Mupamipa
01 · Historical Records
Drawing on surveys of Lahu oral literature and the collated text of Mupamipa, this long verse creation myth was sung by successive generations of Lahu “bokuo gakuo”; the poem runs to seventeen chapters and about two thousand three hundred lines and is a fine piece of oral literature of long tradition among the Lahu people.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Mupamipa is a long verse creation myth sung by the Lahu “bokuo gakuo”, circulating in Lancang Lahu autonomous county, Simao city, Yunnan. It is chiefly sung by the “gamuke” (those who can sing verse) and the “moba” (presiders at religious activities), and may also have several accompanying or alternating singers; its lyrics are plain and concise, its metre fixed and its parallel couplets in the majority. Its tunes are beautiful and pleasant, its modes differing by region, and its singing follows the words with a narrative-singing character. It is sung at Lahu traditional festivals, religious activities or the farming slack, the singers full of feeling and the listeners enchanted, the singing often lasting all night with everyone present in high spirits.
The Seventeen Chapters
The poem runs to seventeen chapters and about two thousand three hundred lines, narrating the making of heaven, earth, sun and moon, the creation of all things and humanity and humanity's earliest conditions of survival.
Making Heaven, Earth, Sun and Moon
One of the subjects narrated in Mupamipa.
Creating All Things and Humanity
One of the subjects narrated in Mupamipa.
Sung Chiefly by the Gamuke and Moba
Mupamipa is chiefly sung by the “gamuke” (those who can sing verse) and the “moba” (presiders at religious activities), and may also have several accompanying or alternating singers.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Mupamipa circulates in Lancang Lahu autonomous county, Simao city (today Pu'er city), Yunnan, and the neighbouring Lahu areas; it is chiefly sung by the “gamuke” (those who can sing verse) and the “moba” (presiders at religious activities), and may also have several accompanying or alternating singers.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The whole poem has seventeen chapters and two thousand three hundred lines, narrating the making of heaven, earth, sun and moon, the creation of all things and humanity and humanity's earliest conditions of survival; it is a fine piece of oral literature of long tradition among the Lahu. It is indispensable precious material for studying Lahu history and culture, the vehicle of Lahu culture and the bond maintaining Lahu spiritual life. Under the impact of modern culture, however, this creation myth is on the verge of being lost with no successors: at present only one or two people in Lancang Lahu autonomous county can sing it in full.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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