Xiangxi Luo Dong

Author: Lu Qun / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: "Lu Dong" is a distinctive component of the mysterious culture in Western Hunan, still prevalent in the local folk traditions of the region. In the Miao language, "Lu Dong" is also known as "Zha Ding Pa Liao" or "Liao Gun Ba." "Zha Ding Pa Liao" translates to "heaven cracking and earth shattering," encompassing two meanings: first, it refers to sinking into the ground and being separated from the surroundings; second, it signifies a disconnect from the material world, where a person enters another realm, losing normal interaction and communication with others. "Liao Gun Ba" has "Ba" pronounced as "bia," meaning "cave," "gun" means "ghost," and "Liao" means "to lose." Thus, "Liao Gun Ba" implies that a person's soul has been lost into the cave.
The Miao people believe in the animistic principle that every natural object has a supernatural spirit behind it—what is called "mountains have mountain gods, trees have tree gods, water has water gods, and rivers have river gods." And since dark and mysterious caves exist, they must have cave gods as well. Western Hunan is known for its abundance of caves, most of which are limestone karst formations or sinkholes. Due to their inherent darkness, depth, and dampness, these caves exude a sense of mystery, and the cave gods derived from them appear even more enigmatic and eerie compared to other natural deities. Regardless of the terminology used, it all conveys the idea of "losing one's normal state."
In Western Hunan, if a woman is observed to have lost her mental balance, the locals often conclude that she has "fallen into a cave." Those who "fall into a cave" are typically young and beautiful women. But how do they end up in this state? According to folk beliefs, it happens when a woman occasionally goes out and passes by a cave, where the cave god takes a liking to her and takes her soul away. From then on, the girl is said to have "fallen into a cave." Once a girl is "fallen into a cave," she loses her "normal state," becomes even more chaste and fond of solitude, and often appears dazed, talking to herself or even singing and dancing.
When this happens, the family becomes anxious. They locate a cave near the village, set up an altar, burn incense and paper offerings, and plead with the cave god, saying that their daughter is an ordinary mortal, foolish and unworthy of the cave god's affection, asking the god to return her. If the girl recovers, it is believed that the cave god has shown mercy and truly returned her, so they fulfill their vow and thank the god. However, some girls continue to deteriorate, and with no hope of recovery, the family has no choice but to resign themselves, watching helplessly as the girl wastes away day by day.
Once the girl is deemed dead, her parents can do nothing but accept it as her fate. They silently weep while preparing traditional wedding gifts for her, burning them at the cave where she "fell into." This is considered a proper wedding ceremony for their daughter. Others may build a small hut near the cave, setting up paper-made beds and wardrobes, writing down the girl's birthdate and zodiac sign to signify that they have handed her over to the cave god.
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