Taboo is an ancient and mysterious cultural phenomenon.

Taboo, an academic term from Tonga dialect of Polynesia in the South Pacific, is called "Tabu" in anthropology, ethnology and folklore. Its meaning is to prohibit and restrict people's thoughts and behaviors in order to avoid punishment and disaster. Taboo is a Chinese word corresponding to taboo. It is not only a special academic term, but also a special cultural phenomenon. Taboos in ancient Chinese contain the meanings of prohibition, taboo, disgust and scruple. "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Prohibition is a taboo for good or ill luck. Avoid it and hate it. " Freud's book Totem and Taboo holds that taboo contains double meanings: first, it is sublime and sacred, and only its sublime and sacred are inviolable; The second is mystery, danger, impurity and taboo. Since mystery is awe-inspiring, since danger is forbidden, since impurity is taboo.

Taboo, originally originated from primitive religious beliefs. The productivity of primitive society is extremely low, which makes people feel helpless and confused in the face of any phenomenon, so they can only degenerate and worship and believe in a mysterious power. This primitive worship leads to all kinds of taboos, which penetrate into all aspects of productivity and life, and influence and constrain people's behavior and will imperceptibly and omnipresent with its own unique magic and the integration of social groups. Before the emergence of state power and laws, taboos also became people's self-restraint consciousness and code of conduct. With the development of society, this primitive belief did not disappear immediately because of social changes. Due to the continuity and consistency of culture and the protection of people's respect for the past, many taboos not only became the norms of etiquette and customs in the later society, but also continued to act as invisible chains in people's production and life together with taboos born in the new social environment because of people's limited cognitive ability. Freud's totem and taboo: "With the change of cultural form, taboo has become a force with its own foundation;" At the same time, it gradually broke away from the superstition and independence of the devil and gradually developed into a habit, tradition and law. "

In Xishuangbanna Dai society, taboos are like a net, almost everywhere. It not only involves people's clothing, food, housing, transportation, health, old age, illness, death, weddings and funerals, but also restricts farming, hunting and festivals, and its content is very rich.

First, life taboos

Gender taboo: In life and work, Dai people have many gender taboos. Men have men's jobs, women have women's jobs, women do men's jobs, and men do women's jobs are taboo. Men can't touch women's hoes, farm tools and looms; Men are forbidden to pass through the pig trough, otherwise they will lose their charm; Women are forbidden to touch men's weapons and hunting equipment, and can't enter men's clubs. Women are forbidden to climb the beams to take things; Don't hold a broom over a man's head; Don't walk past the pillow where men sleep. Dai people have the custom that women don't attend banquets. Women are prohibited from going upstairs; When you have to go upstairs, you should signal men to avoid it, otherwise it is unlucky. In the old days of Dai people, the bed in the central hall was also a taboo for women to sit and lie down. It is forbidden for women to pass in front of men often. When women pass in front of elders or men, they should fold their skirts between their legs and knees, bend over and walk gently, and keep saying "Suma, Suma" (meaning "sorry"). In a word, I'm afraid I can't be happy if I'm a little careless.

Taboos for entering the house: You must take off your shoes and walk softly into the Dai bamboo house. After entering the door, sit in turn according to seniority and seniority, and the elderly (men) sit on the main hall, facing the gate; Most people sit on the wall near the bedroom or on stools in the hall; When sitting around the fireplace, you can't sit above and opposite the fireplace, because that's the kitchen where the hostess cooks; The tripod of the pot can't move and the feet can't be used. Dai people are forbidden to sit on the threshold, thinking that the threshold is the only way for people and ghosts. Dai people are used to living upstairs, but there is only a partition between the bedroom and the living room upstairs. There is no partition in the bedroom to divide it into small rooms. Several generations live in it, separated by mosquito nets, with a certain interval between them, and people who are not their own family members (blood relatives) are not allowed to enter the inner room. At the same time, it is forbidden for outsiders to peek, because it will offend the "family god"; In the past, it was stipulated that if a male guest peeked at the master's bedroom, he would become the master's son-in-law, otherwise he would work hard in the master's home for three years, and if he was a female guest, he would also serve in the master's home for three years. Therefore, don't peek at the master's bedroom because of mystery. Although the past custom has been broken now, peeking at the bedroom of the Dai people is always unpopular. Outsiders are not allowed to light cigarettes on the lamp, otherwise they think they have taken the "divine light". There are generally three pillars in the Dai bamboo building. The fundamental pillar near the fireplace in the middle is Dai's "zenith pillar". Never rely on it. If you rely on it, it means disrespect for your master. The outer column is an "auspicious column" and can be relied on; The one behind is a "rising column", and you are not allowed to lean on or hang things. It is used for people who have died at home, and family members lean on this pillar (regardless of gender) to bathe, dress and wrap the body, waiting for cremation. Don't use stools as pillows, because stools are only for people to sit on.

