Research on Kato Language

Author: Mu Shizhuang/ Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-04-01
Features: The Xingmeng Mongols once revered the heroes of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei, and built dedicated temples called the Three Saints Temple to worship them. It is reported that the temple housed statues of Guan, Zhang, and Liu. There were also special temple fairs, known as the Guan Sheng Fair, held annually on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month at the Three Saints Temple. After the 1970s, with increased exchanges between the Yunnan Mongols and the Northern Mongols, and the implementation of the Party's ethnic and religious policies, the Xingmeng Mongols and their Northern Mongol compatriots developed a deep sense of kinship, leading them to trace their ancestors, recount their heroic deeds, and strengthen their national pride and confidence. They then, repaired and sculpted large statues of Mongol national heroes Genghis Khan, M?ngke Khan, and Kublai Khan, dedicating them to worship and commemoration. This became the new Three Saints Temple, which also housed several steles and inscriptions related to the history of the Xingmeng Mongols, such as the Stele of the Grand Marshal's Office and the Inscription of the Confucian Temple, serving as a venue for national history and traditional education for future generations. Since 1986, the "Three Saints Temple Ancestral Remembrance Festival" has been held annually on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, recounting the history of the Yunnan Mongols and promoting the spirit of diligence, bravery, and unity. Ancestor worship is highly emphasized among the Mongols, with nearly every family having an ancestral altar in the middle of the upper floor of their main house, dedicated to ancestors and the "Heaven, Earth, Family, Kin, and Teachers" plaque, along with offerings of grains. Ancestral altars are also found in ancestral halls of each surname in the past, where they were solemnly worshipped during festivals. Remnants of ancestral halls such as the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall (Zhongcun), Zhao Clan Ancestral Hall (Bailge), Guan Clan Ancestral Hall, Qi Clan Ancestral Hall (Xiacun), Hua Clan Ancestral Hall (Xiacun), and Yang Clan Ancestral Hall (Jiaojian) still exist, indicating the significant role ancestral halls and related institutions played in the Xingmeng Mongols in the past. It can be inferred that after settling in Xingmeng, the Mongols lived in clans according to their surnames, with village layouts centered around ancestral halls, followed by the construction of temples and monasteries. Therefore, exploring the culture of ancestral halls in Xingmeng Mongols is one of the most important bases for understanding their historical development. With the exception of a few abandoned or repurposed for schools, most ancestral halls remain in use today for wedding and funeral rituals and other public affairs of the Xingmeng Mongols. The existing temples and monasteries in Xingmeng Township, such as the Three Saints Temple, God of Wealth Temple, Three Teachings Temple, Guanyin Pavilion, Hongfo Temple, and Beihai Temple, demonstrate the profound influence of Buddhism on the Xingmeng Mongols. At the same time, natural worship, mountain god worship, ancestor worship, industry god worship, and many aspects of religious rituals, as well as Confucianism, Taoism, and Han folk beliefs, also have an impact on the Xingmeng Mongols. ① Thus, their beliefs are often a blend. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the Three Teachings Temple in Xiacun, where the deities worshipped are Guanyin Bodhisattva from Buddhism, the Jade Emperor from Taoism, and the Wenchang Emperor from Confucianism. The continuous incense and the constant stream of believers visiting the temple prove the irreplaceable role of religious activities in the Xingmeng Mongols. Additionally, regular events such as the Guanyin Fair, the God of Wealth Temple Fair, the Sea Worship Festival, the Three Saints Temple Ancestral Remembrance Festival, the Dragon King Temple Fair, and various other religious and secular activities held in religious venues also illustrate the multifunctionality of these spaces. Although every village has a temple, there are no dedicated clergy residing there. The daily maintenance of incense and cleaning are carried out by elderly women (known locally as "believers," with few men holding such positions), differing from the Han Chinese and other surrounding ethnic groups. After settling in Yunnan, the Xingmeng Mongols, due to language shift, lost the objective linguistic foundation for the Uyghur-style Mongolian script. As a result, after adopting the Tibeto-Burman language type, political and economic conditions did not allow for the creation of a new script to write the spoken language. Combined with the use of Chinese as the primary means of communication with neighboring ethnic groups, the transmission