Women Worship In The Primitive Religion And Myth Of Yi Nationality

In the history and tradition of Yi nationality, worship and respect for women have been highly valued. In the ancient stories, classical books and historical records, religious belief, social customs, rules of conducts, and moral standards, images of women and their unique roles as well as contributions to the society in different historical moments were highlighted.In the context of history and reality of Yi nationality, the author studies the formula of women worship and unique status o women in Yi culture from a fresh perspective on basis of its epic poetry, mythology and customs.In three chapters, the author outlines and discusses the origins and the features of Yi people's women worship on basis of a comparative study on calabash, female-stone, tigress as well as the worship for goddess. In conclusion, the author argues that mutual influence and interactive element dominate the relations among Yi people's tradition of women reproduction worship, totem worship and the goddess worship, which provide a unique angel for reviewing and rethinking the role of women worship in Yi people's primitive culture.From the analysis of goddess' function in Yi people's folk belief, women's fertility, as the premise of mankind's reproduction, became the primary reason behind their higher social status in the primitive society. In addition, as the inventor of primitive agriculture, women dominated the distribution of means of production. This helped to establish women's stronger position in society. In the ancient stories, the recorder of ideas of Yi people's ancestors, women's unique role and higher status were decoded by the worships for maternal body and primitive totem related to fertility as well as the worship for goddesses. On basis his analyses, the author argues, worship of women's reproduction took place prior to worship of totem and all religious forms, and there was a close tie between worship of women's reproduction and worship of totem; primitive mythology and religion, in fact, were different form of same ideological system, which ought to be traced back to the same origin. All the relations are well integrated into worship for women in Yi culture and tradition.