Origin of Lion Dance
Don't you ever wonder exactly how did lion dance come about, where it came from, and what it symbolises? Well, you've come to the right place! Keep reading to find out about the origins of lion dance.
origins of lion dance in singapore
西凉伎
刺封疆之臣
西凉伎，西凉伎，假面胡人假狮子。
刻木为头丝作尾，金镀眼睛银帖齿。
奋迅毛衣摆双耳，如从流沙来万里。
紫髯深目两胡儿，鼓舞跳粱前致辞。
应似凉州未陷日，安西都护进来时。
须臾云得新消息，安西路绝归不得。
泣向狮子涕双垂，凉州陷没知不知。
狮子回头向西望，哀吼一声观者悲。
贞元边将爱此曲，醉坐笑看看不足。
享宾犒士宴监军，狮子胡儿长在目。
有一征夫年七十，见弄凉州低面泣。
泣罢敛手白将军，主忧臣辱昔所闻。
自从天宝兵戈起，犬戎日夜吞西鄙。
凉州陷来四十年，河陇侵将七千里。
平时安西万里疆，今日边防在凤翔。
缘边空屯十万卒，饱食温衣闲过日。
遗民肠断在凉州，将卒相看无意收。
天子每思长痛惜，将军欲说合惭羞。
奈何仍看西凉伎，取笑资欢无所愧。
纵无智力未能收，忍取西凉弄为戏。
Poem from the Past
What is Lion Dance?
Lion Dance or 舞狮 is defined as a masked traditional dance in which series of movements are made to imitate a lion’s manoeuvre. The dance form, as part of the Chinese culture, merges the art of dancing, historical meaning, and Kung Fu.
To perform the Lion Dance, an estimation of 10 Lion Dance practitioners is needed to perform in a single performance.
When Lion Dance come about
Lion Dance is said by historians to have been created during the Han Dynasty from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. As lions are not native to China, the emperor of Northern China was gifted lions from Central Asia.
Eventually, Lion Dance was created as a representation of lions in traditional dance. Bai Ju Yi [白居易], a renowned poet of the Tang Dynasty from 618 to 906, validated the historical origins of Lion Dance in his poetry; Xi Liang Ji [西凉伎]. The dance form is rich in its historical value with its time of creation tracing back to more than 1,500 years ago.
Legends related to Lion Dance
Legend of the Nian
The legend of the Nian is linked to Lion Dance.
The tale features a mysterious creature; the Nian [年 or 年兽]. Nian [年] in mandarin signifies “year”. With the body of a bull and the head of a lion, the creature caused the destruction of farmers’ fields, crops, and reared animals for a living in a village in China.
Cowering in their homes in fear, the villagers would hide on the eve of Chinese New Year every year when the creature came from the mountains. Over time, the villagers learnt that the Nian has four fears: loud noises, red color, fire, and lions. The villagers used bamboo and cloth to create a model of a lion.
Using the model with loud noises from the beating of pots and pans, the villagers chased the Nian away on the eve of Chinese New Year.
From then on, the Lion Dance is performed with the rhythmic accompaniment made utilising drums, cymbals, and gongs on Chinese New Year every year.
Legend of Tan He’s Military Strategy
The legend of Tan He’s Military Strategy is another historical tale connected to Lion Dance.
This story is set in the time frame of the Southern and Northern Dynasties from 420 to 589 C.E. Emperor Wen of Song [宋文帝] instructed the governor of Jiao Zhou, Tan He, to invade Linyi territory.
However, invading Linyi was a challenging task as Linyi’s army of soldiers rode on elephants and were equipped with long spears. On the contrary, Tan He’s soldiers did not ride on elephants though they were armed with long spears.
Tan He created a strategy to make up for the difference in military strength. His men would be dressed in cloth and rope to resemble lions to intimidate the elephants. On the day of the invasion, the plan was successful. Henceforth, the military will perform the Lion dance.
This eventually became part of civilian life and evolved into the Lion Dance we are familiar with today.
Symbolism of the 'Lion' in Lion Dance
To understand more about Lion Dance, we need to explore the meaning of the Lion in Lion Dance.
Evolution of people’s perceptions of the Lion
In Chinese mythology, Lion plays a significant role as a mythical beast mixed with other creatures including the dragon and Qilin [麒麟]. For instance, Pixiu [貔貅] is an early portrayal of a creature with bodily features of a Lion. With the spread of Buddhism by Buddhist monks from India during the Han dynasty, the lion became an auspicious animal amongst the people.
Eventually, the Lion is recognised as an important symbol placed in temples, tombs, and palaces. These stone lions are in pairs, a male lion on the left and a female lion on the right before the structure.
Symbolism
The lions symbolise courage and stability. Moreover, the lion is often associated with power, strength, and prosperity.
How Lion Dance ended up in Singapore?
Lion Dance came to Singapore in the 1920s to 1930s through the immigration of the Chinese.
Chinese immigrants from Heshan [鹤山], Guangdong, China arrived in Singapore in 1920. Aiming to share the distinct Heshan-styled lion dance, this group of immigrants created the Singapore Hok San Association: the oldest lion dance troupe in Singapore. Moreover, this association was one of the only few healthy and affordable recreational activities in the settlement.
This was how Lion dance ended up in Singapore.
Hok San Association in 1951
Over the years, Lion Dance was localised and adapted to incorporate the multi-ethnic aspect of Singapore culture.