| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
【Religious
meaning and symbol of harvest festival】 |
|
 Harvest
festival is the collection of Amis original
religious belief, without religious strength,
harvest festival may have been lost for a long
time. 40 years ago, when western religions have
been introduced to each tribe, harvest festival
is the biggest enemy for preachers for it is the
biggest resistance for the spread of their
religion. Nowadays there are still conflicts
between them, and this has proved that harvest
festival is a religious activity essentially.
The final purpose of harvest festival remains
the same, that is to pray for crop harvest,
livestock prosperity, family happiness and drive
out the evils and diseases, etc.。 |
|
|
|
【Gods】 |
|
 At
harvest festival, the villagers will summon the
gods to visit the earth and live together with
them after welcoming the Gods ceremony, it is a
traditional belief.
Ciropanay (Rice god),
Cimalataw (Numen),
Cikakacawan (guarding god), Cimasra (Gnome),
Cima'o'ol (Rain god),
Cimacidal (Apollo),
Cifaydongi (Life god),
and Citato'asan |
|
【Taboos
of harvest festival】
1)General
holidays
During general holidays people cannot work in
the field, the family who has violated this may
suffer crop diseases and pest damage.
2) Participant.
Women are not allowed in the male nighttime
singing and dancing (welcome dance) or to eat
meat, the offenders may catch woman disease.
3) Different villages will not join to hold
the festival
For each tribe has different gods, if different
tribes hold it together, the gods may conflict
with each other and cause calamity to the tribe.
 4)
No singing or dancing is allowed usually
Harvest festival singing and dancing cannot be
played at usual time, for the singing and
dancing chosen for harvest festival is peculiar
and cannot be performed in usual time, or even
exercise. It could only be played in certain
place and participants during harvest festival.
The varieties of dances change with songs,
certain dance is required for certain song. The
leader of the singing and dancing will held a
staff which represents full authority. During
the singing and dancing, the participants have
to obey the staff-carrier, who is also the
oldest one of the team. When the leader is
changed, he must pass this stuff to next one,
the stuff-carrier as well as the guard
symbolizes to prevent evil from interference.
Crop damage may fall to the offender.
5) Cannot speak randomly
According to the harvest festival traditions of
millet time, millet is the most fierce god, who
has specific rewards and punishment to human, it
is also the most troublesome crop and has many
taboos, for example, people should be careful
about their words when reaping millet, the words
of "rest," "finish," "go home" and movements of
breaking wind, hitting are not liked by the
millet god.
With the time and social changes, the
industrialization and urbanism have impacted the
harvest festival evolution, and this has also
made harvest festival show different
characteristics in different regions. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
