The girl chasing after the young fellow

Embroidery hanging bagThe Hazak nationality's sports and entertainment activities on horseback are generally held on wedding days and festivals and at the time of jubilation. The contents and mode: the male and female youths of different clans, tribes or regions combine crossly, a group is made up of two persons, one male and one female. When the activities begin, the two persons ride bridle to bridle to the appointed point. When going there, the young fellow can amuse and make fun of the girl, even can kiss and hug her. According to custom, it is not excessive no matter how he amuses and makes fun of her, and the girl will not get angry. When reaching the appointed place, the young fellow whips the horse and gallops back at once, and the girl runs after him and does not give up. When catching up with the young fellow, she will wave the whip around the young fellow's head, and even can beat him to retaliate his teasing, and the young fellow cannot strike back. However, generally the girl will not really beat him, especially if the girl likes the young fellow originally, she will highly raise the whip and lower it lightly. But, if she does not like the young fellow, and the young fellow said a lot of obscenities or acted excessively for many times, the girl will not be courteous at all, and will wave the whip and beat him violently. In the past, this activity is a mode that the Hazak male and female youths used to resist patriarchal clan system and feudal ethical code, break away from the arranged marriages by parents, and go on free courtship. Many people got to know each other, sprouted love, and finally got married by this kind of joking chasing. By now, it has become an interesting mass sports activity, and many married adult men and women also like to participate in it. 

Embroidery patternAbout the source of "the girl chasing after the young fellow", many interesting legends are spread among the Hazak people. One legend says: Long long ago, the heads of two Hazak tribes became relatives by the marriage of their son and daughter. On the wedding day, a straight man in the team that went to welcome the bride flaunted that the horse that his head's son rode was a winged steed chosen from many good horses. When the father of the bride heard this, to show off his own horse and his daughter's riding skill, he said: "My daughter will run in opposite direction to your destination, if your young fellow can catch up with my daughter, they can get married today, otherwise, it will be negotiated later." The bridegroom was eager to get married, so he was unwilling to be outshone and agreed this challenge conditions. The two youths got on the horse at once, the girl whipped the horse and galloped in the front, and the young fellow was in hot pursuit. When he caught up with the girl and went to her front, the girl put forward that the young fellow could run first, and she would chase after him, thus it was transferred from chasing the girl to the girl chasing after the young fellow. Later, this activity became common practice through long spreading, and was passed on until now.


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