**8. Altars and Armies**

During the two days before my arrival, the six badai gathered what they needed for the ritual from the nearby fields and forest. The forest surrounding the village is sacred, hosting several spirits, including the "seven fairy daughters"<sup>15</sup> and some animal spirits, known as "gold" spirits because of their glistening appearance. In this way, the forest becomes a living and ongoing host of the Miao cosmological narrative. The world is charged with meaning, with the zhuiniu reiterating and reaffirming their worldview.

The ritual items sought in the forest were wild-grown peach tree branches, essential for house cleaning. The peach tree is said to have originated in China and produces a beautiful blossom. Sweet fruit is symbolic of driving out evil spirits.

Two badai were charged with going to the mountains and cutting peach tree branches, which were boiled. This created reddish water used by all six Badai to wash their face and hands, who then rinsed their mouths to protect them from evil spirits and ghosts (Hong 2018c). As the badai are gathering, the family prepares "fast" cakes, rice cakes made with tofu offered in respect to the gods. This is the only food eaten by the family before the ritual.

From here forward, the zhuiniu ritual comes into focus with each subsequent step in the sequence of events leading to the sacrifice of the water buffalo.

On the morning of the house cleaning, all six badai assisted in setting up two altars (also referred to as temples) at the main entrance and room of the house. The larger altar, also known as the "left altar," was set against the far wall at the house's interior for the god of the land (Hong 2018a) (Figure 4). The Miao believe that each piece of land has a god, and the land altar is in honor of the overseeing "land god". Often conflated with the god of the treasury is *Caishen* 財 神, a god personification borrowed from the Chinese.<sup>16</sup> The god of the treasury, depicted as corpulent and generous, is evoked to help the host family afford a water buffalo, protect the family from the evil spirits, and help those traveling to buy the water buffalo. Badai Yang, speaking on behalf of the god of the treasury, thanked the host family and, in turn, announced the household's support of the god of the treasury.

The left altar was elaborately arranged, hung on three sides with two rows of hanging paper cut to look like fencing and serving as a defense against evil spirits by protecting the altar and creating a sacred space. "You need to go to create this altar in the house, to make a temple to protect the family and to communicate with the god of the treasury" (C. Shi 2018b). On the table were arranged (1) rice cake offerings, (2) a rice bowl with incense, (3) a shidao (a brass knife-like implement with a round handle and dangling metal), (4) a gao (two pieces of bamboo used for divination), and (5) three bowls of peach water, one for each kingdom of heaven.<sup>17</sup> The inviting in of the water spirits to make holy water was necessary to establish the presence of the gods. It was essential that protocol be followed and that the guardian spirits be positioned correctly on the altar and given respect and comfort. The last item on the altar was (6) a rolled scroll, the shenxiang juan 神 像 卷 depicting the spirit army (Yang 2018b).

The second, smaller altar was at the house's main entrance (Figure 5). This altar was known as the "right" altar to call the "armies" to protect the journey and the ritual. The god that oversaw the armies and this altar was *qiaoshi*, or *qiaoshen* 神, bridge god or bridge master, who facilitates the crossing of distance (Peng 2018a).<sup>18</sup> This altar is sparse, arranged prominently with beeswax incense—burning wax wrapped in paper—and it was constantly burnt throughout the house cleaning. Located at the doorway, the altar advances the belief that gods should come and go as they please and travel (like bees) to and from heaven more easily with the beeswax smoke (Peng 2018c).

**Figure 4.** Badai Yang inviting in the spirits and armies. He dances the hexagon in front of the left altar. (Photo: Thomas Riccio).

**Figure 5.** Badai Shi Changwu at the right altar in front of the main door to the family's home. (Photo: Thomas Riccio).

Traditionally, this ritual began at midnight. For the La Yi re-enactment, it was conducted mid-day.<sup>19</sup>
