A Study Of Taoist Music In The Sacrificing Music Of Ying Shen Sai She In Shangdang District In The Ming And Qing Dynasties

“Ying Shen Sai She” is a folk ritual activity centered on hoping for bumper harvest in spring and autumn.It is also aimed at praying for blessings and avoiding disasters.The section of lantern offering in the “Ying Shen Sai She” held in Shangdang area during the Ming and Qing periods involves a variety of musical performance contents including imperial music and dance,traditional Chinese opera,among which the Taoism music constitutes an important part.However,little research has been done on the issue of the Taoism music in the “Ying Shen Sai She” in this area.This thesis untangles and analyzes the sacrificial activity and the content of the ritual music in the“Ying Shen Sai She” and explores the content and role of Taoism music developed in the “Ying Shen Sai She” in detail.Furthermore,this thesis examines the basic structure of the ritual music in the “Ying Shen Sai She,” as well as the system of the Taoism music,the characteristics of Taoism and the elements of Taoism in it.In terms of methodology,this thesis is intended to mingle the perspectives of textual analysis in historical studies and the analysis of modes in music theory.The ritual music in the “Ying Shen Sai She” practiced in the Shangdang area during the Ming and Qing periods follows comparatively strictly the ideas of the traditional ancient music in the Tang and Song periods.Based on these ideas,the ritual music in the “Ying Shen Sai She” also develops the systems of the traditional ancient music and the Taoism music which is more suitable to the Shangdang area.In concrete terms,the system of traditional ancient music roughly involves the theory of the ancient music,the musical instruments of the saints,the modes of the ancient music,the tunes of the Tang and Song periods,etc.,while the system of Taoism music consists of the ideas of the Taoism music,the musical instruments which show the notion of natural balance and the tunes of the Taoism music.The traditional ancient music forms the basis of the ritual music in the “Ying Shen Sai She,” while the Taoism music is the central element.In addition to this basic structure,traditional ancient music shares some similarity with Taoism music with regard to the principles of adopting modes and tonalities.Besides the fact that the Taoism music applied in the “Ying Shen Sai She” is aimed at rewarding the deities,praying for good fortune and avoiding evilness,it is also believed to have the function of releasing the souls of the dead.One of the typical examples of this belief is the correspondence of the types of dead souls appeared in the sacrificial drama and listed in the Shang Qing Ling Bao Da Fa.Moreover,the drama which involves the story of setting up an altar to pray to the Taoist deities also further completes the content of the Taoism music in the “Ying Shen Sai She” activity.