Chapter 7 Other games in the sixth quarter

Performers use their feet to drive the ball forward on a big ball, and perform various difficult movements such as somersaults and jumps. It is an acrobatic event that people often see today.This activity, in the Tang Dynasty, was a kind of ball game that combines viewing and entertainment, called "Tamu".The Tang Dynasty "Fengshi Wenjianji" records that the artists at that time invented the "Tap Lu Opera". The ball was made of wood, about one or two feet high, and painted with brilliant colors.The female artist stands on the ball, "walking round and round, lingering back and forth, nothing is not satisfactory." Wang Yong, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, described the scene of the court ladies stepping on the ball vividly: the court ladies stand on the rolling ball, the ball is like a bead, Rolling like wind and thunder, with a face like jade, dressed like a fairy descending to the earth, the ball never leaves the foot, the foot never leaves the ball, folds the arms, plays with the gold plate, dances with the sword, jumps, nimble and light, and looks like a fairy, attracting tens of thousands of spectators I was fascinated by it ("The Fu of the Wife").This "taping" movement later evolved into acrobatics.

In the ancient Greek Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey", there is a description of the throwing game.In the Tang Dynasty of our country, there was also a throwing game, which was mainly loved by girls.This game uses brightly colored and extremely delicate hydrangea balls, which Liu Yuxi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, described as "multicolored embroidered reunion".This game of tossing and catching may be a little too elegant, and it has gradually evolved into entertainment during banquets. However, for women who usually lack exercise, especially the ladies in the deep palace, it is still a way of exercising and relaxing. Worry-relieving activities.The Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762 A.D.) also mentioned in his poems the scene where the court ladies ran around playing throwing balls, and the pearls on their bodies collided with sound: "Plain girls sing pearls, heaven and man Get colorful" ("Eight Poems of Music in the Palace").Ball throwing was also appreciated by Song people. In November of the fifth year of Qiandao in the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Xiaozong and the crown prince watched the throwing ball and swing before watching Baixi ("Qianchun Daily Life Note").

In ancient China, there was also a kind of recreational activity called water polo, but this kind of activity is completely different from the modern water polo sports where two teams of water athletes fight in the swimming pool today. game.Song Huizong Zhao Ji (AD 1101-1125) had a poem that described the scene of court ladies playing this kind of water polo very vividly. A little meteor shines brightly" (Volume 1 of "Song Poetry Chronicles").The ladies of the court threw balls into the water beside a clear stream near the corridor of the palace garden. It seems to be somewhat similar to the common use of stone flakes to float in the river and lake, but the difference is that balls are used instead of stone flakes.

There is a unique ball game among the Gaoshan people in Taiwan, my country. This entertainment originated from an ancient sacrificial ceremony called "Bamboo Pole Sacrifice".Utensils are solid balls and bamboo poles.The balls are formed by tightly binding the leaves of ivy or palm bark.The bamboo poles are seven to eight meters long, and one end is scraped very sharply with a knife, or fitted with iron spikes.There is no strict regulation on the number of people in the game. Generally, more than a dozen people stand in a circle holding bamboo poles. One person stands in the center of the circle with a ball and throws the ball high into the air. When the ball falls, everyone scrambles to use their hands To stab the ball with a bamboo pole, a ceremony is held on December 25th of the lunar calendar, which lasts for three days, and is called the Tuo Gao Hui.In the first two days, the bamboo poles were worshiped at the meeting place. On the third day, 10 rattan balls were continuously thrown into the air, including five lucky balls and five bad balls. It means that the auspicious star is shining brightly, and good luck is on the way. Everyone should celebrate with wine.If you hit the bad ball, you must ask a wizard to do it to eliminate the disaster.Legend has it that this activity is to commemorate a hero of the Gaoshan tribe who fought with a tiger with a bamboo pole and finally stabbed the tiger to death.Gaoshan people like this activity very much. According to the records of Qing Dynasty Huang Shuzhen, poleball has become a folk custom of Gaoshan people gathering in Qing Dynasty ("Fansu Six Tests").

The popular "chacao ball" of the Hezhen people in Northeast my country is somewhat similar to pole ball, but the difference is that it is a game in which two armies confront each other.The utensils are a ball made of bundled grass and a wooden branch used for labor.During the game, the two teams each hold wooden powers facing each other and stand in formation.The two sides take turns throwing grass balls over each other, and the accuracy of stabbing the grass ball with a wooden fork is contested.If one side accurately forks the grass ball with the wooden weight and does not make it fall to the ground, it will advance 20 steps on the field, and the throwing side will retreat 20 steps accordingly.This game of siege, advance and retreat is somewhat similar to the game method of modern American football.