The Gelao people are an ethnic group with an inextricable bond with "iron." For generations, they have mined mountains, smelted ores, and forged metals, developing a "golden eye" for finding ore veins and honing their skills in ironworking. Their weapons are so sharp and their tools so handy that people from other ethnic groups affectionately call them the "ironworking Gelao." In their ancient song "Narrating the Origins," they have created the glorious image of a towering ethnic hero - the iron bull spirit "Nayue," described as being made entirely of iron with immense strength, "flattening mountains, collapsing rocks, toppling trees, crushing houses, knocking down people, and making mud fly when struck." This elusive "iron bull" has forcefully transformed its rough, black, and sturdy image into a symbol, becoming a proud identity and title for an ethnic group. Since then, iron smelting, casting, and forging have become traditional crafts passed down through generations in some Gelao families, becoming their unique skills for making a living.
The Gelao people use mythical stories to explain their mysterious relationship with iron. In the sixth chapter of their ancient song "Narrating the Origins," titled "Mining and Smelting Iron," it details the inseparable origins between the ancestors and iron: The ancestor Ali, guided by the "Golden Moth," discovered iron ore. He dug up the ore sand, found craftsmen, and pioneered this great smelting production.
Iron tools and utensils are constant companions of the Gelao people, inseparable from their daily lives. Used year after year, touched day and night, these ordinary objects seem to have gained divine power and spirit. They not only boil water, cook food, plow fields, slaughter cattle and pigs, hunt beasts, and catch fish, but are also effective tools for expelling plagues, driving away ghosts, exorcising demons, and resolving disasters and difficulties. Therefore, using these common objects to endow both the tools and their users with a kind of supernatural "divinity" to solve certain unsolvable life and existential problems is perhaps an effective extraordinary means. For example, climbing knife ladders, retrieving objects from oil pots, passing through fire beds, and "sliding down plowshares" are ways to expel evil spirits and disasters through "dancing as a shaman." Thus, originally ordinary tools become imbued with the mystery of primitive sorcery.
The Nuo ritual skill of "Killing the Plowshare"
In the thousand-year-old county of Wuchuan, in the Gelao-inhabited areas around the Zhuo River, a shamanic activity called "Killing the Plowshare" (also known as "Sha Hua" or "Sliding Down the Red Plowshare") is still prevalent. It is a shamanic activity where a priest (shaman) is invited to forcefully expel ghosts, plagues, and diseases with fierce fire when someone is plagued by illness, suffering from a long-term ailment, or when the household is disturbed by evil spirits. The specific procedure is as follows: The iron plowshare used for plowing fields is heated with charcoal fire until it's red-hot. The shaman, while chanting incantations, steps on the red-hot iron plowshare with feet cushioned by several pieces of grass paper that have absorbed foot sweat from being placed in shoes beforehand, along with ashes from burnt sacrificial paper money. During the performance, as soon as the shaman's foot touches the plowshare, it makes a sizzling sound and emits blue smoke. This is not even the climax; immediately after, the shaman spits strong alcohol and pours tung oil onto the red-hot plowshare to fuel the fire. In an instant, flames leap high from the plowshare, blue smoke curls upward, and sizzling sounds continue. The shaman then holds the burning plowshare with bare hands, "charging and killing" in all directions, constantly moving around while emitting shrill cries. Spectators are often frightened, screaming and retreating to avoid it. The scorching plowshare, curling smoke, burning flames, and the shaman "in a trance state" stepping on or holding it with bare hands and feet is no different from "climbing a mountain of knives and diving into a sea of fire." The entire scene is extremely dangerous and terrifying, making people's hearts race and their heads spin, filled with an eerie and violent atmosphere, perfectly achieving the purpose of "killing the plowshare." After the ritual is over, the shaman emerges unharmed, leaving people in awe and wonder.
The Nuo ritual skill of "Killing the Plowshare"
There are also other thrilling shamanic activities such as "climbing knife ladders," "burning oil threads," and "fork flipping." Neighboring ethnic groups have similar performances with slight variations, sharing the same origins and purposes as "killing the plowshare." They all aim to dispel disasters, avoid calamities, and exorcise demons, demonstrating the shaman's extraordinary skills in communicating between the human, ghost, and divine realms. These are most prominently featured in Gelao Nuo operas, with high performative value and a strong sense of mystery. Such feats cannot be achieved without considerable skill.
"Climbing knife ladders," also called "ascending knife ladders" or "treading on knives," involves arranging 12, 36, or 72 sharp blades at equal distances on both sides of a long, upright wooden pole, with the blade edges facing upward, forming a ladder-like structure. The shaman, holding an ox horn and chanting incantations, walks barefoot on the sharp blades, step by step, reaching the top of the pole, completing a series of rituals, and then descending step by step. "Fork flipping" involves a shaman throwing 19 steel forks at another shaman playing the role of a demon, aiming at the throat, head, chest, groin, and other parts of the body. The other shaman catches them with one hand, making it extremely dangerous. "Burning oil threads" involves boiling vegetable oil in a pot. After the altar master enters with the master's knife, a relative or friend brings the boiling oil. The altar master carries it steadily around the venue while singing, then asks the host what they need. The host or relatives answer with their desires, such as horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, five grains, cotton, gold and silver treasures, and children. Based on the answers, the altar master takes paper balls from his bosom, representing treasures. These "treasures" are said to be eggs laid by the Jade Emperor's golden-winged bird, which can transform into whatever humans need, but they must be "turned in fire" in the oil pot to become effective. As the "treasure" enters the pot, the altar master sings, others join in, and gongs and drums play intensely. When the singing reaches "A zhang-long river of fire rises," someone quickly passes a bowl of wine. The altar master takes a mouthful of the burning alcohol and forcefully spits it into the oil pot, causing flames to surge up. The audience cheers in excitement and amazement. This process is repeated several times. Meanwhile, another altar master continuously performs divination. When the fire-spitting stops, skilled members of the altar troupe embrace the red-hot altar with both hands, moving it from the lower corner of the house to its original position. If it's not placed correctly, divination is performed to adjust it until it's properly aligned. Artists call this performance "Yin merit."
"Climbing knife ladders" performance
The Nuo ritual skill of "Dancing with the Master's Knife"
