The main beliefs of the Miao people include nature worship, totem worship, ancestor worship and other primitive religious forms. In the traditional society of the Miao people, they believe in ghosts and gods, and witchcraft is prevalent. There are also some Miao people who believe in Christianity and Catholicism. Very few Miao people believe in Buddhism and Taoism. Most of the people living in this area believe in ghosts and gods. According to my personal experience from birth to now, there are almost no elderly people in the village who do not believe in it. Therefore, it is natural to be very superstitious. Nature worship is a religion that worships natural objects and natural forces. Ancient trees, mountains, boulders, some animals and natural phenomena in nature are the objects of worship for Miao people.
The Miao people believe that there is "heaven" corresponding to the earth, where the souls of their ancestors live a quiet and leisurely life together. It has all the beautiful things in the world and is the final destination of life. Heaven, therefore, is sacred and should be worshiped. Nature worship: According to the oral "Miao Ancient Song", everything from the sun, moon and stars in the sky, water, thunder and lightning clouds, flowers, plants and trees on the ground, tigers, dragons, snakes and dogs can speak. Miao people believe that they are all incarnations of gods. For example, at the first sound of spring every year, people set off firecrackers to celebrate and start offering sacrifices to thunder. From then on, they offer sacrifices once every twelve days for three days until the rice seeds are sown. It is believed that heaven controls people's good and bad blessings, and is a symbol of incomparable vastness, insurmountability, and inability to be despised. Commonly known as: "Only the sky covers the earth, the earth covers the sky, and the sky is the "grandfather". Only when it rains, can all things on the earth grow." It prohibits people from cursing the sky or the earth. Worship the ground, solid ground can grow all things. Every year during the first lunar month, the head of each household chooses a day to break ground, carries pig dung or cow dung, lights a torch to break ground, and burns incense and paper to make offerings.
When you get married, build a house, or build a bridge, you must sacrifice to heaven and earth. For example, when you build a house, write on the shrine of the new house: "Heaven is Wuji, Earth is Wuji, Year is Wuji, and Moon is Wuji." , The day is Wuji, the time is Wuji, there are no taboos, and good luck and good fortune; "When you get married, you also write on the shrine: "The soil can give birth to all things, and the earth can bring forth thousands of auspiciousness." "Refers to the "immortal" in the sky, and "Lang Jun" refers to the "Bodhisattva" underground.
Ancestor worship occupies a very important position in Miao society. We believe that our ancestors are the supreme "good gods" of the Miao people. The Miao people believe that after death, the soul is immortal and still lives in the "underworld", and is protecting and influencing future generations at all times. The good and bad fortune of future generations has a lot to do with the "care" of their ancestors. . The Miao people firmly believe in the role of their ancestors as "gods" and therefore worship them particularly devoutly.
Almost every household of the Miao people must worship their ancestors. They regard the souls of the elderly as immortal after death. If a shrine is set up for worship, it can benefit the family. The Miao ancestors' shrines are usually placed on the main wall of the main room. A few pieces of money paper are affixed to the middle of the main wall, about 1.8 meters above the ground. Bamboo nails are then nailed on, and a small wooden board is placed. An incense burner is placed on the wooden board, which is regarded as The "house god" worshiped.
The Miao people’s worship of their ancestors is also reflected in the respect, sacrifice and remembrance of their ancestors. No matter when celebrating a new year, celebrating a bride or daughter, building a house, moving to a new home, or even when the new grain is ripe every year, you must sacrifice food to your ancestors before you can eat it yourself. Otherwise, it will be regarded as a disrespect to the ancestors. Etiquette will lead to misfortune.