The next few pictures are taken off a Chinese website , aparently by a guy who comes from Muli and who is in the police (or posts on a police website： http://www.ngjc.com/forum/view_48437_1.html). These are his pictures of his return to Muli for the annual festival at the monastery.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Tibetan woman at Muli, 2005
Compare this picture to the one of the Muli women taken by Joseph Rock in 1925:
Muli monastery: "devil dance"
Compare these recent pictures to those taken at Choni monastery (see below) that Joseph Rock took in 1925.
Balden Lhamo and Yama
Balden Lhamo at left is leading the Bowa in a fiendish whirl around Yama, the King of Hell. From her mouth dangles the corspe of her son, whom legend says she devoured.
Muli monastery dancers
Very similar to the pictures from Choni monastery (see below) that Joseph Rock took in 1925.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Choni (Jone, Zhuoni，卓尼) monastery, then and now.
The following few posts show how the monastery at Choni has changed since 1925, when Joseph Rock visited on his way to Amnyi Machen. At that time, Choni was one of the major Tibetan monasteries in Gansu, and was also the scene for a murderous war between Tibetans and "Mohammedans". Joseph Rock befriended the hereditary local prince and had an extended stay at Choni while he photographed the many "devil dances". He wrote about it in the 1928 issue of National Geographic magazine. The pictures here are taken from that article. They are crude photocopies, hence the quality is not that good.
The Black Hat leader makes his entrance. The Cham-s'homa or New Dance originated 200 years later than the ancient pantomime Cham-nygyon-wa. The performers wear beautiful costumes and ornate headgear, but no masks. The damce is celebrtated the day before and the day after the Festival of Tsongkapa. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
"The New Dance": Cham-s'homa
The Black Hat leader makes his entrance. The Cham-s'homa or New dance originated 200 years later than the ancient pantomime Cham-nygyon-wa. The performers wear beautiful costumes and ornate headgear, but no masks. The damce is celebrtated the day before and the day after the Festival of Tsongkapa. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
Yama, Tibetan God of the Dead
With the sceptre of death in his right hand, the fearsome Yama, the God of the Dead, appears on the steps of the chanting hall and instills fear int the herats of the Tibetan audience. Later he is joined in his dance by the retinue of demons, the Bowa. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
Gomba (right), Masur Lhamo (left) and their wives
There are 21 of these Bowa who dance with Yama, ruler of the nether world. At right is Gombo, chief of the demon band, a manifestation of the Indian god Siva. Next to him stands his wife, Gombo Nyon. Masur Lhamo is at the left and his wife Lhamo Nyon stands between him and Gombo Nyon.As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
Dzon Ker, Tibetan deity of wealth
One of the numerous Tibetan deities of wealth in the Tibetan family of gods.
Donker (Drolma), Goddess of Mercy
Donker is one of the 25 manifestations of Drolma, the Goddess of Mercy. One of five pyramid sculptures displayed at the Choni monastery Butter Festival in 1925. As photographed iby Joseph Rock
Shenrezig sculpture in butter
A monk's conception of the patron saint of Lhasa, Shenrezig, the deity to whom the Tibetan prayer Om Mane Padme Hum is addressed. As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
Gombo the devil treads Ganesh underfoot
As photographed in Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
Nantain and guards
This is a comedy about a bigheaded (literally) Chinese monk, Nantain, who comes to Tibet to show off his Buddhist knowledge. According t Rock this was a piece of politico-religous propaganda directed against the Chinese: "to emphasise the superiority of the lamas over the Chinese, whom they hate most cordially".
Chinese villagers, Gansu, 1925
Listening to a gramophone. As photographed near Choni monastery, Gansu, 1925 by Joseph Rock
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