Yao Religious

Edited by Tom O. Saephanh

Priest's wreath; Laos/Northern Thailand; Bavarian State Library, Cod. sin. 744.

The tradition of mythical epical songs in honour of King Pan (Panwang tzu) is connected to the Pan Yao. Panwang tzu are recited during King Pan-festivals. In addition they are used as didactical material for children. A similar connection to the Pan Yao can also be stated for the pseudohistorical texts "Charta of King Ping" (Pinghuang quandie) and "Placard for Crossing the Mountains" (Guoshan bang). They are reported also for She groups of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang. Pan Wang is also known as Pan Gu (Pien Gouv). From a Chinese-English Dictionary 'Pan Gu' means "the legendary creator and first ruler of the universe"

Textbook for Children (Chuxue zhengwen); 19th century; Jingmen Yao; Bavarian State Library, Cod.sin. 911. Book for the salvation of souls (Chaodu shu); 1757; Iu Mien (Yao); Guangxi, China; Bavarian State Library, Cod. sin. 544.

Recently an increasing number of Yao manuscript editions have been published in China and made available for research on the Yao, their written sources and their religion in the western world. The Munich Yao project, initiated in October 1995, is based on a collection of more than 1000 Yao manuscripts, acquired by the Department for Rare Manuscripts of the Munich Bavarian State Library during the last few years. The manuscripts of this collection date from the beginning of the 18th to the eighties of the 20th century and originate from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the southern provinces of China, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

Ghosts, from "Boat Ritual" (Chi xiang fa yong); 1968; Iu Mien (Yao); Bavarian State Library, Cod. sin. 379.

Exemplary manuscripts will be examined, annotated, and edited regarding their role as 'magically' effective physical objects and liturgical texts in ritual. As the manuscripts cover a period of over 260 years and a wide geographical range, we hope to gain information on related persons (authors, scribes, owners, etc.), families, clans, their relationships and their history. Further investigation will be carried out on the relation of Yao culture and religion to Chinese cultural and religious traits, especially to local popular cults and Daoism.

* White, David Gordon, Myths of the Dog-Man (The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1991). Important study of the tale of the dog-man, including Pan Hu (King Pan); Pinghuang quandie (Emperor Ping's charter) 14-20; etc. Yao-Chinese material based on true story. by Robert Campany and secondary scholarship. Lovely book.

* R. Cushman, "Rebel Haunts and Lotus Huts: Problems in the Ethnohistory of the Yao," (PhD dissertation, Cornell University, 1970). Still the best evaluation of most historical sources and analytical problems.

The University of Language & Culture in Beijing is accepting Iu Mien world wide, who are interested in learning Yao history. If you are interested, please email and let me know because I have the connection.