of many aspects of their traditional culture, particularly literary and artistic works, largely relied on oral tradition. The lack of written literature has, to some extent, stimulated the creation and dissemination of oral folk arts. According to surveys, collections, and arrangements by Inner Mongolia Normal University, many stories are related to the history of the Mongols' southward migration, such as "Azala Goddess" and "Horse Creates a Spring," reflecting the descendants' memories and reverence for the northern grasslands and heroic ancestors. Some stories are connected to the landscape, culture, history, and geography of Xingmeng Township and the nearby Quduo Pass, such as "Golden Pig," "Incense Burner," "Avoiding Stone Beads," and "Golden Phoenix," which primarily reflect historical legends and customs in the Tonghai area. Some works in the "Phoenix Collection," a specialized collection of folk literature from Xingmeng Township, are related to the historical economic and cultural transformation of the Xingmeng Mongols, including fishing, agriculture, and flood control, such as "Subduing the Evil Dragon" and "Fish Raise Temple." The folk dance and music arts of the Xingmeng Mongols are highly developed, but many of their dance and music activities share similarities or are identical to those of neighboring Han and Yi ethnic groups. These similarities are particularly evident in temple fairs involving multiple ethnic groups. For example, the Xingmeng Mongols' primary musical instrument is the dragon-headed four-stringed lute, which resembles the moon-shaped lute used in the Yi ethnic group's "Jumping Joy." Many collective dances of the Mongols are also similar to those of the Yi. Additionally, the Mongols have adopted entertainment activities such as dragon lantern plays, dry-boat races, and flower lantern operas from the Han ethnic group. The collective dances of the Xingmeng Mongols share many similarities with the White Yi ethnic group's "Bawang Bian" (Dragon Whip). Architectural art is a distinctive part of Mongol folk art. After settling in Tonghai, Mongol craftsmen learned the skills of building Chinese-style buildings from other ethnic groups, and their exceptional abilities earned them a reputation far and wide. Many famous classical buildings in Tonghai and other areas were built by Xingmeng Mongol craftsmen. The simple yet elegant pavilions, towers, and pavilions, with their ornate decorated beams and painted rafters, are truly breathtaking. The architectural works of Xingmeng Township are highly appreciated for their beauty, quality, and reputation. In the Mongol villages of Xingmeng Township, it is natural to find women everywhere within the Mongol community over several miles. This is not only because of their exquisite attire but also because they participate in all social roles within Xingmeng Mongol society. They are seen in fields, orchards, construction sites, wedding and funeral rituals, religious venues, fishing and shrimp gathering, market trade, flower picking and embroidery, and kitchens. It seems as if the entire Xingmeng Mongol society is supported by women. Women hold many social roles, differing from the gender-based occupational distinctions of other ethnic groups. According to statistics from Xingmeng Township in 1993, there were a total of 3,056 laborers and semi-laborers in the village, with 1,496 male laborers and 1,558 female laborers. In terms of division of labor, about 1,100 people were engaged in construction, transportation, and industry, most of whom were male, as these jobs often require them to be away for long periods (about 10 months a year). There were 1,945 laborers engaged in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishing, most of whom were female. If calculated based on the 1,520 households in the township, at least two-thirds of the families have men working away. Almost all women remain "at home," supporting the stability of their families. ① One special aspect of Xingmeng Mongol folk entertainment is the "Girl Dragon," a custom where Mongol girls dance with a dragon. The earliest history of this custom is difficult to trace, but it has been passed down for a long time in Xingmeng Mongol society, becoming a special performance at temple fairs. The entire dragon dance troupe and the person leading the dragon are all composed of Mongol girls, and they often perform the dragon dance at temple fairs, making it one of the highlights of the event and a unique aspect of Xingmeng gender culture. In summary, the study of the history, language, and culture of the Mongols in Tonghai from a multidisciplinary perspective is gaining momentum. Specific and specialized research will go beyond descriptive records, and it can be anticipated that the Mongols and their culture in Tonghai will continue to be the focus of attention in various disciplines such as linguistics, ethnology, and Mongolian studies in the near future, with new research perspectives and achievements constantly emerging.