Pingpu Tribal Ravens and Chinese localization – Threat to traditional culture

At the very heart of the Pingpu Tribe’s religion is the shrine, which functions similar to that of a church or temple. Among the many shrines in Taiwan, the Laonong area in Kaohsiung has two of the more unusual ones, where shrine roofs are adorned with ravens woven from rice or carved from wood. According to stories passed down through the generations, in the distant past the Pingpu Tribe had a dispute with the Bunun Tribe and it was the ravens that gave the Pingpu Tribe information on their enemy’s situation.

Another distinguishing feature of the Pingpu tribal shrines are the model guns, animal bones and various provisions that are laid out in the shrine for the resident spirit to use. The religious beliefs of the Pingpu Tribe are compatible with other religious beliefs in Taiwan. For example, if you visit the Shen Nong Temple in Liugui Dist., Kaohsiung City, in addition to serving the Emperor Shen Nong (divine farmer), you will see an area has been set aside as a Gongzu Shrine, where people worship Lulaojun, one of the Gods worshiped by the Pingpu Tribe. In front of the shrine’s incense burner there are cigarettes, a smoking pipe and rice wine in addition to the usual incense. Under the alter table there are also various bamboo items and urns stretching back to the olden times when the Pingpu Tribe was still engaged in headhunting, known as ‘Gu’ in Taiwanese, giving the shrine a real Pingpu tribal flavor.

Pingpu Tribal Ravens and Chinese localization – Threat to traditional culture

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=100167

(以下為中文對照)

平埔族公廨裝烏鴉＆平埔族漢化，傳統文化有危機 ( 文藻傳藝系 )

平埔族的信仰中心，台語稱為公廨，功能類似教堂或寺廟，眾多的公廨當中，高雄荖濃地區有兩間比較特別，在屋頂上安裝烏鴉，這些烏鴉分別是用稻草編織，以及雕刻而成，當地居民流傳，會在公廨上安裝烏鴉，是因為古時候荖濃地區的平埔族曾與布農族發生糾紛，烏鴉在當時曾為平埔族通風報信。平埔族的公廨還有一個特色，會在裡面擺放模型槍、獸骨以及一些生活用品給神靈使用。另外，平埔族的信仰，也可能跟其他宗教結合，例如高雄六龜的神農宮，除了侍奉神農大帝，一旁還設有公祖廟，裡頭供奉的濾老君，相傳是平埔族人崇拜的神靈之一。神位前的香爐，除了一般拜拜用的 香，還插有「香菸」，一旁的供品甚至有「煙斗」和「米酒」。供桌下擺著古代獵人頭時，台語稱做「ㄍㄜˇ」的竹製用品，以及壺甕，都隱約可以看到平埔族傳統信仰的影子。

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