Abstract
Xiud Yax Lus Qim or Yalu wang 亞魯王 (Ode to the King Yalu) is a type of oral performance inherited verbally and transmitted orally by dongb langf (donglang 東郎, chanters of Yalu wang) at funerals and festive occasions. As one of the most representative cultural sets of the Miao (Hmong) ethnic group located in southern China, Yalu wang is embedded in Miao sorcery beliefs and practices, and serves as a vehicle to unite the community and maintain the identity of the ethnic group. However, since Yalu wang was “discovered” as a heroic epic by scholars in 2009 and entered the government’s “List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage” two years later, different agencies have been vying to appropriate its cultural resources. Not only do local government authorities use it as a tourist attraction, stage performances have also produced various versions of Yalu wang to portray an emblem of what are presumed to be “authentic Miao cultures”. This article explores the interactive relationship between Miao sorcery and folk traditions in the oral performance of Yalu wang and their enactment and re-enactment in theatrical performances under the aegis of a state-endorsed tourism policy. In so doing, the discussion sheds new light on the bidirectional dynamics that not only remold the style of performing culture, but also facilitate religious synthesis.
Highlights
Xiud Yax Lus Qim (Yalu wang 亞魯王, literally “Ode to the King Yalu”) is a type of oral performance and ritual practice associated with traditional Miao (Hmong) funerals and festivals in southern China
Yalu wang is circulated in numerous subdialect groups of the Miao ethnic group, but in most cases it appears as scattered fragments and none are as well preserved as that performed by the Mashan subdialect group
Narrated, the oral performance of Yalu wang consists of three major topics—Xiud yangb luf chef, Xiud yangb luf qif
Summary
Xiud Yax Lus Qim (Yalu wang 亞魯王, literally “Ode to the King Yalu”) is a type of oral performance and ritual practice associated with traditional Miao (Hmong) funerals and festivals in southern China. Conveys the cognitive aspects of the ethnic Yalu group, and refer to uses oralthe performance the vehicle forwang the Miao sorcery belief in ancestral spirits. There is no single authoritative text; since Yalu wang is transmitted orally, the chanting of which is relatively flexible as long as it follows a “main narrative” Within this framework, do different individuals have the freedom to alter details, the same dongb langf can include ad lib or improvised elements to vary his performances
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