Tracing The Origin Of "Flower-Drum Dance" Under The Consciousness Of Phoenix Worship

The Flower-drum Dance is a portrayal of the folk customs and cultural beliefs in the Huaihe River Basin.The Phoenix is an oriental bird symbolizing Chinese civilization.The Flower-drum Dance song and dance culture and the Phoenix totem culture grow and spread in the context of Chinese culture.Chinese culture is closely related to agricultural civilization.The farming nation takes the sun bird as its totem,and the Phoenix has become the representative of rice farming in the south.The Flower-drum Dance is produced in the unique farming culture of the Huaihe River Basin,which contains the spirit and content of phoenix worship.Taking Flower-drum Dance as the research object,this paper discusses the dance meaning of Flower-drum Dance under the consciousness of phoenix worship.The first part is the seasonal consciousness of bird messenger and "Flower-drum Dance".Sun bird worship and bird phenology are important parts in the historical context of phoenix worship.In the era of farming,birds are not only the messenger of the sun,but also the messenger of people communicating between heaven and earth.Bird phenology plays an important role in farming and other activities.Under the phoenix worship consciousness of bird messenger and bird phenology,the Flower-drum Dance in the Huaihe River Basin reflects the spiritual meaning of "reaching the sky toward the sun" and "the seasonal consciousness" of sun bird.The second part is the ancestor worship of Phoenix and "Flower-drum Dance".Aeolus worship and ancestor worship are important parts of phoenix worship culture.Under the farming culture,the Phoenix is regarded as Aeolus,and connects the Phoenix with the ancestral God of the family.Therefore,the phoenix also has the meaning of ancestral God.Under the phoenix worship consciousness of Aeolus worship and ancestor worship,Flower-drum Dance reflects the three-tier life connotation of "life guarantee","life well-being" and "life continuity" through the social functions of praying for a good harvest,begging with lanterns and worshipping ancestors for children.The third part is the auspiciousness and virtue of Phoenix and "Flower-drum Dance".The connotation of Phoenix auspiciousness and virtue is the embodiment of the prosperity of phoenix worship culture.Phoenix is called auspicious bird.When its auspicious meaning is applied to the personal level,Phoenix becomes a virtuous bird,which is compared to the character of a gentleman.Under the phoenix worship culture of auspiciousness and virtue,the Flower-drum Dance presents the connotation of "good fortune".Its auspicious meaning is reflected in three aspects: color,"song" and "dance" auspiciousness.The fourth part is the affection of "prosperity brought by the dragon and the phoenix" and "Flower-drum Dance".The affection of Phoenix is an important part of phoenix worship culture.The meaning of Phoenix’s auspiciousness extends to people’s love,and there is a love bird symbolizing love,happiness and harmony."prosperity brought by the dragon and the phoenix" is used to describe the love of couples in pairs and harmony between husband and wife.It is also reflected in the male and female roles of "orchid flowers" and "drum racks" of Flower-drum Dance.Moreover,through the action terms named by birds,the dance posture of "three curves" and the duet performance of "small garden",the Flower-drum Dance expresses the emotional meaning of the harmony of yin and Yang and the blending of North and South contained in the "prosperity brought by the dragon and the phoenix".The four parts discuss the phoenix worship culture,from far to near,the divinity of the Phoenix gradually fades.From the sun god bird,Aeolus and ancestor god in the Pre-Qin Dynasty and before to the auspicious bird,virtue bird and love bird after the Han and Tang Dynasties,its cultural connotation is also evolving and enriching.The Flower-drum Dance in the Huaihe River Basin all contains the factors and essence of phoenix worship culture.Under the phoenix worship consciousness of bird messenger and bird phenology,Aeolus and ancestor worship,Phoenix auspiciousness and virtue,"prosperity brought by the dragon and the phoenix",Flower-drum Dance in the Huaihe River Basin reflects the spiritual meaning of four aspects,including "reaching the sky toward the sun" and "the seasonal consciousness","life guarantee","life well-being","life continuity",the connotation of "good fortune","the harmony of yin and Yang" and "the blending of North and South".