Building Bridges between the Spirits and the Living Iu-Mien (Yao) and Hmong (Miao) Rituals
The Iu-Mien (Yao) and Hmong (Miao) ethnic groups of southern China, Southeast Asia, and their refugee communities in the U.S. and France both build physical bridges that serve as the ritual basis for souls and spirits to pass from the spirit world to the living world. This paper explores and compare...
| Published in: | Shaman |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Molnar & Kelemen Oriental Publ.
2020
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| In: |
Shaman
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| Summary: | The Iu-Mien (Yao) and Hmong (Miao) ethnic groups of southern China, Southeast Asia, and their refugee communities in the U.S. and France both build physical bridges that serve as the ritual basis for souls and spirits to pass from the spirit world to the living world. This paper explores and compares the bridge building rituals of both ethnic groups, the types of bridges and their functions for individuals and the community at large. For example, Mien and Hmong shamans may conduct bridge building rituals for fertility, healing, or longevity. The paper focuses on Mien refugee shamanic practice in the U.S. compared to descriptions of the similar Mien and Hmong rituals conducted in Southeast Asia to examine the interdependent relations between the living, the souls of the dead, and the spirit world. The effects of cultural change for refugees in the U.S. on bridge-building ritual performance and ethnic identity are considered. Finally, the paper examines the material culture of the bridges themselves, their construction materials and symbolism and the relation to the ritual spaces in which they are built. |
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| ISSN: | 1216-7827 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Shaman
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