a sacred place to worship their ancestors, and are not allowed to hang clothes and paste New Year pictures here. Xikang, commonly known as "Fokang", has an "ancestor board". It is forbidden for people, especially women, to sit and lie down casually. At ordinary times, Xikang does not allow guests to rest, and it is not allowed to put dog skin hats or whips here. Avoid beating, killing and eating dog meat; Guests who don't wear a dog skin hat or a dog skin mattress are forbidden to wear a dog skin hat or a dog skin sleeve.
Don't cross the tripod of the stove and fireplace, don't trample or sit down on the stove or fireplace at will; Do not bake feet, socks, shoes and boots on the stove mouth or pond; It is forbidden to throw leftover food, bones, fishbones, etc. Put it in a cooker or fireplace.
Manchu used to believe in Shamanism. Every year, according to different festivals, they worship heaven, gods and ancestors, mainly pigs and pig heads. When offering sacrifices to ancestors, pigs should be killed, especially when offering sacrifices to ancestors. Black pigs should not have miscellaneous hairs (some must also choose black pigs), and wine should be injected into pigs' ears before slaughter. If the pig's ears shake, it is considered that God has collected it and can kill it. This move is commonly known as the "collar sacrifice." In some places, pig intestines and pig bladders should be put in barrels and hung on poles for crows to eat. It will be lucky if they are eaten within three days. Then cut the whole pig into eight pieces, put it in a square plate as it is, and put it under the ancestral tablet on the western hill wall in the house. The family kowtowed bareheaded three times according to their generations, then chopped the meat and cooked it in a pot. The family sat together and ate it with salt. At this time, if there are guests, as long as they kowtow three times in front of the ancestral tablet, they can sit down and have dinner together. You're welcome after eating. Manchu people also have the habit of inviting neighbors and friends to taste the first bite of pork when they kill pigs. In the past, when the crops were ripe, Manchu people still had the habit of "recommending new crops" for sacrifice. Now it has been replaced by the custom of "tofu on the field, cake on the field", that is, when the grain is in the field, new beans are used to make tofu, and when the field is finished, new beans are used to make rhubarb rice or bean noodles to celebrate the bumper harvest. When young Manchu men and women get married, the bride must sit on Nankang first, which is also called "sitting on the blessing". It was not until the evening that a table was placed on the ground. The bride and groom walked around the table hand in hand for three times and then had a drink.
Daily diet custom
Manchu people eat three meals during busy farming hours and two meals during slack farming hours. The staple foods are mostly millet and sorghum rice, japonica rice and dried rice. I like to add adzuki beans or baked beans to rice, such as sorghum and dried rice with rice beans. In some areas, corn is the staple food, and corn flour is fermented into "sour soup". Manchu people in most parts of Northeast China also have the habit of eating plain rice, that is, after cooking sorghum rice or corn (rice+rice), wash it with clear water, then soak it in clear water, take it out when eating, and put it in a bowl, which is cool and delicious. This way of eating is mostly in summer. This kind of cake is made of sticky sorghum, sticky corn and yellow rice. , including bean flour cake, glutinous rice cake, soybean leaf cake, pineapple leaf cake, beef tongue cake, rice cake, boiled cake (jiaozi, China) and so on. Manchu cakes have a long history and became the staple food of the court in the Qing Dynasty. Among them, the most representative is the imperial meal "Chestnut Noodles Wowotou", also known as Xiaowotou. Saqima, a Manchu dim sum, has also become a famous pastry in China. The famous ones are the cakes of Qing Dongling, also known as the cakes of Qing Dongling, the cakes of Beijing snacks, the cakes of Chengde snacks in Hebei, and the cakes of lard snacks in Jingzhou, Hubei.
It is cold in winter in the north, and there are no fresh vegetables. Manchu people often eat sauerkraut (pickles) as their staple food in autumn and winter. It is said that the method of preserving vegetables began in Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty. Boiled white meat vermicelli with sauerkraut is a common dish for Manchu people after winter. Sauerkraut can be cooked, stewed, fried and eaten cold. Sauerkraut used in hot pot is unique. Side dishes can also be used to serve jiaozi. In Manchuria in the northeast, pickled sauerkraut can be eaten by every household until the next spring. In addition, daily vegetables include radishes and beans. Manchu people love to eat pork and often cook it in white. The restaurant in Shenyang, Liaoning Province is a Manchu restaurant with a history of 100 years. Its white meat and blood sausage is known as authentic Manchu flavor.
Manchu people have many dining customs and etiquette. For example, passers-by can share used cakes and meat, but generally they can't take them away, and they are not allowed to wipe their mouths after eating. When a family eats, the elders don't move chopsticks, and the younger generation never moves chopsticks; It is a habit to invite relatives, friends and neighbors to eat white meat and blood sausage when killing pigs in the New Year.
