Hangzhou rope technology: Maritime Silk Road came the Indian magic

Clear "detailed description of Strange Tales"

Wang Yongping

In the 14th century travel to Morocco traveler Ibn Baitu Tai (1304-1377) in Hangzhou, visit a magic magic - through the sea, this magic is through the sea Silk Road from India , And spread to Japan and Europe and other parts of the world, as cross-cultural exchange in a lifelike art example.

Hangzhou rope technology: Ibn Battuta's magic magic

Ibn Battuta is a famous medieval traveler. He traveled to China in the Yuan Dynasty to six years to eight years (1346-1349), and left a record in the book "Ibn Battuta Travels". He is from the sea Silk Road to Quanzhou, and the sea north to reach Hangzhou. He was warmly welcomed by the Archon in Hangzhou and held a grand banquet for him, during which he performed a wonderful magic: I saw the magician throwing the rope in the air, the rope will be soared until the rope ends in the air. And then he let the apprentice line up the rope, crawling and crawling is gone. The magician shouted three times, but no one agreed. So he was angry to take a knife, the rope and on, but also disappeared. For a while the child was dumped eight pieces, lost down. After the magician is also panting, covered with blood and volley, bowed down in front of the consul. The consul commanded him. He put the child's body together to pick up together, kick with a kick, the child will be unscathed to stand up. Ibn's frightened, when someone comforted him, said: "What is any vacated, floor of the stump, is just a tricks!"

This magic is made up of rope - dismemberment two parts. Pu Songling in the "Strange Tales" also recorded a roughly the same story "stealing peach", in the main plot and Ibrahim's see a similar height, such as performers are throwing rope in the air, There is a child of the limbs and then continue the plot, so there is a clear relationship between the two; but in the specific details of the portrayal and slightly different, such as the increase in the sweeping plot, a rope - stealing peach - dismemberment mode, the other The performer was changed from the mentor to the father and son, and the child was dismembered by the father of the rope, but because of the peach in the temple for the "supervisor" was found to be dismembered, so that more in line with the Chinese people The concept of ethical affection.

Obviously, from the magical magic in the eyes of Ibn al-Tutu to Pu Songling's "secret peach" story, there should be a transitional stage in the middle, this stage in the Ming Dynasty.

Fang Shuo Tao peach law: the Ming Dynasty peach robe rope a large number of emerging

The Ming Dynasty emerged a large number of stories of the peach-like rope, which is the most close to the story of Pu Songling is Qian Xiyan (about 1612 years ago) in the "Park" recorded in a "stealing peach children" story. In this story, the children climbing on the countless roots by the sticks of the sticks, rather than the rope, the other plot is basically the same, even the title is similar, so the Po's "stealing peach" should be Qian's "steal Peach pediatric ".

However, Qian's note is based on the same period of people Song Mao Cheng (1570-1622) to provide the story material made by the song's "nine set" in a "flat peach feast" story, time, place, The plot is the same with the Qian, such as those who are talking about the Guangzhou officials Shuangxiu birthday in the winter months, there are warlocks (magic) to carry children with the performance of the temple to kill peach longevity, was tigers barking and other circumstances. So Qian's book comes from Song's.

Such stories are also found in the same period of the same field (about 1620 years ago alive), Feng Menglong (1574-1646) and others in the book. Wang's "ear talk" in a "river music illusion" story, the occurrence of E City in this Hubei, occurred slightly later than Song, Qian two of the recorded, the performers are neither mentoring, nor father and son, and Is a pair of rivers and lakes to sell the couple, belonging to the peach - dismemberment type of rope technology. Feng Menglong in the "ancient Tan Tan" also has a similar story "Fang Shuo Tao peach law", in this story, the day with the props from the rope and pole into a ladder.

The story of the peach is one of the cultural motifs of the ancient popular literature, and it is the organic combination of the story of the Queen of the West, the story of the oriental opera and the story of the Xiantao in the Han and Wei Dynasties. Because Xiantao legend has the effect of longevity, so the story of the peach and the birthday of the combination of birthday, the development of the Ming and Qing Dynasties to become acrobatics magic show one of the common forms.

Can be inferred in the late Ming Dynasty emerged out of a large number of secret peach rope story, became the Qing Dynasty Pu Songling creation "secret peach" story of the direct source.

