Blog Entry #7 – End of a Journey, Beginning of a New Life, and Optimistic Future

               When I was brought to the settlement, one more thing was asked of me. Maodun spoke saying: “Before you can be one of us, you have to disown your Han origins and tattoo your face with the mark of the Xiongnu” (1). I have already disavowed my allegiance to the Han Empire since I left Dunhuang, but still, the thought of tattooing my face was discomforting. Back in China, tattoos were reserved for criminals, and people of the lowest caste. It seems some Han beliefs stuck around with me after all those years in the Middle Kingdom. But I was no longer in China, and I’ve gotten too far to back out now, and so I proceeded with the tattoo. Soon after, Maodun checked up on me and said: “I know the stigma tattoos bear in the Han. Thus, that mark is a sign of your loyalty to us. I can now say that you are officially one of us.”

               At night the celebrations for my acceptance began. There were games, food, and a lot of drinking. I was impressed with how much these people can drink and still stay mounted on their horses (2). Drunk, Maodun then approached me challenging me to a ‘horseback tug-of-war,’ and said “You really impressed me with your horseback riding skills during your first trial, but let’s see how good you really are.” Slightly worried, as it sounded like a potentially painful game, I answered “I’ve never heard of this game, what do I have to do?” He then explained: “For this game, we will be mounted on our horses, both of us gripping one leather rope, and the goal is to pull the other rider off” (3).  I accepted his challenge, and got on Epona. Slightly drunk myself, I could barely stay on her. He gave me one end of the leather rope, while he held on to the other. A huge crowd quickly encircled us, excited to see the, might I say, rather obvious outcome. However, I was not about to make a fool of myself, and as the crowd counted down, I gripped the object firmly. As soon as the game began, Maodun pulled so hard I was flying through the air and was knocked to the ground. It seems like I have a lot to learn, and experience, before I can truly be like them. Throughout the night, other people challenged me to this game, but considering how drunk I was, I refused as I could barely get on my horse. This game made me realize how embedded horseback riding is in Xiongnu culture. It’s no wonder that every man in this settlement is an able rider and posed such a threat to their southern neighbors.

               Hungover, the next morning I was able to relax a bit and observe Xiongnu life. As I was simply gazing at the people, Maodun startled me asking: “So what do you think? You like it here?” As I was about to reply, I looked at him and noticed his sheepskin hat woven with silk (4). Distracted by this, I completely ignored his question and said: “Nice hat. I’m guessing it was plunder from one of your raids?” He chuckled, then replied:

-        - Nope, this was from trade. Let me tell you something. I’m sure you’ve noticed that most of our food here is meat and milk. Agriculture is not suitable where we live. Sure, we can grow some grain here and there, but it is not enough to sustain our people. And so, to obtain our grain, we rely on the Han, whether it is by raiding them, or by trade. To be completely honest, I would rather have more trade than conflict. But because your ex-countrymen barred us from trading with them, we have no choice but to raid (5). And of course, your people made it even harder for us by building a wall. But a wall won’t stop us when it comes to our survival.

After he said those words, it is as if I have had a revelation. This whole time I saw the Xiongnu as a ruthless warrior-based society, ready to raid for the sake of raiding. Ever since my family passed away, I saw them as a gateway for revenge against the Han. But now, I realize that they do what they have to for their survival. It is not my place to use them for revenge. And to raid is to conduct more killing. I don’t want others to suffer what I experienced.

After some deep thinking, I then decided: I will pave the way for a future of peace. Peace treaties have been made before, but were always broken (6). However, I think my journey since leaving Dunhuang happened for a reason and has equipped me with the tools to create a lasting peace. My brief time with the Xiongnu, and my conversations with Maodun have led me to understand the Xiongnu culture and their ways of survival. They have also accepted me as one of their own. Moreover, my time with An Qian has familiarized me with the world of merchants and commerce. Lastly, I will always be Chinese by blood. I will use my experience to go back to Han China and explain the Xiongnu situation in the hopes of both sides coming to an agreement of understanding, and possibly opening up trade relations. It won’t be easy. It may even be my downfall, considering I’m marked as a traitor. But I have to give it a shot to stop this cycle of violence.

-

(1) According to Ban Guo’s chapter on “The Traditions of the Xiongnu” from his work Book of the Former Han, whenever Chinese envoys were sent to the Xiongnu, envoys needed to have their faces tattooed if they wanted to gain entrance into the yurts. Even though my character is not an envoy, I assume he would have needed to do something similar in order to prove his loyalty.
Ban Guo, “Chapter 94 – Traditions of the Xiongnu” from Hanshu (Book of the former Han).

(2) According to Barfield, “throughout steppe history, the nomads’ appetite for alcohol was legendary and was associated with excess.”
Barfield, Thomas. 2001. The Shadow Empires: Imperial State Formation along the Chinese-Nomad Frontier. In “Empires,” edited by Susan E. Alcock, Terence N. D’Altroy, Kathleen D. Morrison, Carla M. Sinopolis. Cambridge: Cambridge University press. p.21.

 (3) Barfield explains that “the Xiongnu owed their strength to their cavalry. Horse riding skills were sharpened by games in which two riders gripping a single leather thong each attempt to pull the other rider off.”
Ibid., 13.

(4) Barfield also mentions that “the Xiongnu incorporated many foreign goods into the steppe, where they became part of everyday life.” One example is the combination of Chinese silk into sheepskin hat.
Ibid., 20.

(5). Some moments during the Han period, trade in iron to the nomads was banned.
Ibid., 19.

(6) Stated in my first blog entry.

-

Note on Sources and Story

               I use Ban Guo’s “Traditions of the Xiongnu” from his work Book of the Former Han, to explain the function of tattooing one’s face to prove one’s trustworthiness. It is important to note that the Xiongnu themselves did not appear to tattoo their faces. The emphasis, rather, is placed on Chinese envoys sent to Xiongnu territory. In my opinion, the reason Chinese envoys were asked to tattoo their face is to prove their honest dealings in Xiongnu territory, as the Xiongnu probably well-knew that the Han reserved tattoos for the criminals and the classless.

               As for the majority of this entry, I use Barfield’s work to describe the Xiongnu. Although the goal of his chapter was to explain his idea of varying types of empires, such as the shadow empire which the Xiongnu falls within, I only use the facts and descriptions he gives about the Xiongnu.

This is the last blog entry for the story of my Han soldier, and I wanted to end it on a positive note which is why I decided to make him the person who could potentially create a path of peace. I wrote the long dialogue by Maodun (in which he explains to Fai Cheng why they raid the Han) in order to depict the Xiongnu in a more human manner, and so that my character can empathize with them. This would lead to his realization that using the Xiongnu for revenge against the Han would simply perpetuate the cycle of violence between both peoples, and that a route of peace would be possible only if both sides understood each other better. Having experienced life on both camps, Fai Cheng would be the perfect candidate for this task.