**Ethnic Literature Studies**
This article explores the distinctive literary heritage embedded in the ethnic scripts of several minority peoples in Yunnan, China—including the Yi, Dai, Naxi, Tibetan, and Hui—arguing that literature forms a vivid and vital part of their voluminous written classics, which also encompass politics, economy, and culture. It highlights three case studies: Yi literature preserved in "Bimo" (ritual priest) scriptures written in the ancient Yi syllabic script; Naxi "Dongba" literature recorded through pictographic Dongba characters; and Dai "Palm-leaf" (Beiye) literature, noted for its religious mysticism and vivid imagery. The paper focuses primarily on Bimo literature, describing the Bimo as sacred sages, ritual specialists, and cultural transmitters who conducted ceremonies (ancestor worship, exorcism, funerals) while composing and passing down creation epics such as Chamu, Meige, and Lehote Yi, regarded as the Yi people's "encyclopedia" and spiritual root, illustrating the richness of Yunnan's minority folk literature within Chinese culture.
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