ABSTRACT
Nuo, the rite of exorcism, is a living tradition with a written record in the Shang oracle-bone inscriptions of more than three thousand years. Together with the year-end thanksgiving sacrifice of Zhala and the praying-for-rain sacrifice of Y Nuo formed the ‘Three Big Sacrifices' performed at various levels of society ancient China. The rainmaking Yu sacrifice was more often than not performed association with the Nuo-exorcism sacrifice during the Shang dynasty, when peo ple believed that droughts were caused by drought spirits. The Zha ceremony was held to offer sacrifices to eight tutelary agricultural spirits known as bazha during the Zhou dynasty. The La sacrifice, which was performed separately from Zha Zhou times, was later combined with Zha into the Zhala Festival (Liji 17.154a). During the Han dynasty, the exorcism rite of Nuo started to be performed on the eve of the Zhala Festival (Hou Hanshu 5.3127), hence the Nuola or Nuozha ceremony.
