On The Ritual Functions Of Tujia Sheba Festival

Ritual has long been hotspot of the ethnology research since ethnology subjectstarted. Sheba ceremony is one of the most important folk activities in Tujia which isthe main part of the Guzhang Hunan province, here is the main venue of Sheba festival.Study the Sheba ceremony which is the traditional festival of Tujia not only can addnew content for Sheba festival research, but also can provide countermeasure andreference for government of Xiangxi to excavate and protect the ethnic culture. Thispaper takes Sheba ritual in Guzhang Xiangxi Hunan province as the research object. Onthe basis of field investigation, using participant observation, literature and othermethods, and base on theory of anthropology ritual, functions and symbol to describeand analyze the Sheba festival of Tianjiadong Guzhang, then the function of the Shebaritual is summarized.This paper starts the study from the following several aspects. In the first chapter,the research background is introduced, the related research theory, research results,theresearch theory, research methods are reviewed. In the second chapter introduces thehistoric-cultural environment of Sheba festival, include the natural geographicalenvironment, the village location, and social economic, history, culture and so on. In thethird chapter the distribution and historical evolution of Tujia Sheba festival is discussed.Temporal-spatial, origin and transition of Sheba festival are summarized, and reason isbriefly analyzed. The fourth chapter describes the main process of Sheba festival whichincludes preparation, invoke deities, worship ceremony and God off ceremony. Thispart is deeply described in the order of time. Then unscramble the symbolic of thelanguage and the rite of sacrifice in this ritual. In the fifth chapter the function of Shebais described. From connotation of Sheba festival to discuss its social structure, identityfunctions, social integration function and entertainment function as a social and culturalphenomenon. Finally the article discusses the cultural vicissitude of Sheba festival.There are Tujia culture connotation and social functions in the Sheba ceremony. Itis believed that Sheba festival is folk festival which is as the main body to worshipkitchen god form this study. Obviously, therefore Sheba festival not only does havepositive significance to research Tujia culture and the study of culture change, but alsodoes have great practical value for the preservation of insubstantial cultural heritage.