陕北秧歌的起源及其嬗变

The Origin and Transformation of Yangge in Northern Shaanxi

陕北秧歌,因其独特的地理环境,成为中国具有代表性的民间广场、街院文化艺术形式,它有着广泛而深厚的群众基础和丰富多彩的表现形式。它起源于原始信仰中的"傩祭"。处于黄河中上游的陕北关中地区,人们历来就将给人们带来灾祸的魂灵称为"殃",至今民间还传承有"躲殃"、"驱殃"、"起殃"等民俗事象,陕北秧歌正是"殃歌"的演变。盛唐以后,它不断吸收胡人的舞蹈、音乐、杂技以及民间武术等文化因素,从驱魔辟邪、娱神功能逐渐向娱人方面转化,并与劳动生产相结合,成为人们庆丰收、祈吉祥的文化娱乐活动。20世纪30年代以来,其内容又有所创新,出现了现代秧歌的表现形式。

Yangge in northern Shaanxi has become an artistic form of a representative folk square and street yard culture due to its unique geographic environment. It has a widespread and profound basis for the masses and colorful form of manifestations. It comes from the plague-driving sacrificial ceremony of primitive beliefs. In northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong area which are in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, people have been calling the ghosts which could bring disasters to humans ＂yang＂. Hitherto the folk is still imbued with such folk custom matters as ＂the dodging of yang＂, ＂the exorcizing of yang＂, and ＂the emerging of yang＂. Yangge in northern Shaanxi is just an evolution of ＂exorcizing dance＂. After the prime of Tang dynasty, such cultural factors as the dance, music and acrobatics of the Hu minority group as well as folk martial art were absorbed into it. It transformed from the function of exorcizing and entertainment of god to the entertainment of humans. It was also combined with production and labor and became cultural and entertainment activities of celebrating bumper harvests and praying for luck. After the 1930s, its content was further upgraded and the manifestations of modem yangge emerged.