Lisu customs and taboos
There are many ethnic minorities in Yunnan, and the Lisu people are one of them. In this issue, we will take everyone to learn about the customs and taboos of the Lisu people in their early life.
etiquette
customs taboos The Lisu people avoid guests walking straight from the front door to the back door, thinking that this is the case when the dead are buried; they should not enter the house with a walking stick because they are only used when dancing to mourn the dead; when there are guests at home, they should not sweep the floor, wash your face and feet, etc.; when killing chickens and hosting guests, they should not cut meat; and they should not touch the heads of the elderly.
Farming taboo
When you go to the ground to produce, don't carry hoes and other earth-digging tools on your shoulders, especially when hoes are brought into the house, because this is the case when the dead are buried; When rice is in bloom, don't wash clothes and peel hemp beside the rice fields, otherwise you think it will scare the flowers and reduce production; If you encounter strong winds when corn is blooming, don't women weave linen, and don't let men cut bamboos and cut wood; don't hurt spiders, which is said to teach people to weave.
You cannot plant seeds during the full moon, otherwise insects will eat crops; you cannot wash or peel hemp beside the heading rice fields; you cannot cut down trees by springs or wells; women are not allowed to touch men's hunting gear such as crossbows, arrow packs, and long knives; The fence dedicated to the hunting god is full of various animal bones and inserted with various bird feathers. No one is allowed to move, and women are not even allowed to approach it. Otherwise, the hunting god will cause trouble, and the human hands will suffer from nameless swelling poison, or the eyes will be red and swollen, and the teeth will be painful.
Life taboos: When entering and leaving at dusk, you must close the door behind you to prevent ghosts from taking the opportunity to enter; parents should not sweep the floor when going out, for fear of being unfavorable to parents, so they only sweep the floor when they die; you cannot enter the house with crutches; you should not shout "Oh" in front of and behind the house, only when driving away ghosts for the dead; you should not whistle in other people's homes or call ghosts into the house with the sound of musical instruments.
The tripod on the fire pit in the house is prohibited from stepping on or moving, and it is not allowed to splash saliva or snot. You cannot use your feet instead of your hands to add firewood under the tripod.
Normally, the cutting board cannot be scraped and washed, otherwise it will be considered that the blessing has been scraped away. In the coming year, there will be no oil or meat to eat, and the lid of the pot cannot be washed. Otherwise, it will be considered that if the blessing is washed away, there will be no harvest in the next year, and everyone will be hungry.
Ban eating towards the fire pond; ban eating dog meat; ban eating buffalo; ban eating frog meat. Don't burn firewood, otherwise it will hinder family harmony. You cannot kill a snake crawling on the road.
Adult men are forbidden to grow beards; combing their hair at night is forbidden; when widows marry, they usually only send off and receive their relatives at night.
It is forbidden for pregnant women to give birth, and hang thatched leaves or thorn branches in front of the house to prevent ghosts from entering; if the baby cries continuously, 1 poisonous arrow (or 2 non-poisonous arrows) will be hung at the door of the house; if pregnant women are not allowed to eat stringed pork, cow beef, and chicken with white and gray feathers; if they are born to a man, guests are not allowed to enter the house with bows and arrows and long knives; if they are born to a woman, they are not allowed to enter the house with shoes; if they are from afar, they are forbidden to enter the house, and the taboo period is 10 to 13 days; if they are forbidden to hug a baby horizontally, thinking it is a sign of locking a person; Pregnant women are not allowed to burn corn flowers, take burning firewood, etc.; if these taboos are violated, the baby is in danger of premature death and short-lived life.
网站图片位Funeral taboos During the funeral period, relatives and friends of the deceased and fellow villagers are prohibited from eating peppers, otherwise it will be considered disrespectful to the deceased. Someone died in the village, and the whole village was forbidden to eat peppers before burial. Only people who had a grudge against the deceased would deliberately eat peppers. When a child dies prematurely, the whole family avoids eating mutton, onions, and garlic. Otherwise, they will think that it will invade ghosts and gods and lead to more serious disasters. Unmarried young people cannot send widows off.
When offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods or dragon trees, women are not allowed to participate. Those who go far must rush back before the New Year, otherwise, when their families worship their ancestors during the New Year, they will also use those who have not returned as sacrificial objects, which is unlucky. When offering sacrifices to domestic ghosts, do not let outsiders enter before you finish eating the meat, otherwise you will get diseases. It is forbidden to use tea leaves to honor the hunting god. It is believed that tea leaves can cover the eyes of hunters and prevent them from hitting wild animals. The sacrifices to the hunting god cannot be given to others and must be eaten by the hunters themselves. Otherwise, they will hunt without any harvest.
Avoid riding horses, tying cattle and horses, cutting down and defecating near the temple and the sacred tree; when worshiping gods, wizards should not enter and exit casually, fight and laugh; avoid touching the god's seat or placing things on it; except for the death of village people, shooting 3 shots in a row are not allowed to be fired at ordinary times; no seasoning can be put on the dishes used to sacrifice ghosts; meat used to sacrifice ghosts in homes can only be eaten by their own families, and no one with other surname can be shared; meat used to sacrifice ghosts in the wild can only be shared in the wild and cannot be taken home; Don't whistle in other people's homes, otherwise you will attract ghosts.