Promises of Supernatural Power – Elimination of Disasters and prayers for blessings

Tags: belief | religion | ritual

Religions are most touching to human souls. They reflect the harmonious attitude of human beings toward nature and the environment. Rites and rituals embody in religious system through the longstanding life experiences, as to form a common culture in the accumulation of worship of supernatural beings. Life experiences and religious beliefs vary with ethnic groups, of which each has developed its own cultural connotation. Beliefs are expressed via varied rituals. Through these symbolic statements, the social order, social organization, and structural features of a community or an ethnic group are reflected or expressed. Rituals mark the behavioral representation of an ethnic group's beliefs, which, once put into ritual practice, display such aspects of life as rites of passage, offering ceremonies, and rituals for eliminating disasters and praying for blessings. The significance of these beliefs consists in the psychological needs for divine help, solutions or promises. Thus, it is hoped that unfortunate events can be turned around and calamity of individuals or families can be removed, in order that life will get back on track and lead to true happiness. Elimination of disasters and prayers for blessings are in essence meant for “removing calamity and bringing good fortune.” By virtue of varied rituals, human beings can obtain reasonable explanations not only for the sufferings through life and death but also for natural disasters as well, so as to find comfort and ease the mind. Natural disasters and physical sufferings, in birth, aging, sicknesses and death, are unavoidable in lives. With a desire to eliminate disasters and diseases, each ethnic group takes distinctive approaches adapting to their environment and living. They create diverse rites and rituals to eliminate disasters and to pray for blessings of life.
 
Wizardry used to play a crucial role in the life of early indigenous people in Taiwan. In an indigenous society, a wizard would take charge of religious affairs and disease treatments. They preside over offering ceremonies and chant incantation to cure illnesses.
In Paiwan Tribe, for instance, in case of sickness, family members would make a request for the tribal witch to come to the house. She will carry with her a tool box and a knife, to conduct an exorcism. When it came to offering ceremonies, the witch was accountable for chanting sutras, in the hope of an abundant yield of millet.

The wizard of the Amis, on the other hand, mainly takes care of the sick people with remedies and prays for their recovery. He also performs a variety of rites such as those conducted prior to tilling lands and driving out plague. In important activity of millet production, other rites were performed in order to address as water shortages and pests. They will hold rites of driving out pest and for rain. The Amis’ faith in wizardry enables them to soothe their minds and souls, as to reinforce their confidence and willpower, which in turn helped them bind the whole tribe more intensively.

Inhabiting mid-high altitude, the Bunun had scarce resources at hand, and thus dread illness, death, and all forms of sufferings. In struggle for a better life, the Bunun practiced pantheism, which made wizardry so popular among them. Wizardry can mitigate their suffering and make them to the path of eternal happiness. Therefore the Bunun practice wizardry prayers in all matters as to pursuit true happiness and security.

The Li people, an ethnic group living in Hainan Island, deemed wizardry as a medium through which they can achieve benefits or mishaps. Illnesses, they believe, are owing to work of spirit. The most formidable are their ancestral specters harm to others. Thus, during the funeral of a family member, they will not do any plowing and tilling before ancestral burial. At the same time, based upon the kinship relations and distances of villages, a variety of taboos are to be followed. In this way, they believe that the strict observation of the taboos will please the ancestors, keep themselves and the village away from being haunted, and eliminate unnecessary disasters. In the customs of the Han people, the concept of eliminating disasters and praying for blessings is usually embodied in religious rituals and ceremonies.
 
According to the folk beliefs in Taiwan, when bumping into hazards in career, health, family, wealth, or emotions, individuals will resort to religious rituals, in an attempt to remove calamity and bring better luck. Mostly the rituals are held either in temples or sometimes a Taoist priest would be invited to have rites at home to ward off disasters and usher in luck. A blessed life without any calamity is the greatest hope and the ultimate goal, which humans have long been pursuing in their hearts. The sufferings through life will be relieved, and life will find its path to prosperity and success. Customs and cultures of different ethnic groups often give rise to different rituals and ceremonies. In early indigenous societies in Taiwan, through the belief of wizardry, the wizards prayed for the elimination of diseases, calamity, and for abundant yields of crops. Similarly, convinced that ancestral spirits will haunt their progeny, the Li people strictly abide taboos for funerals and burial, so as to lead a peaceful life. Folk beliefs in Hans in Taiwan are an assortment of Buddhism, Taoism, and pantheism. Through a myriad of religious rites, people seek to eliminate disasters and pray for blessings, either for fulfilling the need of individuals or the common expectation of the public. Through various religious beliefs, each ethnic group expresses their needs to respect the supernatural. Through these expressions to obtain the promise of supernatural power, people can reach the eternal comfort and prosperity in their inner souls.

The following links on human rituals are for your reference:

Comprehension and Manifestation of Culture— Human Rituals
 
Stages of Life—Rites of Passage
 
Harmonious Interaction between Human Beings and Natural Environment— Offering Ceremonies
 
Symbolic Figures and Objects in Rituals
 
Promise from Supernatural Power —Collections in Rituals for eliminations of disasters and prayers for Blessings

 

 

 

Pingzai

  • Theme/Key word: Single Tidal Weir
  • Description: This stone tidal weir is located at Pingzaician of the Jhongtun Village, and is thus named Pingzai Weir. Since most villagers pitched in to build this weir, each family's name is designated to a Meng-guei (stone wall), and the family who offered more assistance would have more Meng-guei. The Wong family sold 2/3 of their Meng-guei to the Lin family. Meng-guei will be succeeded by theirs sons when the old passed away. Initially, there were fourteen stone walls in the weir without patrol. Some rocks in the weir were thus stolen, and the Ma family was hired as guards. The surname Zhu came from Dingwan. Rumor says it that the Zhu family also helped build the weir, or that a young girl in the village married to the Zhu family. Therefore, Zhu was rewarded with a Meng-guei. This is regarded as a trousseau to Zhu.
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Central room

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000015

 

 

 

Central room and left wing

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000020

 

 

 

Central room and right wing

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000021

 

 

 

Traditional kitchen

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000022

 

 

 

A group of kids

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: People
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000024

 

 

 

Exterior look of a house

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000025

 

 

 

Warehouse

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000026

 

 

 

House

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000027

 

 

 

House

  • Theme/Key word: Original name: Baiyi
  • Description: Category: Household
  • Data Identification: Registered No.: 00000045