6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 12? 



drum and the coffin to the accompaniment of the drum and the liu sheng. They 

 exert so much strength that often some of the dancers are pushed over, furnitura 

 is smashed, and the walls of the room or house are broken. One story says tha 

 in this dance the house was pushed down and everything inside was smashed. 



When the coffin is about to be carried out of the house for burial, the priest standr 

 across the doorsill and shoots three arrows inside and three outside the house 

 This is to drive away demons that might cause any sort of a disaster. 



Twelve days after the funeral there is performed a ceremony called in Chinese 

 sao ch'ieh and in Ch'uan Miao a si or a shi. The ceremonial drum is not beateni 

 the bull is not killed, and there is no music of the liu sheng. At this time the spirit 

 of the deceased person is believed to return to his old home. Ashes are sprinkled^ 

 outside the front door, and the friends and relatives later look in the ashes foi 

 footprints. It is believed that the footprints will reveal whether the ancestoi 

 is now a person, an animal, a reptile, or a fowl. 



Not less than one year later there is held a memorial ceremony called in Chinese 

 tso chai and in Ch'uan Miao a vang. Friends and relatives observe the ceremony 

 in the house or march to the grave beating the ceremonial drum and gongs and 

 playing the liu sheng to entice the soul of the dead back home. A cow, a water 

 buffalo, or a pig is killed and offered to the deceased ancestors; it is then cooked 

 and eaten by the relatives and friends. This ceremony is performed for older 

 brothers and sisters and for ancestors for three generations. 



It is believed that after death a woman carries a grass mat on her back, and a 

 man carries on his back a wide, round, shallow winnowing basket such as is 

 commonly used in West China. These prevent the souls from entering the( 

 palace of the level land of Ntz'i. In the tso chai or a vang ceremony the ancestors: 

 are released from these burdens and go happily to God's flat land where they aret 

 able to enter the palace and visit their ancestors. 



Later, generally after several years, there is a memorial ceremony called inij 

 Chinese ch'ao chien and in Ch'uan Miao tsa mong. The grave is opened, the^ 

 coffin is burned or thrown away, and the bones are washed with wine and theno 

 rubbed with oil. A new coffin and new clothing are provided, and the corpse is 

 reburied in the same or another grave. During this ceremony the drum and the( 

 liu sheng are used, a cow, water buffalo, or pig is killed, and there is a feast. Iti 

 is believed that the deceased person becomes very uncomfortable lying in the samet 

 position for a long time; also, if the ceremony is not performed, the descendants 

 will not prosper. After the ceremony the ancestor is comfortable and happy, and: 

 the descendants will prosper. 



There is another memorial ceremony called in Chinese hua t'an, or floweryv 

 altar, and in Ch'uan Miao a gi bang or a gei bang. It is performed in one of the 

 homes and is participated in by all the relatives having the same name. It takes! 

 place about once in three years. A bull is killed, and his hide may be used to] 

 cover a ceremonial drum. The meat of the bull and rice, corn, wine, and vegetables s 

 are offered to the ancestors, after which there is a feast. The drum is beaten, the: 

 liu sheng and the flute are played, and there is dancing and singing. Twelve mem 



