On the Dongba Scripture "Lubanlurao" in Naxi Pictographic Script
This article by Ho Chih-wu examines "Lubanluraw" (鲁般鲁绕), a major work recorded in Naxi pictographic Dongba scriptures and regarded as a landmark realist masterpiece of late Dongba literature. Reviewing prior Chinese translations and studies (Zhao Yintang 1957; the Lijiang survey team's 1960 literary history; Niu Xiangkui and Zhao Jingxiu's 1984 edition), the author—drawing on over forty years of study, original Baisha Dongba manuscripts, and Baidi field recordings—summarizes the epic's plot: pastoral slaves' quest for freedom from oppressive herd-owners, their perilous migration across mountains and the Jinsha River, and the tragic love story of Kaimei Jiumingjin and Zubu Yupaipai, who unite in death after being denied happiness in life. The article further investigates the text's historical dating, arguing that the character "鲁" (lu) should be translated as "pastoral slave" rather than "herding youth," and calls for renewed scholarly discussion of the epic's origins, themes, and tragic aesthetics.
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