Dietary taboos: There are many taboos in the diet of Dai people, through which certain goals can be achieved or certain behaviors can be guaranteed to be effective. In the past, Dai people had to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and thank them for their blessings before they could eat by themselves. There are also some taboos in hospitality. You don't have to entertain your friends with white chicken, cress, slippery moss and snails at the same time. Otherwise, there will be invisible obstacles to prevent two people from interacting. Even if they are in the same country or city, it is difficult for them to meet. Family members who work in other places also have such dietary taboos. The dining table cannot be placed under the main beam, otherwise it will collide with the main beam, which is not good for the family god and the room. Children can't eat chicken feet, nor can they weave reeds after eating them; Don't eat chicken tenderloin, it will break teeth, shoulder pain and headache; Chicken butt can't be eaten, it will grow. Sometimes it is forbidden to eat certain foods when offering sacrifices to ancestors and gods. When steaming rice, avoid making a rebuttal sound, otherwise it is an unlucky omen, and you should ask someone to send a ghost.

Taboos of cleanliness: Dai people love beauty and cleanliness, and they also have some taboos on environmental sanitation. The garbage in the room can't be poured out after noon; Food dropped after a meal can't be swept, and it is considered unlucky to sweep it. It is not impossible to sweep the top of the fireplace and the whole roof for fifteen or thirty days, but it is considered unlucky to sweep the fireplace. The river water inside and outside the village is used upstream. It is forbidden to take a bath and wash clothes, and it is not allowed to take a bath at Sanchahekou. Taboo to cut nails at home; Taboo outsiders unkempt into the stockade.

Second, the production taboo

The Dai people in Xishuangbanna are a farming people. In ancient times, the quality of agricultural production mainly depended on the "gift" of nature. Therefore, various sacrificial activities are held regularly and irregularly. When offering sacrifices to Zhai Shen and He, bamboo "Da" signs will be inserted outside the stockade or yard to prevent outsiders from entering. Buddhists and monks are not allowed to participate in offering sacrifices to the God Shen Meng. During the closing and opening ceremonies, it is usually called "Summer Festival", and it is called "Mwasa, Owassa" in Dai language. It is called "Gonvasa" or "Naivasa", which means to live peacefully in the rain. Therefore, during this period, the villagers did not get married, moved, went to a new house or went out to do business, but only engaged in agricultural production. Dai people think that millet has a soul, and the soul of millet is scared away when threshing. A religious ceremony called the Soul of Millet must be held to call it back, so as to eat millet. "Mecca" (Street Day) prohibits peeling rice and plowing cattle. You can't eat sauerkraut when plowing (because the season of plowing is rainy season, and you are afraid of eating sauerkraut to have diarrhea). After ploughing, the cow should tie the rope to summon the soul, otherwise the cow will dream and get sick.

If you want to go into the mountains to cut wood, you must first sacrifice to the mountain gods and tree gods, otherwise the machete will hurt people; Chopping bamboo can only be done by standing and kneeling, thinking that tigers will bite people. You can't firewood or chop wood in Longlin, otherwise you will offend the mountain god and die. When camping in the wild, it is forbidden to bring back branches or dry wood when fetching water. Avoid meeting pregnant women when hunting and fishing. Avoid pheasants and muntjac breaking into the village, thinking it is unlucky and the stockade will be in disaster. It is forbidden to see snakes mating. It is considered evil to domesticate cattle with broken horns or tails. It is forbidden to slaughter sows with babies. It is forbidden to take the loom out of the stockade, and the loom in the outer stockade is forbidden to be brought into the stockade, otherwise there will be ghosts. Don't speak ill of others in public; There is a funeral at home, and it is forbidden to go to anyone's house without attending the funeral. No whistling at will. When buying vegetables in the street, it is forbidden to bargain with vegetables.

The wood used by Dai people to build houses is forbidden to have two forks, otherwise it will catch fire when it thunders; You can only cut two strands of wood with three forks, or there will be ghosts. If you change the fireplace in your home, you must change the stairs. If you change the stairs, you must also change the fireplace. Stairs can only be seven, nine or eleven floors, or they will die. It is forbidden to have beams on the stairs, or ghosts will enter the house. The side of the stairs can only be empty, otherwise it will be fined like the call collar.

