From Shamanism to Lamaism

Author: Sun Yi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: "From Shamanism to Lamaism": The Mongolian people are a historically long-standing, hardworking, and brave ethnic group that have lived and thrived in the northern grasslands of China. Through long-term historical development, the current Mongolian population in China is 4,802,407 (statistics from 1990). They primarily reside in the rural and pastoral areas of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with some living in urban areas. The region currently has a Mongolian population of 3,779,000, accounting for approximately 73% of China's total Mongolian population. The majority are also distributed in Bayanbuluk Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, and Baiseer Mongol County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as well as in Kalarqin Left Banner Mongol Autonomous County and Fuxin Mongol Autonomous County in Liaoning Province, Qianjiangluo Mongol Autonomous County in Jilin Province, Duer Mongol Autonomous County in Heilongjiang Province, Subei Mongol Autonomous County in Gansu Province, and Haixi Mongol Tibetan Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. A portion also lives in scattered or concentrated communities in provinces and autonomous regions such as Hebei and Henan.
The Yao ethnic group has its own language, which belongs to the Hani-Kadai language family and the Miao-Yao branch. Due to the complexity of its language branches, there are significant regional variations in dialects. The Yao people commonly use Chinese or Zhuang scripts, as they do not have their own written language.
"Ancestor Worship and Yao Culture": The Yao ethnic group shares ancestral roots with the "Jing Man" of the Qin and Han periods and the "Wuling Man" of Changsha. The Yao people's religious beliefs vary by region, including natural worship, ancestor worship, and totem worship. Some areas also practice witchcraft and Taoism. The architectural styles of Yao houses are diverse, with the most distinctive being wooden houses. These houses are built near mountains and water, with lower front floors and higher back floors, and can face any direction. Wooden houses are typically three stories high: the lower story is used for housing livestock, the second story for living quarters, and the third story for storing grain and belongings. These houses are built without a single iron nail yet remain extremely sturdy. The interiors are well-lit and well-ventilated, making them very comfortable.
Yao clothing is often adorned with embroidered patterns using five-colored silk threads, and it is said that the Yao people "love wearing colorful clothes." Yao women's hair ornaments are particularly elaborate. There are the "Dragon Coiling" style, which involves coiling a ten-meter-long embroidered scarf on the head; the "A-shaped" style, which uses an embroidered scarf wrapped to form a narrow top and wide bottom, adorned with colorful silk threads and beads; and the "Half-Moon" style, which involves placing three "half-moon-shaped" silver plaques on the head. There are countless other types of hair ornaments.
The patterns on Yao men's and women's upper garments are rich and varied, including depictions of birds, flowers, fish, insects, geometric designs, and human figures. The collars come in round or vertical styles, with open front designs, no buttons, and tied with belts. The lower garments include long pants, short pants, cloth skirts, and embroidered skirts. Leg bands are an essential part of Yao men's clothing, serving both to protect the legs and to enhance aesthetics.
The Yao people primarily eat rice, sweet potatoes, and taro as staples and enjoy drinking sweet wine. When guests arrive, the host first offers them a cup of sweet wine. There is also a special sweet wine consumed by Yao women during postpartum recovery, which differs from ordinary sweet wine. It is cooked with ginger, brown sugar, and eggs, making it a nutritious supplement. Drinking this sweet wine helps postpartum women regain strength, replenish blood, and recover their health.
The Yao ethnic group celebrates numerous festivals, with the main ones being the Panwang Festival and the Dan Nu Festival. The Panwang Festival commemorates Pan Wang, the legendary ancestor of the She and Yao ethnic groups, believed to be a dragon-dog named "Pan Hu." The Dan Nu Festival is celebrated to honor the creator goddess Miluo Tuo and falls on the 29th day of the fifth lunar month. On this day, families sacrifice pigs and sheep, sing, and dance together to celebrate the festival. The Panwang Festival commemorates the birth of Pan Wang and falls on the 16th day of the tenth lunar month. On this day, in addition to sacrificing to Pan Wang, young men gather to sing and socialize, a tradition known as "singing in the song hall." The song hall lasts for three days: the first day is for sacrificing and parading the deity, with the statue temporarily placed in the village; the second day, unmarried young men and women gather in the square for singing competitions, with paired young men and women singing together from morning to evening; the third day, all the villagers process the statue back to the temple. As night falls, drums and music fill the air, and the song hall concludes in a festive atmosphere.
The Yao ethnic group has a rich tradition of folk literature. "Miluo Tuo" is a famous creation epic; "Pan Wang Songs" depict the broad picture of the ethnic group's history and cultural life; and the handwritten Chinese manuscript "Ping Huang Quan Die" records the ethnic group's origins, migrations, and agricultural practices, holding significant historical value. This series of books consists of a total of ten volumes.