The Daba Scriptures of the Mosuo People and Their Cultural Connotations
This article examines the Daba scriptures (达巴经) of the Mosuo people and their cultural significance, addressing a gap in Mosuo studies, which has largely overlooked Dabaism, the Mosuo's indigenous animist religion. Dabaism centers on beliefs in an immortal soul and a tripartite cosmology of humans, deities, and spirits, with Daba priests serving as intermediaries who perform rituals ("ha," "bu," "pan") for blessings, healing, exorcism, and divination. Orally transmitted rather than textually codified, the Daba scriptures encode nearly all aspects of Mosuo social and cultural life, functioning as a foundational cultural bedrock. The article argues these scriptures underpin ethnic identity, embody a strong "house" (household lineage) concept, and reveal a pronounced reverence for women. It also traces Dabaism's historical coexistence and division of labor with Tibetan Buddhism—which gained dominance after its 16th-century introduction—and notes Dabaism's ongoing decline, with fewer than twenty practicing Daba remaining today.
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