Chapter 242: Drums, Shaman, Dance

Words : 1094 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 242: Drums, Shaman, Dance It seemed as if the sun, absent for several days after the snow stopped, decided to show its face today, causing everyone's anticipation to rise. The sun's rays reflected off the pure white snow, creating a dazzling brightness that filled the air. However, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe paid no heed to this spectacle as they eagerly craned their necks to peer inside the house. Inside the room stood the prominent figures of the Green Sparrow Tribe: the Divine Child, the shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the Third Senior Brother. In the center stood the Divine Child, holding two drumsticks, explaining something to the others, who nodded in understanding. After a while, the Eldest Senior Brother emerged and instructed everyone outside to stand properly while the shaman donned his feather crown and grasped his bone staff. Normally, the shaman would dance during ceremonies, but this time was evidently different. The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not accustomed to lining up, and although they tried their best to stand in order, it was still chaotic, with some indistinct and discordant voices rising like mosquitoes buzzing. "Boom!" At that moment, a deep, muffled sound suddenly reverberated, exploding in their ears. The shaman's body trembled, and his bone staff nearly slipped from his hand. The Eldest Senior Brother and others also started, even though the Divine Child had forewarned them; the sudden booming sound still stole their attention. The buzzing outside ceased, and everyone fell silent, mouths agape in astonishment. After a brief moment of stupefaction, feelings of surprise, panic, and fear emerged among them. Some timid individuals trembled, while others gazed up at the sky. The sky was clear, without a single cloud in sight But where did this sudden thunderous sound come from? The crowd was baffled, and their fear of the unknown only grew stronger. "Boom!" Amidst the crowd's uncertainty, another identical muffled sound reverberated. Then came a series of "boom boom boom!" There! It was the Divine Child! Inside the house, Han Cheng's sudden pounding of the drum had left the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who had been momentarily stunned, at a loss. They only remembered the Divine Child's instructions and quickly moved to stand on either side of the totem pole. As they left, the obscured scene inside the house finally became clear to the people outside. The Divine Child! It was the Divine Child! They thought to themselves. The Divine Child stood there, holding a drumstick in each hand, vigorously striking the newly crafted drum, which he called a "god's drum." With each strike of the drumstick, a humming sound reverberated, awe-inspiring and spine-chilling, reminiscent of thunder during a summer rain. This belonged in the heavens, yet now, it was tamed by the Divine Child and brought to their Green Sparrow Tribe At that moment, they suddenly felt an urge to worship. Han Cheng knew little about drumming. He followed the rhythm he remembered: "Dong dong dong, dong dong dong, dong dong dong dong dong dong," occasionally drumming according to his mood. After all, whether anyone understood drumming or not, he was in charge here. After the dance, the drumming temporarily ceased. Following previous instructions, the people gathered outside were separated, and the shaman, wearing his feathered crown and holding his bone staff, danced out of the house towards the cave entrance. Next came the Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, who carried the drum frame and the drum on top of it, and Divine Child, who carried the drumsticks and occasionally struck the drum as it was being carried low. Following them were the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who carried the totem pole. The rest followed behind the totem pole, heading towards the cave. Inside the cave, amidst the booming drumbeats, the shaman danced around the totem pole, accompanied by the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who were carrying it, for three rounds, muttering something indistinctly. After the three rounds, the totem pole was placed back in its original position. A bonfire was lit, dispersing the darkness within the cave and illuminating everything. Drumming was a strenuous activity, and Han Cheng was sweating by now. Having had enough of drumming, he handed over the drumsticks to the idle Eldest Senior Brother. The Eldest Senior Brother seemed hesitant because he desired to take on a more passive role; Han Cheng naturally didn't give him a chance to refuse. After briefly explaining some simple drumming techniques, the drumsticks were in the hands of the Eldest Senior Brother. The Eldest Senior Brother, gripping the drumsticks tightly, felt tense, excited, and a sense of sacred responsibility. This was his first time participating in the ritual, not as a bystander. Moreover, he would personally handle this object that could capture the sound of thunder All of this filled him with excitement and anticipation. Amidst the booming drumbeats, the ritual, different from before, began again. Bows, arrows, and slings, the best offerings from the Green Sparrow Tribe to the heavenly gods, were respectfully placed on a stone platform in front of the totem pole. Han Cheng, the pseudo-Divine Child, stood beside the totem pole as usual, enjoying the same treatment as the heavenly godsplaying the puppet role. As the shaman danced and the drum thundered, the people sincerely thanked the heavenly gods for their blessings to the Green Sparrow Tribe and thanked the Divine Child for leading the Green Sparrow Tribe towards strength With the drum's appearance, those participating in the ritual were more involved. After a lively celebration, the ritual concluded, and the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang once again carried the totem pole back into the house. Compared to the beginning, the ceremony seemed simpler and quieter. Starting today, the ritual of the Green Sparrow Tribe was roughly divided into three stages: welcoming the gods, worshiping, and sending off the gods. During these processes, the initial welcoming of the gods required the Divine Child to drum, the shaman to dance, and the chieftain and others to carry the totem pole where the gods resided. During the worship, it was the chieftain who drummed Compared to the shaman's solo dance in the past, this kind of ritual had more ceremony and allowed people to immerse themselves more fully. It also highlighted the status of the Divine Child, shaman, and chieftain in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Of course, these were just rough outlines, and new elements could be added as needed.

Chapter 242: Drums, Shaman, Dance

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