Third, clothing taboos.

The way clothes are worn is also taboo Dai people should avoid wearing casual clothes, especially anti-dressing. There is a proverb of the Dai people: "Anyone who wears clothes outside can see it, but those who eat inside will not cut it open.". In terms of dress, it is also forbidden to distinguish between men and women, and it is forbidden for men to wear women's clothes or women to wear men's clothes. There are also taboos in sewing: clothes need to be mended immediately if they are broken, otherwise it will be unlucky; When sewing clothes, don't wear them on your body for sewing; The cloth of broken trousers can't be used to mend the coat, which makes up for the bad luck. No one wants to sell anything because business doesn't make money. Don't sew clothes with white thread. When you go hunting in the mountains, you will be beaten into a red deer by others.

Taboos for placing clothes: it is forbidden to dry in inappropriate places at inappropriate times, and it is forbidden to hang women's and children's clothes outdoors at night to prevent thieves or ghosts from worshipping evil spirits; When drying clothes, tops should be dried at high places, and pants and skirts should be dried at low places; Clothes, hats or headscarves used by men are forbidden for women to wear; For men, it is a shame and misfortune to avoid walking under the clothes and pants of a woman who is drying, just like a woman walking over a man's head. In order to avoid this kind of thing, women's clothes are forbidden to dry in the place where they pass, and people can't pull the clothesline when they pass by; Taboo women's dresses are very high in the sun; It is forbidden to cross, trample or damage clothes. Don't use clothes as pillows.

Accessories taboo: Dai people should avoid the inward blade when hanging knives, otherwise they will be considered as "assassins" with ulterior motives.

Skin taboos: such as tattoos, there are also taboos. When Dai men reach the age of thirteen, that is, four to twenty, they will get tattoos, which shows that they have obtained certain qualifications, including the blessings of their ancestors and the rights and obligations of love, marriage and participation in various social activities. People without tattoos have low personality and are regarded as cowards. Not only can they not get the love of girls, but they can only be wild ghosts after death and can't see their ancestors. Dai men usually start from becoming monks, and they begin to tattoo shapes or geometric figures on all or part of natural objects. In the old days, Dai tattoos were divided into nobles and nobles. People avoid using red tattoos on the chest and abdomen, and only use black tattoos on the limbs.

Fourth, marriage taboo.

Although marriage is auspicious, there are also many taboos. In the folk, from love, marriage choice, engagement to marriage and even divorce, all kinds of taboo items have been formed, for fear that mistakes in major events of marriage, life and clan will affect all aspects of prosperity.

Love taboo: Dai people are relatively free in love and do not need the words of a matchmaker. Young men and women can establish love relationships in specific places or public places. However, there are also some taboos to be observed. Every year, it is the peak season for agriculture in the Dai calendar from September 15 to February 15. During this period, young men and women are forbidden to fall in love because it will affect production. The taboo of marriage age is related to the ranking of brothers and sisters. In the old Dai society, men could not marry women. According to the Dai legend, people think that a man who marries three women and four women can't grow old together, otherwise his family will be unfortunate and childless for life.

Taboo of hierarchical marriage: In the past, the Dai people practiced strict hierarchical endogamy. Generally speaking, leapfrog marriage is a rare situation: one is afraid that things will not be laughed at, and the other is that one of them will be discriminated and abused by the other after marriage. Some marriage bans have also been incorporated into the law and become a system. That is, the government marries the government, the people marry the people, and the people prohibit marriage with the government. This is to protect the interests of this layer and prevent the lower class from infiltrating through marriage. For example, the chieftain (the chieftain of feudal lords) forbade men from Ma Meng Village (the stockade where horses were domesticated) to marry women of non-Ma Meng rank, because if men from Ma Meng Village went to live with their wives in non-Ma Meng Village, the chieftain would have no one to raise horses for him. Dai people are taboo to marry the "Pipa" family who can put ghosts, and their children are considered as "Pipa ghosts". Their children are taboo to marry the children of other ordinary families, but they can only marry the children of another Pipa family. There are reasons for this, including differences in beliefs and grades.

Marriage taboos among ethnic groups: Marriage taboos are often formed because of different ethnic habits and beliefs, or because of geographical and linguistic restrictions, or because of the intention of maintaining the purity of ethnic species. Dai people seldom intermarry with other nationalities. Now, due to the development of transportation, social progress, improvement of ethnic relations and other factors, the taboo of intermarriage among ethnic groups is fading, and the Dai people begin to intermarry with neighboring ethnic groups.

