Climbing a Ladder of Knives
上刀梯
Climbing a ladder of knives is the traditional performance and customs of the Miaos. It is a unique traditional sport game of the Miaos and held on the festival occasions or the important days of worshipping the ancestors or the gods. About the game there is a touching story. In the ancient times there was an orphan of the Miaos named Zhang Yu. One day he went out for living and fell down out of conscious under a big mulberry because of starvation. He was saved and brought up by an old man with the surname of Long of the Miaos. Zhang Yu had dark brows, big eyes and he was tall and strong so people called him affectionately ”Long Zhangiang”. One year, it was suddenly winding and thundering hard. The sand and the stones were flying in the air, which made the eyes of Old Uncle Long and many of the villagers blind. It was lucky that Zhanglang went out to cut firewood and shielded himself into a cave then. Long Zhanglang was very angry and worried and went about to look for the prescription to cure the eyes of his fellowmen. When he heard of that the dews on the moon could clear the eyes and make them see again he was determined to fetch. But how to go to the moon? Then he got an idea to insert the knives into the tree horizontally as a ladder. Six days later, the paper umbrella full of big and round dews of the moon fell down from the sky. The suffered people could see again but long Zhanglang had never returned. The Miaos began the practice from then on in order to memorize the hero.
苗家人上刀梯又名爬刀梯或踩刀梯，是苗族传统的民俗表演节目。上刀梯是苗族独特的传统体育技艺，凡喜庆节日和重要祭祀，苗家人都要举行上刀梯活动。上刀梯活动有一个优美动人的传说。在上古时代，有位苗家孤儿名叫张羽，有一天，他外出谋生，饿倒在大桑树下，被苗家龙姓的老爹救活并抚养成人。他浓眉大眼，体躯魁梧，人们都亲昵地称他“龙张郎”。有一年，突然风雷交加、飞沙走石，把龙老爹和很多苗寨同胞的眼睛迷瞎了。幸亏张郎上山砍柴，急忙躲进岩洞免遭灾难。龙张郎又气又急，到处寻觅医治眼睛的药方。听说月亮上的露水可洗亮眼睛，他就下定决心，上天去取。可是该怎么上去呢?龙张郎想出了把刀横插在树干上当作天梯的办法。六天后，天上落下龙张郎那把沾满又圆又明的月亮露水的纸伞，欢呼的人们重见了光明，而龙郎再也没有回来。苗家人为纪念这位英雄，从那时起，就开始了上刀梯的盛大活动。、
The game is held three times every year. It is held in the first month of the lunar year, on the eighth day of the fourth moon and the “autumn harvest". Every game has its special meaning. The game on the fifteenth of the first moon means to send off the old and welcome the new in order to pray for good luck and great prosperity. The game on the eighth of the fourth moon means to worship the heroes and their courages. It is held on the "autumn harvest festival" meaning to celebrate the harvest and express their happiness. Before the game starts, all the Fathers who take part in the rituals speak the incantation around the wood post and do the rituals led by the ritual controller. After it, the former young Father of the Miaos begins climbing the ladder of knives. He climbs the ladder from the bottom step by step to the top and performs his unique skills on the top of it and blows the horn to show that the rituals are successful. Then the test ends and the anchor admits that the rituals and the test of the ladder successfully. Climbing a ladder of knives is the excellent skill of the Miaos. Still it expresses the brave spirit of the Miaos who are not afraid of danger, difficulties and meet the difficulties head-on.
上刀梯活动，苗家人每年要举行三次。分别定于农历的正月、“四月八”与“赶秋节”举行。并且各次都有其特定的含义。正月十五元宵节前后举行，是为送旧迎新，求得来年大吉大利;“四月八”，这是苗家人为祭祀英雄、激励斗志;“赶秋节”，是为欢度丰收，表达内心的喜悦。在上刀梯之前，由法事主持人带领所有参加法事的老司，围绕木柱吟咒语，做法事。法事结束后，就由前届的年青苗老司开始上刀梯。从第一把刀开始，一节一节往上爬，一直上到最顶端，然后在上面表演一些绝技功夫，并吹动三番牛角号。表示法事成功，考验结束，主持法师承认上刀梯的技术过关。上刀梯虽然是苗族苗民的高超技艺，也表现了苗族人民不畏艰险，不怕困难，迎难而上的勇敢精神。
In order to see clearly, the ground of the game is usually on a spacious lawn but a little higher on fringe. A more than 5 zhangs high round post is set in the middle of the lawn. On it carefully carved are the pictures of the dragons flying in the air and some other colorful patterns. 36 sharp broad swords are inserted horizontally on the post with same intervals and with edges of them up from bottom to the top. On the top of the wood post two square yellow flags are put tiltedly. Beside the post, there is an eight-zhang-wide-and-two-zhang-long wood rack with 36 knives inserted vertically and the points of them up. Before the game the points and edges of the knives are covered with gunny. The air is serious and solemn.
为了方便人们观看，上刀梯的活动场地一般都选在四周稍高、中间宽阔的大草坪。那根五丈余高的圆型木柱巍然耸立在草坪的正中。木柱上经过精心砾刻青龙腾云雾的图案与五颜六色的花纹；三十六把锋利的长刀，刃口朝上，从下往上按照相同距离整齐地横插于柱上。柱的顶端，斜插着两面四方黄旗。木柱旁边，是一个八丈宽、两丈长的木架，架上竖直插着三十六柄白刃朝天的尖刀。活动开始前，刀尖、刀口都用麻布密封着，气氛严肃、庄重。
While climbing the ladder, the young boy of the Miaos stretches his arms and legs, with the palms putting together above the head. After dancing a while bare-handedly and bare-footedly he begins climbing the ladder step by step treading on the edges of the knives. On the way to the top he make post to show his strength Upon reaching the top he takes a horn out of his waist and blows with the face up. Then people begin singing and dancing. Just down from the ladder the young man steps onto the rack with knives and stepping on the points of the knives carefully with the underside of the arch. He turns around whenever he steps on a knife as if walking on the plain ground. Then the young men and women strive to climb the ladder and the rack like the butterflies flying in the air. The lions and dragon lanterns go into the ground led by the arhat in the cheers of "wohu, wohu" and perform the ladder dance. Just then the maiden of the Miaos appears gracefully and the eyes of the people turn to and fix at the bottom of the post. The girl takes off her shoes and stocks, stretches her arms gently and then climbs on the ladder and performs various beautiful movements with the ringing of the jewelry on her clothes. Her performance is beautiful, airy and graceful, which arouses people cheers all the time.
上刀梯时，苗家小伙子舒臂踢腿，合掌指天，光手赤脚，舞蹈一阵后，一级级踏刃向上攀登。中途向人们展示刚健的姿态。上到顶端，便从腰间拿出一只弯牛角，仰天吹奏，人们欢呼雀跃，载歌载舞。小伙儿刚下刀梯，又踏上刀架，用脚心踩着刀尖，每踩一只，就旋转一周，如履平地。随后，青年男女也一个接一个争相上刀梯、踩刀尖，像蝴蝶翻飞一样。在“呢吼呢吼”的阵阵欢呼声中，狮子、龙灯在罗汉的引导下，带着吉祥进人刀梯场，开始表演伴刀梯舞。在酣歌狂舞中苗家少女款款出场，大家的目光一齐盯着刀梯脚边，只见少女脱下鞋袜，轻展双臂，而后登上刀梯接连展示各种优美造型，满身金银玉器在半空叮叮作响。其姿态洒脱飘逸而又不失柔美，轻灵的动作令人赞叹不已。
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