I am Dachen. Today, I want to talk to you about a magical topic: the relationship between Nuo and epidemic. This topic may sound a bit mysterious, but believe me, it is much more interesting than you think.
What is Nuo? Simply put, it is a ritual to drive away ghosts and epidemics in ancient times. As we all know, epidemics are the infectious diseases that terrify people. These two seemingly unrelated things are inextricably linked.
The first time I came into contact with Nuo culture was during a trip to the countryside. It was a remote mountain village. At the entrance of the village stood a shabby stone tablet with the three words "Nuo Opera Stage" crookedly engraved on it. I was curious and asked the old man in the village. The old man said to me slowly: "Nuo Opera is to drive away ghosts and avoid epidemics."
This sentence piqued my interest. Exorcising ghosts and avoiding epidemics? Isn't this the ancient version of epidemic prevention measures? So, I began an exploration journey about Nuo and epidemics.
Turning over the pages of history, I found that Nuo culture has a long history. There is a record in "Shi Ming": "Epidemic means war. It means that there are ghosts spreading epidemics." This sentence simply and clearly expresses the ancient people's understanding of epidemics - it is ghosts causing trouble.
Think about it, in the era when science was not yet developed, people would naturally attribute sudden and unknown diseases to the effects of mysterious forces. And Nuo is a weapon to fight against this mysterious force.
There is a more interesting record in the Book of the Later Han: "One day before the twelfth lunar month, there is a big Nuo dance, which is called driving away the epidemic." Isn't this the ancient version of exorcising evil spirits on New Year's Eve? The only difference is that now we set off firecrackers, but the ancients performed the Nuo dance.
But Nuo is not just a ritual, it is also a culture and a spirit. In the world of Nuo, diseases are no longer cold viruses or bacteria, but vivid "epidemic ghosts". "Han Jiu Yi" says: "Zhuanxu had three sons, who became epidemic ghosts when they died. One lived in the river and was a cruel ghost; one lived in the water and was a ghost in the two regions; one lived in the corners of people's palaces and was good at scaring children."
This description made me laugh. The ancients had a rich imagination, describing the epidemic as three naughty "ghost boys", one who liked to swim in the river, one who liked to play in the creek, and one who liked to hide in the corner of the house to scare children. This description not only makes people feel friendly, but also reduces the fear of the epidemic.
However, Nuo culture is not static. As time goes by, people's understanding of epidemic diseases is constantly deepening. In the Qin and Han dynasties, a new view began to emerge - the "epidemic qi theory".
Both Lüshi Chunqiu and Liji mentioned that the occurrence of epidemics is related to the rotation of the four seasons. If people's behavior does not conform to the laws of the seasons, it will lead to "evil and plague air rampant" and cause epidemics. This view has actually touched upon the relationship between the environment and epidemics. Although it is still vague, it is already a great progress.
What’s more interesting is that this view also links epidemics with morality. The Treatise on the Origin and Symptoms of Various Diseases says: “What is called evil is unhealthy qi. The qi and blood of the human organs are considered healthy qi. Wind, cold, heat, dampness, demons, monsters, and spirits are all considered evil.” The “healthy qi” here not only refers to physical health, but also includes the meaning of morality.
This view was further developed in later medical works. Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty , emphasized in his Qianjin Fang: "Those who are good at cultivating their nature can cure diseases before they occur. This is the meaning. Therefore, those who cultivate their nature should not only take medicine and eat elixirs, but also practice all kinds of virtues. If all kinds of virtues are complete, even if they don't take medicine, they can live a long life. If they don't have good virtues, even if they take elixirs, they can't prolong their life."
These words are really thought-provoking. Sun Simiao tells us that to prevent diseases, we must not only take care of our bodies, but also cultivate our character. Even if we don't take medicine, as long as we have a noble character, we can live a long life; on the contrary, even if we take the best tonics, it is difficult to prolong our life if we have bad behavior.
This view of linking disease with morality has continued into modern times. In 1878, there was an article titled "On Avoiding Epidemics and Protecting One's Body" in the "Wan Guo Gong Bao", which mentioned two methods of epidemic prevention: one is "self-cultivation" and the other is "health care". "Self-cultivation" means "reading maxims diligently, alerting one's mind internally, doing good deeds happily, and encouraging oneself to improve oneself externally"; while "health care" means "eating vegetables and vegetable soup to nourish the stomach and intestines".
Seeing this, I couldn't help but laugh. It turns out that in the eyes of the ancients, being a vegetarian and doing good deeds was also a way to prevent the disease. Although this view seems a bit superstitious today, it has to be said that it has played a positive role in maintaining social moral order.
Of course, not everyone agrees with this view. Cao Zhi, who lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, questioned the idea that "ghosts and gods caused the epidemic." In his article "On Epidemic Qi," he insisted that the epidemic was caused by "yin and yang being out of place, cold and heat being out of season," rather than ghosts and gods. He bluntly said that the practice of "hanging talismans to ward off evil" was "ridiculous."
Cao Zhi's view can be said to be a flash of ancient scientific thought. Although he did not know the existence of viruses and bacteria, he had realized the relationship between epidemics and the natural environment, which was undoubtedly a great progress.
Looking back on this period of history, I can't help but sigh: the relationship between Nuo and epidemics reflects the wisdom and helplessness of the ancients in the face of diseases. They used myths to explain the origin of epidemics, used moral cultivation to prevent diseases, and used Nuo dance rituals to drive away epidemic ghosts. Although these practices seem a bit absurd today, they were important weapons for people to fight against diseases at that time.
More importantly, this idea of linking disease with morality and natural laws actually contains profound ecological wisdom. It reminds us that health is not just a personal matter, but is also closely related to the entire society and the natural environment.
Today, we have entered a new era of advanced science and technology. We know that epidemics are caused by viruses and bacteria, not "ghosts and gods". However, the wisdom left by the ancients is still worth our deep consideration. While paying attention to scientific epidemic prevention, should we also pay attention to moral cultivation? While pursuing personal health, should we also pay attention to the health of the entire society? While fighting against diseases, should we also think about how to live in harmony with nature?
This is my thinking on the relationship between Nuo and epidemics. It is not only an interesting piece of history, but also a mirror that reflects our complex relationship with diseases and nature. In this era of epidemics, perhaps we need such thinking even more.
Finally, let us end today's topic with an old saying: "Harmony brings peace, while discord brings disaster."
