Presenting the Ersu

The Ersu are one of the most unknown peoples of China, in spite of having a well differentiated culture, with some really surprising features; a proper language, which in turn splits into several dialects; a clearly definite history, and a few customs that, still preserving some resemblances with the peoples of scarce population related to them, differ perfectly from those of the Tibetan ones (in whose group they have been included) and those of the Yi.

The Ersu also are named Duoxu. In some regions there are considered to be Tibetan (Zangzu) and other times Lisu. In fact his culture presents resemblances to that of the Tibetan ones and the Yi (from that it derives the culture Lisu). And they do not live far from communities of these peoples.

His population belongs to more than 21.000 persons (1), you disperse for an area of curled mountains that prevent the communication, therefore it is a difficult knowledge if all the Ersu are considered to be a part of the same ethnic entity, or only they take their own autodenomination as a reference point.

Since according to Sun Hongkai (2), are called themselves of different forms as the areas.

a) Ersu, in the area of Ganluo, Weixi and Manyuan, which sometimes are called Buersi or Buersi ersu.
b) Duoxu, in the Manning East.
c) Lusu, in Shimian.
d) Lisu, in Jinlong, Muli and west of Manyuan

All these names mean "white men", translated for his different dialects.

Perhaps the most outstanding characteristics of his culture are:

1. The cult to the white stone: a mysterious ubiquitous cult in the region, in which there take part of some form other peoples related to them, belonging also to the branch of languages qiángicos of the family tibeto birmana.

2. The culture of the turrets, studied by Sun Hongkai (3), a few big constructions of stone that relate them again to other peoples of this branch qiángica.

3. A writing pictográfica the only, that according to Li Jingsheng (4) might be related in his origin to the characters pictográficos of the religion Dongba de los Naxi, in which the color seems to play an excellent role.

4. A few religious specialists, called Shaba, that use these pictographs.

His language we have already mentioned that belongs to the branch qiangica of the family tibeto birmana. A very little studied branch, to which there belong also the languages of another historical series of related peoples and culturally with the Ersu.

His language is provided with three principal dialects, which according to Sun (2) are:
a) Ersu, who speak the Ersu and Lusu to him, with 13.000 speakers.
b) Duoxu, with approximately 3.000 speakers.
c) Lisu, with approximately 4.000

(1) Anónimo. - Sichuan zangzu renkou (Tibetan population in Sichuan). Beijing. 1994
(2) Sun Hongkai. - Languages of the ethnic broker of west of Sichuan. In Investigations on the Minorities of the South-west (Xinan Minzu Yanjiu). Publishing house of the Nationalities of Sichuan. Chengdu. 1983
(3) Sun Hongkai.-Shi lun "Qionglong" wenhua yu qiang yu zhi yuyan. (Preliminary discussions on the culture of the turrets and the languages of the branch qiangica). In Investigations of the Nationalities (Minzu Yanjiu). 1986 - 2
(4) Li Jingsheng. - Naxi Dongba wen of chuangzhi ji qita () In Dongba wenhua yanjiu suo lunwen xuanji (Articles chosen between the Department of Investigation of the culture Dongba). Publishing house of the Nationalities of Yunnan. Kunming. 2003

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