Speak of the Buddha - A Study of Dai Ethnic Religion in Xishuangbanna

Author: Ito Kazama
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The witchcraft religion of the Dai people. Over time, as people's production and lives changed, their consciousness also evolved. Especially in the later stages of this witchcraft, not only did concepts of spirits and magic emerge, but it was also believed that if someone obtained these supernatural, mysterious powers, they could use them to bring blessings or misfortunes to others. Some sought to acquire these spirits and magic by targeting the dead, believing that most of these powers were attached to them. Thus, it was thought that using the dead as a means to perform magic would be even more effective. Some thieves, in order to avoid being discovered while stealing, sought to obtain this magic from the dead. Others believed in a "magical hand"—a candle made from the fingers of a newborn or stillborn infant. Once lit, it was said to render everyone present unconscious, leaving them unable to move like the dead. Some even believed that if this magical hand was dried, ground into powder, and mixed with water to drink, it could allow a person to walk freely in public without being noticed, even when naked. There was also a "magical lamp." The deceased was an unmarried male or female corpse. Thieves secretly stole the body from the graveyard, stood it upright with its head facing up, tied it to a large tree trunk, and then burned the lower jaw with torches. As the jaw dried and oil dripped, the thieves made oil lamps from this oil. It was said that when they went stealing, lighting the corpse oil lamp would put everyone in the house to sleep like the dead, and they would only wake up when the evil lamp was extinguished. Additionally, when these thieves extracted oil from the corpse, they performed certain rituals: to avoid being recognized by the ghost, they would cover their faces with black ink or a black cloth and leave their hair disheveled before roasting the corpse's jaw and extracting the oil. Otherwise, they would face disaster. People believed that after death, one became a harmful demon, and being recognized by a demon was a serious matter. Of course, despite this, there were still bold thieves who dared to steal corpses. Perhaps for this reason, the Dai people later adopted cremation for the dead to prevent them from being stolen. Of course, this also reflected the Dai ancestors' fear of death. P19-20