Marriage taboo: It is forbidden to get married in the busy farming season from the closing day of the Dai calendar in September 15 to the opening day of1February 15. These three months are called "into depression" period, during which the elderly must worship Buddha once every seven days. This period is in the rainy season, so the production is busy and the preparation is not easy. During this marriage, the masses will say that new people, like cattle and horses, like dogs, don't know the season and will become dogs after death. Now, although this taboo has changed, some young men and women get married because they love each other deeply or because they are pregnant before marriage, but after marriage, they still have to sacrifice wine to the whole village and invite the whole village to have a meal. Otherwise, everyone will think that they have violated the village god, and married people will be responsible when diseases or other disasters occur in the village in the future.

Adoption taboo: Dai people generally adopt adoption. According to the economic situation and labor force of both parties, if the woman has no labor force, the man will go to the woman's house first. In the past, the man had to visit the woman's house for one to three years (at least one year) before he could take his wife home or set up another portal. Now, according to the actual situation, the agreement can be three years, one year or March.

Taboos for pregnant women: Any society has some special regulations on the behavior of pregnant women, some of which are obvious. From a modern point of view, some of these taboos are related to physiology, while others are beyond the scope of physiology. Dai people call pregnant women "Miman" (meaning pregnant women), and think pregnant women are ugly. Dai language calls them "flowers and flowers are miscellaneous", so we should avoid people everywhere, avoid pregnant women coming forward to accompany guests, and even avoid pregnant women swaggering in front of guests. It is forbidden for pregnant women to go to relatives and villages (except to return to their parents' home). During pregnancy, women are regarded as unclean, so pregnant women are forbidden to go near Buddhist temples, and it is forbidden to prepare Buddha offerings and vegetarianism for the elderly who are seeking Buddha. Taboo peeking at the eclipse; Taboo watching people cook; It is forbidden to break into the wedding banquet and touch the new wedding dress; Dai people think that the fetus is most vulnerable to evil spirits, and the gunpowder touched by pregnant women may be inaccurate, so it is forbidden to tamper with men's side weapons (such as long knives and gunpowder) and labor tools (such as plows and bullwhip); Don't go into the river to catch fish, or the fish will run away; It is forbidden to touch ripe fruits (such as papaya, pomegranate and grapefruit) on fruit trees, and it is forbidden to dry clothes on fruit trees. Before delivery, pregnant women should avoid moving quickly and lifting heavy objects. Sexual intercourse is forbidden during the delivery period of nearly one month. Generally speaking, pregnant women who violate the above taboos are considered unlucky. The light ones were ridiculed, and the heavy ones were driven away on the spot. In fact, it is necessary to remind pregnant women to be cautious everywhere and try to limit their range of activities and labor intensity to protect the fetus from harm. In addition, when a woman is pregnant, her husband should avoid cutting down palm trees, hitting monkeys, cutting rock bees, hitting black, red, black, yellow and white birds, toucans, hornbills and birds with bad voices during hunting, otherwise it will affect the baby's appearance and voice. In addition, the husband also avoids participating in some social activities. For example, avoid taking part in lifting the dead when burying people; Avoid participating in drum stretching; Avoid fighting with the handle; Can't hit the snake; Can't climb trees to pick fruits; Otherwise, pregnant women will violate the fetal god during childbirth.

Taboos of origin: Dai people have many rules and taboos in the place where they give birth. It is forbidden to give birth in the original place of residence. Three days before delivery, pregnant women moved from the dormitory to sleep outside the fireplace, made bedding with bamboo leaves, and moved to the fireplace to give birth. First, for warmth; Second, it is convenient for relatives and friends to help with services. Because the dormitory is small, it is not forbidden to enter the dormitory according to custom. In addition, it is said that fire indicates the life and prosperity of the Dai people, so when adding children, you must be close to the fire pond, so that you can get the protection and favor of Vulcan. The mother lived by the fire pit for about a week before moving into the inner room.

Avoid littering the placenta: placenta, that is, placenta, also known as placenta. Dai people attach great importance to the preservation of placenta and prohibit littering. The baby's placenta is put in a bamboo tube, hung on a tree or buried in the yard.

When the baby is born, both men and women should hang a star-shaped "Da" sign made of bamboo sticks on the wooden post upstairs as a warning to show the people in the village or passers-by that the family has given birth. If men from other villages want to avoid it, men from this village will no longer enter. If the first man in this village or other villages enters the family of the born, he will be worshipped as michel platini, and the worshiped can only undertake obligations but cannot refuse. Women are also forbidden to enter the family, otherwise they will be worshipped as godmothers and assume the obligations of godmothers. No one can sit on the stool used by the parturient alone.

