The Origin and Structure of the Ancient Naxi Script
This article examines the origins and structure of the Naxi (Moso) ethnic group's ancient writing system, which comprises two scripts: a pictographic form ("seeing wood, draw wood; seeing stone, draw stone") and a phonetic form, both used by Dongba priests to record scriptures. The authors critically evaluate legendary accounts of the script's creation, including myths that three sages simultaneously invented Chinese, Tibetan, and Naxi writing, and dismiss speculative identifications of these figures (e.g., equating a Naxi creator with Cangjie) as unfounded guesswork based merely on phonetic resemblance. They argue that pictorial record-keeping likely arose early, but true writing—fixed symbols with defined pronunciation and meaning—emerged only under specific social conditions, namely class society's need for communication tools and religious specialists' need to transmit scriptures. They also refute claims that Dongba religion dates back over 2,000 years, citing 1935 fieldwork evidence (a Ming-dynasty inscription) suggesting a much later origin.
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