Munaozhaiwa
01 · Historical Records
The epic is precious material for studying the birth and migration of the Jingpo, the origin of primitive religion, the evolution of the marriage system, the emergence of the mountain-official system and inter-ethnic contact; its content embraces every field of Jingpo politics, history, philosophy, literature, art, custom and ethics and it has very high academic and artistic value. Because Munaozhaiwa is vast in scale and transmitted orally, those who can chant it in full were already very few; it was banned during the Cultural Revolution, and when the Manau dance was revived in 1980 there was no zhawa chanting in the whole of Dehong prefecture, only the dongsa, folk artists one grade below the zhawa, chanting part of the content.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Munaozhaiwa is the creation epic of the Jingpo. According to the research of relevant experts it originated at the earliest in the period of the patrilineal clan of primitive society; it is the sacrificial words with which the Jingpo forebears sacrificed to the heavenly god and the sun god, eight thousand nine hundred lines long and divided into six chapters. The first chapter tells of the formation of heaven and earth and all things and the birth of mankind; the second tells of the Jingpo creation hero Ningguandu leading the heroes of the world to transform heaven and earth and make the soil fertile and the crops grow; the third tells of the great flood on the earth; the fourth tells of Ningguandu seeking wealth and marrying the dragon girl Zha Sheng; the fifth tells of the origin of the Jingpo Manau dance; and the sixth tells of life on the earth, including drilling wood for fire, seeking water, making tools of production and life, learning to wear clothes and trousers, planting grain, building houses, and men marrying and women wedding. Munaozhaiwa circulates in the Jingpo dwelling places of the counties and cities of Dehong prefecture, including five townships of Yingjiang county, seven townships of Longchuan county, six townships of Luxi city and two townships of Ruili city.
Chapter One (the Formation of Heaven, Earth and All Things)
Telling of the formation of heaven and earth and all things and the birth of mankind.
Chapter Two (Ningguandu Transforms Heaven and Earth)
Telling of Ningguandu leading the heroes of the world to transform heaven and earth.
Chapter Five (the Origin of the Manau Dance)
Telling of the origin of the Jingpo Manau dance.
Chapter Six (Life on the Earth)
Telling of such life contents as drilling wood for fire, seeking water, planting grain, building houses and men marrying and women wedding.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Munaozhaiwa circulates in the Jingpo dwelling places of the counties and cities of Dehong prefecture, Yunnan, including five townships of Yingjiang county, seven townships of Longchuan county, six townships of Luxi city and two townships of Ruili city.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present only Li Xiangqian of Tongbiguan township in Yingjiang county can chant most of it. The extant creation epic Munaozhaiwa in China was first recorded and collated from the oral account of the great Jingpo scripture master Sha Wanfu; in 1975 the Jingpo scholar Li Xiangqian again collected, collated and published a Jingpo text and a Chinese translation. Munaozhaiwa is the classic and encyclopaedia of traditional Jingpo culture; every kind of Jingpo culture and art can find its source here, and so it should be protected and transmitted.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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