Dietary taboos for pregnant women: In order to ensure the health and normal development of pregnant women, fetuses and babies, Dai people try to avoid eating those "stringing milk" foods and eat more "sucking milk" foods when arranging meals for pregnant women. Before delivery, pregnant women should not eat spicy food such as pepper, ginger and garlic. It is forbidden to eat dog meat, snake meat, cat meat and raw meat; It is forbidden to eat crowing chicken, flower chicken and yellow-billed yellow-footed chicken, otherwise it will give birth to mental abnormality or deformity; Five days after confinement, you can't eat greasy food, only eat baked glutinous rice balls every day, and drink water cooked by Aden and Haben, which can make pregnant women produce milk; After five days, you can eat some vegetables, chicken and pork. Avoid eating beef for one month; Avoid eating sour bamboo shoots and crab sauce before weaning; Peanuts and loofah are also forbidden to eat within one year after delivery. The Dai people in Menglong stipulate that salt, chicken and eggs are not allowed to be eaten within one week after delivery, otherwise the baby will have diarrhea and his wife will be numb when she is old. Dai people stipulate that wives should use a pot alone.

Dai people have different taboos according to gender and age. Dai people believe that if a baby dies in the mother's womb or shortly after birth, it should be discarded in the water. If you don't do this, the baby will become an evil ghost to worship, and the mother can't get pregnant again. Therefore, dead babies are often found in puddles or rivers. No matter what the cause of death is, the bodies of people who died in other places or outside the village are not allowed to enter the village. It is forbidden to bury people who died abnormally in the village cemetery. When a pregnant woman dies, it is forbidden to take out the baby by caesarean section and bury it with the baby. If the baby is buried together, it will become a tiger spirit and endanger human beings. In case of dystocia death, the whole village still needs to spill the water from the pitcher and ask the Buddha to use "South Bai Ning" (to suppress the evil Lord for good luck). After the bamboo pole carrying the coffin is cut off, it should be put on the shelf. Don't let people touch it casually. If someone touches it, they think it will cause headaches and illness. Firewood, wood and other objects cut back from the outside of the stockade are temporarily not allowed to be transported back to the stockade. It is said that if you damn fool see someone carrying things into the stockade, or hear the sound of herding cattle, chopping wood, squabbling and spinning, it will bring harm and disaster to the stockade, and the people in the stockade will get sick and continue to die. In addition, the family of the deceased should empty all the water in the jar and think that if the water is not emptied, the dead fool will come to wash his face, feet and clothes, which will make the living uneasy. On the day of death, the bereaved can only eat two meals. It is also necessary to reuse a basket of millet to make rice to entertain helping family and friends. When mashing rice, all the rice grains jumped out of the mortar are taboo to pick up, thinking that the rice grains jumped out of the mortar were more labor remuneration that the deceased deserved before his death, so he should take them away. Avoid using the original table when eating and use a dustpan instead. During the time when the body was parked at home, the Dai people called it "very harmful", which means haunted house. When people come to comfort or help make funeral objects, they don't distribute chopsticks on the dining table, so they don't sit on them. People made it themselves. And you can't kill pigs and cows, and you can't eat sauerkraut; And put a pair of bowls and chopsticks on the seat where the deceased ate before his death to show his nostalgia. From the day when the deceased was buried in the mountains, the dutiful son and grandson were forbidden to sleep in the bed. They spent the night on the plate and beside the coffin every night. Accompany the deceased relatives. In addition, the dutiful son and grandson are forbidden to drink and eat big meat, and the ban can only be lifted after the deceased is sent to the mountain for burial. After the funeral, relatives and friends will return to the village from Tomb Hill. At the intersection of stockade, a kind of wild fruit will be burned with hay, so that the smell of wild fruit will wash away the "something congenial" on the body. After returning home, wash your hair with "Nanmo" (precipitated rice-washing water) or sprinkle "Nansongbai" on your head, and then the Buddha will tie a thread for the burial person to call the soul to prevent the dead from taking away the soul; On that day, drinking and eating meat and entertainment are forbidden. After the families of the deceased go home, they should first check whether there are any traces left in the fire pit. If they find the footprints of cats and dogs, they think the deceased will vote for cats. If they find human footprints, they think they will be reincarnated. If nothing is found, they say that the deceased has entered heaven. Then, I started cooking again and started a new life.