Various social phenomena are reflected in oral poetry, and so it is
very useful for understanding the society in which it was created. When
we are investigating how a matter is viewed by an ethnic group, the formulaic
phrases that we find in their oral poetry are valuable owing to
their very formulaic nature because the common, ordinary views of a
society can be embodied in those phrases.
By using Yi source materials, this paper describes and surveys the
formulaic phrases whose content can reflect how the Yi people living in
the Liang-shan district, Si-chuan, China, viewed the Han-Chinese in the
past. Then, based on the described images of the Han-Chinese, the
author examines how the Yi people saw ethnic relations with the Han-
Chinese.
The Yi are an ethnic minority mainly distributed over the provinces
of Si-chuan, Yun-nan, Gui-zhou and the Guang-xi Zhuang Autonomous
Region. There are about 1,500,000 Yi people in the Liang-shan district
now. The language spoken by the Yi belongs to the Tibeto-Burman
group.
Through research and examination, the author reached the following
conclusions:
(1) It is very probable that the period when the main images of the
Han-Chinese were formed to be reflected in Yi oral poetry ranges from
the Qing dynasty to the Kuomintang period. This conclusion is based
on the fact that there are phrases expressing opium, guns and the ornamental
gems on caps worn by Qing dynasty officers; it is also sup-
ported by the fact that the phenomena reflected in the oral poetry agree
with those reported in the ethnographies written by those who visited the
Liang-shan district at that period.
(2) The Han-Chinese were recognized as an ethnic group distinct
from the Liang-shan Yi themselves. Among the ethnic groups known to
the Liang-shan Yi, the Han-Chinese occupied their main interest.
(3) Two images of the Han-Chinese are especially conspicuous:
i) One is that of the Han-Chinese as the people in power. We can infer
this image from the formulaic expressions concerning Han-Chinese
officers accompanied by large armies. The Han-Chinese officers are also
associated with jails to put the Liang-shan Yi in. We can suppose that
the Liang-shan Yi felt themselves oppressed under the power of the Han-
Chinese officers supported by their overwhelming military force. The Yi
tried to keep a friendly relationship with the Han-Chinese officers while
they could get benefit from it. This makes it easy for us to understand
why the Liang-shan Yi did not hesitate to attack the Han-Chinese once
their power was weakened and the advantage of cooperation with them
was lost.
ii) Another image is that of the Han-Chinese as suppliers of commodities.
This image can be inferred from many formulaic expressions
concerning merchandise sold by the Han-Chinese merchants. It includes
articles such as salt, cotton cloth, liquor, candy, guns, pans, etc.
It is likely that the Liang-shan Yi were attracted by the affluence that the
Han-Chinese possessed. That affluence itself may have stimulated the
Yi to plunder the Han-Chinese.
4) In many formulaic phrases, political and economic activities are
associated with cities and streets where Han-Chinese lived. It is probable
that the cities located around the Liang-shan Yi district worked as an important
place of contact between the Han-Chinese and the Liang-shan
Yi.
涼山彝族の口誦詩にみえる漢族のイメージ
KH_019_4_002.pdf
(1.92MB)
