NO. I 



CHUAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



77 



An Incantation Spof^en during the Tso Chai 

 Ceremony ^'^ (434) 



What day is a good one on which to com- 

 memorate the ancestors? This year, on the 

 chicken and monkey days, it is a good time 

 to commemorate the ancestors. What day is a 

 good one on which to conduct the Tso Chai 

 ceremony? It is on tlie days of the chicken, 

 the sheep, and the monkey. 



Even if the ear of heaven is big, heaven 

 will not know it. If it rains, the earth will 

 not know it. I, the priest, will repeat this 

 ceremony to the sun. Then the sun will set 

 in the mountain. I, the priest, will repeat this 

 incantation to the moon. Then the moon will 

 set in the forest. I will repeat the incantation 

 to the wind. The wind will then set in the 

 vacuum in the sky. I will repeat it to the 

 water. The water will go into the cave. I 

 will repeat it to the trees. The trees will fall 

 down and become firewood. I will repeat 

 it to the bamboo. The bamboo will then 

 break into small pieces. I will repeat it to 

 the forest. The forest will then become va- 

 cant and disappear. 



If your ear is large so that you know about 

 it, heaven does not know. I will then come 

 and spread the things out for the ceremony. 

 If it rains, the earth does not know. Then I 

 will come and spread the things out. Now I 

 am going to repeat this ceremony to the 

 family's ancestors, naming each one by one. 

 I will not repeat this ceremony for the de- 

 scendants, I will not repeat it for the people's 

 house, or for the souls of the living, male, 

 female, old or young. I will not repeat it 

 for the soul of the unhusked rice, I will not 

 repeat it for the soul of the corn, I will not 

 repeat it for the soul of husked rice or for 

 the souls of cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, dogs, 

 or cats. I will certainly repeat this incantation 

 for the evil and calamities spoken by the 

 mouths and tongues and lips of the ancestors. 

 I will soon spread out things so that even if 

 heaven's ears are large heaven will not know, 

 and if there is a heavy rain, the earth will not 

 know — not know, not know, then not know. 

 The demons at the junctures of the house 

 will perish. I will use rice, beans, salt, and 

 tea, and hit them. The demons are on the 

 central pillar. I will use rice, beans, and salt, 



^^ This was secured by Mr. Shiung after wit- 

 nessing the ceremony inviting the ancestors to 

 come. While the ceremony is being repeated, the 

 priest has a shallow winnowing basket made of 

 bamboo. In it he has corn, rice, and beans. As 

 he repeats the incantadon, he throws the three 

 grains from the winnowing basket into the cor- 

 ners of the room — apparendy to exorcise demons. 



and hit them. The demons are upstairs. I will 

 use rice, beans, and salt and hit them. The 

 demons are below the house in the corners. 

 I will use rice, beans, salt, and tea, and 

 hit them. When I have driven them out, I 

 will escort them upon the pass, upon the hill, 

 upon the cliff. I will again use rice, beans, 

 salt, and tea, and hit them. When I have hit 

 them, I will chase them. I will chase them 

 away ten thousand years. They will go away 

 forever. Then the demons will not come to 

 the home of these old people.^'^ 



A Memorial Song ^^ (6) 



We constantly go over all the world with 

 sorrowing hearts and reach the medical tree 

 of the great demon. As for the earth, it is 

 broad. As for the sky (heaven), it is high. 

 We speak of the husband of water-affec- 

 tion, and the wife of fish-affection. The wife 

 sleeps until early dusk (early dawn), then in 

 her hands takes up the broom to sweep the 

 floor, and her husband uses a brass dipper 

 and dips water into the iron cooking basin. 

 Slowly she sweeps, sweeps, sweeps to the 

 central shrine, then also sweeps the rooms on 

 each side. She sweeps to welcome her uncle 

 and older brothers, then sweeps her front 

 parlor to welcome her relatives and her 

 uncles. When her distant relatives and nearby 

 guests are all welcome, then she sweeps clean 

 all the dust in all the rooms. She sweeps the 

 central parlor to welcome the shamanist (ca- 

 lamity father), then sweeps the floors so that 

 the liu sheng ^^ can be played, and the great 

 ceremony of offerings is begun. 



Two Souls Return from Hades to Enjoy a 

 Memorial Ceremony *" (7) 



Constantly going over the world with sor- 

 rowing hearts. He went to Hwa Man and 

 Hwa Ch'in (hwa t'in). Hwa Ch'in came 

 and sat down. Hwa Man was hunting under 

 the great wicker vine. Hwa Ch'in was living 

 by the road on his hunting ground. Hwa Man 

 climbed the large wicker vine. Hwa Ch'in 

 came to his large bamboo grove. Hwa Man 



s'' When he has finished repeating this, he takes 

 rice and beans and chases them out of the front 

 door, hitdng them with the rice and beans. 



38 Sung at the Tso Chai ceremony. 



39 The liu sheng is a 6-tubed wind instrument 

 played to the accompaniment of dancing during 

 memorial ceremonies of the Ch'uan Miao. Often 

 it is accompanied by the beating of the sacred 

 drum. 



40 Sung at the end of the Tso Chai ceremony 

 after the paper or spirit money is burnt. 



