A Study of Dongba Chanting Melodies of the Naxi People
This article by Sang Denuowa examines Dongba chanting (东巴唱腔), the vocal tradition used by Naxi Dongba priests to recite and sing scriptures during Dongba religious rituals. As an integral part of Dongba religion—a folk belief system centered on Dongba priests and the deity Dingba Shiluo—these chants interpret ritual content, link ceremonial procedures, and connect participants to the spirit world through music, dance, and soul-guiding rites, evoking both reverence and joy among believers. The author classifies Dongba chanting styles by regional sect: Baoshan, Baidi, Baisha, Tailu, and Yongning, each shaped by local ethnic interactions (e.g., Tibetan, Yi, Pumi influences) and distinct melodic, rhythmic, and linguistic features. Functionally, chants are further divided into four categories: sacrificial (offerings to heaven, ancestors, mountains, rivers), funeral, narrative, and exorcistic types, with sacrifices to heaven and ancestors being most prevalent and central to Naxi communal identity and cohesion.
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