Tang Jiaxing Rendezvous: Ibn Battuta see the magic of magic in China's earliest source

Ibn Battuta in Hangzhou to see the magic of the earliest records, the source of the Tang Dynasty Huangfu (about Tang Wuzong before and after the people) "original mind" in the "Jiaxing rope technology." This story and the eyes of the first half of the magic of the first part of Hangzhou magic magic quite similar to the magic should be the earliest prototype in China. The story took place in the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong ordered to hold a large (cheering) activities. At that time Jiaxing prisoners on the performance of this special Babel technology. Saw the performers throw the rope into the air, the rope will be vertical and up, until there is no see, and then prisoners on the rope and on, but also disappeared, took the opportunity to escape the cage.

This rhyme and Ibrahimoto Tutai see the magical magic contrast, you can find in the throwing the rope, the rope on the rope, the shadow disappeared and several important links as much as such a striking resemblance. Therefore, Jiaxing Shengyi is Ibn Bhattitai in Hangzhou to see the magic of magic in China's earliest source.

After the Tang Dynasty, this rope continues to spread in China. About the occasion of living in the Song Dynasty Wang 铚 in the "silent" recorded in the Northern Song Dynasty famous writer, politician Yan Shu in Renzongqing calendar years, in Yingzhou (now Anhui Fuyang) watched this strange skills. According to Shou Ya army said that he was in the garrison when the garrison, have also seen a similar performance, we can see Yan Shu see such magic in the Song Dynasty is not lonely case.

However, due to the level of people's awareness is limited, many people regard this strange as "magic" to look at. I do not know this strange is from the Tang Dynasty has been handed down from a magic magic.

Indian Rays: Ancient magic from the Silk Road on the Sea

Ibn Battuta watched this magical magic in Hangzhou, saying, "as I saw in front of India's Suddenly," that this robe has been popular in ancient India.

India has a long time to spread the ancient magic "Babel", also known as "Indian gods". As early as the beginning of the 5th century, "Vatican" (also known as "Vedanta") mentioned this rope technology. The famous playwright, the poet of the fifth century, and the early religious writers, Vatican Ghali and Sankarra, have mentioned the tricks. Until modern times, this rope is still seen in the record. India's famous magician, Bhrotto Chandra Sokal, said the tricks were performed long ago by the streets of the "House Society - Valla" (swimming performer).

This magic has a lot of different versions of the narrative, but the basic statement is roughly the same, are rope technology - dismemberment - broken limb recovery mode. There is also a version by the magician and animal co-performance, that is, by the magician drive a variety of animals, such as pigs, leopards, lions, tigers, etc., along the rope until the disappearance of the last rope will be pulled under the bag , The animals suddenly appeared again.

From the many records of the East and West, this should actually be created by the ancient Indian artists a kneading acrobatics, magic may also include hypnosis, including complex illusion.

This ancient Indian "Babel" in the Tang Dynasty from the sea Silk Road into China, from the spread of the regional point of view, mostly in the southeast coastal area.

Indian illusion came into China very early, and the Chinese acrobatics, magic art had a tremendous impact. Indian rope technology as a special illusion, mainly by the rope and dismemberment of two parts. Tang and Song dynasties pass the rope is only the performance of climbing rope to escape part of the emergence of the Yuan Dynasty and dismemberment of the combination of illusion type, but also preserved the Indian rider performance in the masters with the characteristics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties joined the China Cultural elements of the Tao Tao plot, performers also by the mentor with the father and son files or husband and wife files, dismemberment links have become more in line with the Chinese people appreciate the taste of ethics.

This magical Tianzhu technology also by the East China to Japan, known as the "Chinese rope technology." As the South Asian subcontinent is located in the east and west of the sea traffic hub, so when the Indian rope to pass through China, also west into Europe. In Germany, Ireland and other Western countries in the folklore, there is a description of such a rope. It can be seen that India's "Babel" is also an important form of intercultural communication.

In short, in the Tang Dynasty by the Silk Road on the sea came the Indian rope technology, after Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, obviously can be seen before and after the continuation, spread, development, evolution of the track. In addition to its own magical art charm, but also that the cultural exchanges between China and India and the interaction has a long history and tradition. The development of human civilization is in this mutual influence, and promote the continuous improvement of the model.