Mei Shan Make Peace Drama (和梅山傩)

Mei Shan ceremonial drama is a type of religious activities meant for entertaining human and spirits alike. While a ‘make peace’ drama refers to an enactment of drama through rituals to make peace between spirits and human. There are three stages in having a make peace drama:

1.      To congregate spirits into an altar

2.      Performance drama to entertain spirits and human

3.      To make peace with spirits

Local folks think Mei Shan spirits are easily annoyed and once they are disturbed, these unforgiving spirits would create problems to human kind. So, a pacification ceremony is necessary.

In this ritual a magician (师公) would sing:

“弟郎手把和神诀，梅山殿内去和神。巧言细语来和会，莫把恶言去伤人。”

(Brother is making a make peace mudra in Mei Shan hall to make peace. Let us talk softly to make peace and let us not talk bad and hurt others.)

The first step is to evoke the Mei Shan spirits (请神). In the evocation process a magician would hold a ritual staff: (http://magicseacollection.blogspot.com/2015/04/yao-priest-ritual-staff.html) in his right hand and then burns the talisman of Mei Shan King Hu (梅山胡大王) and then walks the below steps:

The second step is making sacrifices (祭神):

In this step, 5 sets of offerings are made to the 5 uncontrollable ones (五猖). The magician would disguise as the Mei Shan King and his assistants as the 5 uncontrollable ones. They would engage in a conversation similar to the below:

The master sings:

东路梅山你在东方座，青旗青号座东方；

南路梅山你在南方座，赤旗赤号座南方；

西路梅山你在西方座，白旗白号座西方；

北路梅山你在北方座，黑旗黑号座北方；

中路梅山你在中央座，黄旗黄号座中央。

孟公五猖、阴师寨长齐请座，五路坛神座五方，

左脚盘沙来塞海，右脚盘沙塞海门，

上塞黄河七个孔，下塞冥江两洞江，

唱在此句收了韵，锣鼓丢在九霄云。

(Mei Shan on east route, your flag is green sitting at east;

Mei Shan on south route, your flag is red sitting at south;

Mei Shan on west route, your flag is white sitting at west;

Mei Shan on north route, your flag is black sitting at north;

Mei Shan on central route, your flag is yellow sitting at the center.

All spirits of 5 directions please take your seats...)

The master then says: “Are you 5 pigs here already?”

The 5: “Yes. We are all here.”

The master takes up a cup of wine and sings:

一杯酒，亮清清，今夜在此陪梅神，

陪得梅崽梅孙哈哈笑，保护香主得安宁。

(A cup of wine pure and bright, tonight I accompany Mei spirits until the sprits laugh happily and hence protecting the owner in peace.)

He then takes up the rest of the 5 cups and do the same as above.

The master then asks:

“From where should I start making offerings?”

The 5: “From the east…”

The master (sings):

坛前饮了一杯酒，我将一字说分明，

一字省写一条龙，一心可以敬神灵，

一心敬过神灵后，保佑香主永安宁。

(I have drunk a cup of wine in front of the altar, I shall speak clearly and I shall not be long winded. One heartedly I respect the spirits, after that the spirits shall protect the owner.)

The third step is to meet military (会兵):

Now the master sings:

汝问九夷是何名，我将九夷道原因。

昔日轩辕传天下，收伏九黎为九夷。

大夷子夷与方夷，黄夷朱夷与玄夷。

白夷风夷并羌夷，九夷名字要得知。

领兵先锋名布德，青旗青号木城兵。

东震青州兵马至，黄郎领兵到来齐。

(You ask who the 9 barbarians are? I shall tell you their origins:

It was when the Xuan Yuan Emperor united the world,

He subdued the 9 Li tribes and they became the 9 barbarians.

They are so called: Big, small, square, yellow, red, black, white, wind and qiang.

You should know all their names. The pioneer is called ‘Bu De’ (布德), the green flag is the wood soldiers. The armies from the Qing state have arrived, they are led by Mr. Yellow…)

Following that, the master would dispatch the military (差兵) while singing and making below mudra:

弟子

不差兵来兵不动，马不披鞍马不行。

取下朱盔带铁帽，解下罗裙系铁裙。

东西槽头牵战马，南北营中选雄兵。

长枪丈二朱红竿，短枪八尺戴红缨。

或使刀来刀一把，或使枪来枪一根。

或使弯弓三尺六，插上狼牙箭九根。

巽风回避排四面，金瓜钺斧两边分。

百般军器点齐了，炮火连天出阵门。

……

(Your disciple:

If I do not command the military, they will not move.

They have taken off their red clothing and put on their armours.

They have chosen their war horses and their brave soldiers.

They have chosen their weapons.

Everything is readied for war…)

The final part of the drama is about making peace. In some places, the above ritual can take from a few hours to one whole day to be completed.

Sad to say, as time passes, this type of ceremonial drama is becoming things of the past as no one is willing to spend time learning up this difficult and time consuming art.