The religion of the Ersu and other peoples qiángicos of the Sichuan west

On the south west in of the Sichuan province, between the river Dadu and the Yalong live through a series of peoples officially considered Tibetan, but that speak languages that belong to the branch qiangica of the family tibeto-birmana. His cultures have a lot of differences with those of the Tibetan ones, but big resemblances between them. So many people, as so that a study (1) of the religion mentions his common characteristics.

It refers at least to eight different villages:

Namuyi
Paimuyi
Duoxu
Liru
Lusu
Munilou
Xumi
Ersu

The religion of all of them is based on the cult to the nature and to his ancestors, who express of different forms.

Cult to the nature, they express it in several elements:

1. - Cult to the White Stone. The White Stone is for them a representation of the gods, capable of providing peace to the family. Every house has in the oriental part three white stones. By the house threads of five colors hang. Down the stone there is a table where the gifts are placed. Generally sacrifices are offered him when someone of the family is sick. It is usually a chicken, although sometimes it becomes a sheep, or up to a yak.

2. - Cult to the spirits of the mountains. They think that the gods of the mountains govern the world and venerate them in ceremonies in which the whole village takes part. Often they accumulate stones up to forming a heap one meter high, what they consider the god of the mountains to be an altar. It is in this place where they revere him every year. Also they realize ceremonies in his honor when someone falls ill or any other considered event happens few auspicioso. Then the people of the family take grain, wine and meat to offer the God of the Mountains. In some areas, in every crossing of ways there is a stone heap that the walkers have been throwing burning incense as gift.

Every ten years more or less there is realized a solemn ceremony called "gebi", in honor to the spirit of the mountains. In her there take part the people of several nearby villages, contributing yak, sheep, cows, pigs, etc., according to his population. It usually celebrate in the tenth one or in the eleventh lunar month. In addition to the animals that sacrifice themselves, also there is a person of the one that does a species of ritual sacrifice to herself, since it appears completely dressed in target and is burned. Of course one does not kill him, but it takes part of more active form in the ceremony. Generally it is a hereditary participation. For nine days the people ask the god of the mountains for help and peace. In this moment it is thought that the spirit can bless a few arrows, which later will protect the warriors in the battle.

3. - Cult to the tree. It is realized in the household, generally they venerate to some very old tree or of some certain species. They think that the spirits of the trees control the illnesses, and when a child is born or someone of the family falls ill, realize ceremonies in honor of the spirit of the tree, so that it protects the child or treats the patient. If someone takes itches as the body or distension, one believes that it is for the spirit of the tree. Then it calls itself an azhe or shaman, and is raised to the mountain to be sacrificed a sheep or a chicken before the spirit of the tree.

4. - God of the Sky. Xuelewangjin. It regulates everything what exists under the sky, cult gives up the first day of the year.

5. - Goddess of the Earth. Sajia or Hesukejia.

6. - Local God, who venerates him only if there are bad harvests.

7. - God of the Fire. It is an important deity of the hearth, represented by three stones of the hearth, they control the heat and health of the people of the house. It is thought that also they can provide wealths. By it he is venerated by a little of incense, wine and meat in every holiday, and especially in the holiday of New Year, when reverences are done to him for three days.

8. - Gods of the Thunder. They have two gods of the thunder, the masculine one and feminine other.

9. - God of the Water, which controls the disasters of the water and some illnesses like blisters, of watery aspect.

Cult to the spirits.

They think that the whole world has a soul, which does not disappear with the death. If the death has been normal the soul stays at home and protects the family, if it has been baneful (violent or for illness) then it turns into a spirit that hurts the persons. If he makes someone ill, the shaman goes to his house, where for three days and three nights he sings a series of invocations to the spirits, sacrificing a cow. Next to you there takes a human figure done with straw, to which it is wetted by the blood of the sacrificed animal. The illness tries to pass to this image, which then will take force of the village. With the blood of the sacrificed animal life tries to happen. Some specific illnesses have small changes in this ritual.

Cult to the ancestors.

They think that the spirit of the ancestors is very powerful, and can do that the cattle prospers, the cultivation grows favorably, in the family the healthy living people and the peace. It is by it that they are venerated, especially in three occasions:

1. - On having died, in the funeral.

2. - When the shaman erects his slat in the house.

3. - When one asks to the soul to return with the ancestors, and the slat takes to the mountain, ceremony that is realized usually in the tenth lunar month.

(1) Is Yaohua. - Chuan xinan zang zu of xinyang minsu (popular Beliefs transmitted between the Tibetan ones of the south-west). In "Zhonghua minzu wenhua haixia liang yan xueshu taolun I fled wen ji (Discussions on the culture of the minorities of China). Publishing house of the People of Yunnan. Kunming. 1993

Copyright © 2004 www.wuhancom.net