Five or six thousand years ago, the Neolithic dance pottery pots were unearthed, which showed the world the neat formation of primitive dance and its characteristics of group and self-entertainment. From the ancient legend: "The emperor has eight sons, and it begins with singing and dancing", it can be seen that the creators of singing and dancing are groups.
In order to maintain and prolong life, human beings must create material wealth and spiritual wealth through labor. In order to breed, human beings must have children. Therefore, labor and reproduction are the most basic and important social activities of human beings. Dance deeply rooted in human life will inevitably reflect the content of labor and reproduction.
The tail image in the dancing pottery basin is not only a reflection of hunting labor life, but also a relic of totem worship. Totem is the symbol and protector of clan, so people worship it.
The huge reproductive worship rock paintings in Hutubi, Xinjiang shocked the world archaeological community. It clearly shows the strong desire of mankind to pray for future generations and clan prosperity. Under the image of male and female intercourse, there are two groups of children who dance neatly and wildly. They are the hope and future of mankind. The legendary ancient music is full of mystery. Because it is characterized by the integration of song, dance and music, it is called "primitive music and dance" by later generations.
Primitive music and dance are basically divided into two categories: one is music that reflects the tribal production and lifestyle, such as Zhu Xiangqu, which is about seeking rain because of drought; Joy in Kang Yin is a music and dance for keeping fit and eliminating dampness. "Yi Zhi Xi" reflects the desire of ancestors to pray for a bumper harvest with "La Worship"; The Joy of Ge depicts the life of our ancestors when they entered the stage of agricultural production. Second, music closely related to the legendary ancient emperors, such as music and dance in praise of Huangdi, Zhuan Xu, Yao Di, Shun Di and his achievements.
The content of music and dance in this period embodies the human existence behavior and the mentality of pursuing nature. For example, in the music and dance of "The Music of Songs": "Three people fuck oxtails and cast their feet with songs." Among the eight songs mentioned, "Carrying the People" is a praise for the land that inherits heaven and carries the people; The black bird is a totem that worships the clan-a black bird with auspicious meaning; "Sui Caomu" wishes lush vegetation; "Divide the grain" and pray for a bumper harvest; "Respect for heaven" praises the gift of heaven; "The Good Earth" praises the mercy of heaven; Idid praised the cultivation of the earth; The Extreme of the Total Beasts prayed to God to give more birds and beasts to make people live and work in peace and contentment. In many documents about primitive times, not only the general form of music at that time was recorded, but also some musical instruments were involved. For example, "Lu Chunqiu Ancient Music" mentioned: In the ancient Zhu Xiang period, not only the wind and sand were heavy, but also the climate was very dry, the vegetation was scattered and the seeds did not bear fruit; At this time, a wise man named Starr made a banjo to pray for rain to help people live a stable life. Among them, "banjo" can be inferred as a representative instrument of primitive times.
Of course, there are also many musical relics that have been circulated and unearthed throughout the ages, which can prove that China has a long history of musical culture. For example, in 1985, archaeologists excavated 25 vertical bone flutes at the Neolithic site in the east of Jia Hu Village, Wuyang, Henan Province. Experts measured one of the ancient flutes and proved that the sound it produced was a complete seven-tone series. According to the determination of carbon 14, these bone flutes are about 8000 years ago, which shows that our ancestors had the concept of pitch very early. In addition, among the unearthed primitive musical instruments, the largest number is Yu, whose shape is usually oval, flat-bottomed, with a blowhole and one or more sound holes. Primitive period also provides sufficient examples for studying the formation of ancient scales. People in China often call themselves "descendants of dragons".
Dragon is an imaginary animal created by our ancestors. It is a symbol of divine power and good luck. Its shape is a collection of totem shapes of many nationalities. It shows that different clans in ancient China created the image of dragon in the process of continuous union, merger and integration. Therefore, the dragon can be regarded as a symbol of the Chinese nation.
Dragon-shaped mussels were found in the tombs of Hongshan Culture site in western Liaoning more than 5,000 years ago. Because of its huge shape and vivid image, it is known as "the first dragon in China". As early as more than 3,000 years ago, there was the word "dragon" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty. There are many ways to write the word "dragon". One Oracle bone says, "Ten people saw dragons in the field, and it rained again."
From Han and Tang dynasties to Ming and Qing dynasties, there are countless records about dragons, and there is still a folk custom of dancing dragons for rain. During the festival, Chinese communities in China and around the world have different styles of dragon dance activities. For example, gorgeous painted dragons, venetian dragons composed of blossoming lotus flowers, fire dragons with incense and fire in their mouths, meat dragons and human dragons composed of human bodies, continuous board dragons connected by wooden boards, and small paper dragons, Duan Long dragons, bench dragons and hand dragons. Dragon dance has become a symbol of China's national spirit.