Himalayan Mountain Songs and Rituals - A Case Study of Poetic Genesis

Author: Xia Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: This book has long been concluded with a final sentence, but due to various reasons, it was not published in time. Over ten years ago, while teaching and writing poetry at another university, I had a vague idea that selecting a specific cultural region and discussing the origins of poetry from the perspectives of anthropology and folkloristics would be pioneering work. This idea only became strong and clear after I transferred to Jimei University. From 1996 to 1997, I had the privilege of studying under Mr. Zhong Jingwen at Beijing Normal University, marking the beginning of my research on the genesis of poetry with a focus on Himalayan mountain songs and rituals. Since then, my research findings have been published in academic journals such as Ethnic Literary Research, Ethnic Art, Folklore Studies, Tibetan Studies in China, Tibet Research, and Journal of Tibet National University. In a commemorative article after Mr. Zhong’s passing, I wrote: “During the days I spent with Mr. Zhong Jingwen, he paid close attention to my research on the genesis of poetry, and I’ve lost count of how many passionate discussions we had.” “Once, Mr. Zhong happened to discover a relevant passage in Franz Boas’s Primitive Art that was useful for my research, so he inserted a small note in the book for me to reference.” My research later came to fruition as a book, infused with my mentor’s many expectations and guidance! Its publication is first and foremost an offering to console his spirit in the afterlife. Over the years, I have traveled to many places, but my heart has never left the Himalayas. This summer, I once again set foot on this long-missed land, filled with deep emotions. Since childhood, I have had a strong desire to find an opportunity to repay the plateau that nurtured me. The writing of this book can be seen as one of my commitments. The work presented in this book is exploratory for both others and myself. Rather than offering a foundation for further discussion, I would say it is like throwing stones into the water to test the depths. In this book, I treat Himalayan mountain culture as an organic whole and analyze the songs intertwined with religious or secular rituals from the perspective of the genesis of poetry, conducting extensive empirical research. I believe that early human poetry originated from various chants and recitations in ritual activities. The shared characteristics of songs and rituals have had a clear and lasting influence on the creative work of later poets and folk activities. The book particularly emphasizes that the poetic nature of the human spirit also emerges from primitive ritualized behavior. This research should serve to fill gaps and enrich modern poetics.