Ethnic food
Manchu people live in scattered places, and there are representative typical foods everywhere, mainly including:
1 white meat and blood sausage.
② Hot pot (traditional Manchu dishes)
③ Sour soup 9 is a typical food for Manchu people in Xiuyan, Liaoning)
(4) Qing Dongling Pastry (also known as Qing Dongling Pie). It was first used as an offering by the Qing emperor when he went to Dongling to worship his ancestors, so it was also called "sacrificial cake". When making sacrifices, there are dozens of cakes filled with fruit, such as fish cakes, spoon cakes, chrysanthemum cakes, batter cakes, fried Korean cakes, glutinous rice cakes, yellow rice cakes, seven-star cakes, egg cakes, buttermilk cakes, wild grape cakes and sorbet cakes. After the introduction of folk cakes, they are generally divided into two types: large and small. The pie is eight pieces per catty, commonly known as eight pieces of Qing Dongling; Cookies are sixteen pieces per catty, commonly known as eight pieces of Qing Dongling. The varieties of large and small cakes mainly include Taishi cake, muffin, rose cake, Longfeng cake, hawthorn peach and so on. There are also stuffing-free seven-star ideas, eight-point cakes, walnut cakes and crispy cakes.
traditional festival
Many festivals of Manchu are the same as those of Han nationality. There are mainly Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Yule Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditional sports activities such as "Pearl Ball", vault, camel jumping and skating are generally held during festivals.
Pigs should be killed on holidays, and two or three pigs should be killed in every family during the Spring Festival. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month (Laba Festival), eight kinds of food such as sticky sorghum and red beans are used to cook porridge, which is called Laba porridge. Eat jiaozi on New Year's Eve and put a white thread in the jiaozi. Whoever eats the white thread will live a long life. Some people put a copper coin in the jiaozi, which means they have money to spend in the new year. Besides, we should eat handmade meat and special snack Shaqima.
The Golden Festival is a day of "national celebration" for Manchu people. 1635 10 13, Huang taiji issued an imperial edict, officially changing the surname "nuzhen" to "Manchuria", which marked the formation of a new national identity.
1989 10, at the first Manchu culture seminar in Dandong, the annual 12.3 was officially designated as the "Golden Festival".
Golden Festival: It is the National Day of Manchu. 1635 Lunar New Year+10 On March 3rd, Huang Taiji issued an imperial edict, officially changing the surname "Nuzhen" to "Manchuria", which marked the formation of a new national identity. 1989 10, at the first Manchu culture seminar in Dandong, the annual 12.3 was officially designated as the "Golden Festival".
Shangyuan Festival: the 15th day of the first month, commonly known as "Lantern Festival". Manchu, like Han nationality, also has the custom of hanging lanterns and eating Yuanxiao.
Away from all diseases: a festival for Manchu women. Usually on the sixteenth day of the first month. That night, women in groups of three or five traveled far away, or went roller skating, or had fun, and were called "peers with all diseases."
February 2 nd: commonly known as "Dragon Rise Day". On the morning of the same day, Manchu people scattered kitchen ashes in the courtyard, and the ash road was curved like a dragon, so it was called "Zhao Long". Then a ceremony was held in the yard to pray for good weather. The whole family will eat "Longxu Noodles" and "Longlin cake". Women can't do needlework on this day.
Tomb-Sweeping Day: When going to the grave to pay homage to the ancestors, it is not the Han people who put money on the top of the grave after making paper money, but put a "Buddha flower" in the grave. "Frodo" is Manchu, which translates into "willow" or "willow branch" in Chinese. According to Manchu belief, willow is the ancestor of man, and man is the descendant of willow. In order to show that there are successors, willows should be inserted in the grave.
Dragon Boat Festival: Manchu people eat zongzi and row dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival, and the customs are the same as those of Han people.
Mid-Autumn Festival: The Manchu people take July 15 as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also regarded as a "ghost festival" to turn over the dead. At that time, temples all over the country will set up Dojo, burn lamps to chant Buddhist scriptures and hold various ceremony of crossing over.
Mid-Autumn Festival: Manchu families also eat "reunion dinner" in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Besides, when the moon rises, there will be a moon. That is, a wooden screen is placed on the east and west side of the courtyard, and cockscomb, soybean branches and fresh lotus roots are hung on the screen for the use of moon rabbits. There is a square table in front of the screen with a big moon cake on it. When offering sacrifices, women worship first, and men worship later.
Laba Festival: Manchu people soak "Laba vinegar" and cook "Laba meat" on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. In addition to the food for the whole family, it should also be distributed to relatives and friends.
Off-year: Manchu people have the same off-year customs as Han people. The 23rd of the twelfth lunar month is a "small year". At that time, every household would sacrifice to the kitchen god, commonly known as "sending the kitchen god"