Research on Shamanistic Texts of the Manchu Ethnic Minority

Author: Song Heping and Meng Huiying

This is a monograph based on the translation, sorting and review of handwritten texts which pertain to shamanistic sacrificial activities among the Manchu people. It draws on materials from the author"s collection and other people"s contribution. The book presents both the specific analysis and translation of the texts. The attachment to the research section includes the original versions of the Manchu texts treating the offering of sacrifices to family gods and the offering of sacrifices to "gods of the wilds". These materials are translated from the Manchu language by Song Heping herself.They involve the various aspects of the Manchu culture, such as the Manchu pantheon, formalities during sacrificial rites, special phrases used for welcoming and bidding farewell to the gods, and taboos governing the offering of sacrifices. These materials are the first of their kind to be introduced to the public, and are of great value in terms of cultural, ethnic and religious history.

The book, comprising four chapters, first introduces the shamanistic texts of the Manchu people, including the basic situation of their distribution and circulation, the stylistic rules governing them and their content. The second chapter is specifically devoted to reviewing and analyzing the texts treating the offering of sacrifices in Manchu families. In light of the normal procedure followed in the rites of offering sacrifices to family gods, this chapter explains all activities, every sacrificial item and the terms specifically used in the offering of sacrifices, through her entries. The author also examines the basic characteristics of Manchu rites of sacrifice to family gods. The third chapter presents a review of the Manchu rites of offering sacrifice to wild gods,providing a comprehensive exposure to the rites in respect of their origins,character, practices and popularity. The fourth chapter offers an all-round observation of the names of gods appearing in shamanistic texts, the specific arrangements made for the pantheon in shamanistic rites of offering sacrifice and the symbolic characters embodied by those gods. A glossary is appended listing 2,000 special Manchu terms used in shamanistic texts with every term translated.

Abundant materials and lucid explanations typify this study of shamanistic culture. The work""s novel and valuable contents will necessarily attract attention from academics and be extensively utilized by scholars.

Song Heping, female, was born in 1941. She is an associate professor in the Institute of Ethnic Minority Literature under CASS.