The Research On The Shaman In Western Fujian

This dissertation aims to analyses the shaman in Western Fujian province (Hakka area )from the perspective of cultural anthropology . Based on the deep description of rituals, the author attempts to analyze the significance of shaman in Hakka area .The author compares shaman in Hakka area with Dang-gi, luanshou, and cabobut (female spirit mediums) in Taiwan and then try to reflect on relationships between shaman and Hakka society.Shaman is a part-time religious practitioner who mediates between ordinary people and supernatural beings and forces. Usually shaman plays a role of curers(witch doctors),astrologers and mediums. Shaman is known as an intermediary between the person and God. He can pray for the people and convey people's wish to God and also convey words from God to people. Shaman is one of world's oldest professions. Over ages, it still exists in the modern society.Shamanic religions are typically found among foragers in foraging society, particularly in the northern latitudes, such as the Inuit and the Siberia. Shaman research is worldwide. There already exist a lot of studies on shaman in North China. Researches on the shamanic religions in North China have been always the researchers'preference. On the contrary, there are few researches about shaman and shamanism in south China.Hakka area is mainly located in the junction in southern China's Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi province. In ancient times this region belongs to"Baiyue" culture, magic is the characteristic of the "Baiyue" culture. With the field work conducted for several mouths in Hakka area, I find that shaman is also popular in Hakka area, especially in rural society. But in local view, the shamanism is regarded as demon,superstition cheating activities and bad things . Although almost every family have visited shaman when they meet troubles, they don't want to admit that they are shaman's believers and followers. There has been a bias attitude of shaman. The dissertation is composed of six parts.In introduction part, the author explains the reason of this topic,the main idea and the method of the research. In the second part, the author explains the basic concept of the shaman and point out the difference between shaman and magic.In the third part, based on the deep description of rituals, the author attempts to analyze the significance of shaman in Hakka area. The author discusses the world view of the shaman."Animism"is the basic notions of the shaman. In the Hakkas'view, there are three realms of nature: upper (the heaven), middle (the living world) and lower (the hell), the God live in the upper nature, the people live in middle nature, the dead ancestors live in lower nature. It is the shaman who only owns the ability of traveling into all the three realms of nature to recapture the lost souls or forecast what will happen in future.The fourth part discusses the history of the shaman in Western Fujian province and the system of the folk-religion in Hakka areas. The author try to reflect on relationships between shaman and Hakka society. In the period of Mao's Cultural Revolution, traditional forms of shamanism in Hakka were persecuted. In Hakka area, the 1980s witnessed a renaissance of shaman. Today, the Shaman will vanish. Shaman culture is on the verge of disappearing.In the fifth part, the author makes a comparison of shaman between south and north China,also, the author compares shaman in Hakka area with Dang-gi, luanshou, and cabobut (female spirit mediums) in Taiwan. In the sixth part , the author try to reflect on the misunderstanding about the shaman .