Qiang Shibi Shibi Culture

Shibi Culture of Ch'iang People is affluent in minority philosophy,folklore, folktale, folkway, folk music, folk dance, and so on. It is a veryimportant part of Intangible Culture heritage of Ch'iang people.Shibi(necromancer of minority Ch'iang) is the Practitioners of thetechnical skill or know-how, they transmit the sutra of shibi fromgeneration to generation by a way from mouth to mouth. They transmitthe technical skill or know-how by a way of observing, imitate andbearing in remembrance. They show folktale, folkway, folk music, folkdance in the ceremonials of religion. By this way they spread shibiculture and clarify the meaning of shibi culture. The dissertation observedthe meaning of shibi culture from the view of minority intangible cultureheritage anew. Based on the first-hand data from field work of shibi andshibi culture of Ch'iang people and the field work of oral history, Iinterpret shibi culture, integrate with frame of reference and practice ofsafeguarding intangible culture heritage, understand the inbeing of shibiculture from safeguarding intangible culture heritage, and make clear thenew meaning of shibi culture value.The dissertation use the way of studying by synthesis, integrate with frame of reference of ethnonymics, ethnology, folklore, philology and linguistics, across-the-board study the history, evolvement, developmentand actuality of shibi and shibi culture.In the dissertation, 1 introduced the process of choosing topic, field work, oral history research, and explained the method of classified and analyzed the data. I researched shibi and shibi culture, collected many data by field work of ethnonymics, ethnology and linguistics. Meanwhile, I researched and recorded the history and actuality of shibi and shibi culture transmission by oral historiography. This data prepared the base of shibi and shibi culture studying. Based on this, I studied deities and ghosts of Ch'iang people religion, the necromancer of minority Ch'iang — shibi, sutra of shibi, the transmission of shibi and shibi culture, the ceremonials of religion and worship activity, and so on.In the chapter of deities and ghosts of Ch'iang people folk religion, I observed the folk religion system of Ch'iang people, studied Ch'iang people classifying and understanding for different deities, position of deities, function and effect of deities based on the view of Ch'iang people.In the chapter of the necromancer of minority Ch'iang — shibi, I introduced and studied shibi property, function, instruments which used in a ceremonials of religion, the technical skill or know-how of shibi, and so on.In the chapter of sutra of shibi, I summarized investigation actuality of shibi, classify of shibi, and the content sutra that I investigated by myself.Based on the shibi sutra data that I investigated by myself, I introducedand studied the two main party of shibi sutra.In the chapter of the transmission of shibi and shibi culture, I studiedthe transmission history of shibi and shibi culture, evolvement oftransmission way, and actuality of transmission.In the chapter of the ceremonials of religion and worship activity, Iintroduced the ceremonials of religion and worship activity briefly, andstudied the evolvement and actuality of them.In the end of chapter, which is safeguarding intangible culture heritage,I studied status of shibi and shibi culture that are in severe danger, talkedsome view of mine about safeguarding and transmission of shibi andshibi culture.There have five innovations in my dissertation. Firstly, observed the meaning of shibi culture from the view of minority intangible culture heritage anew. Secondly, researched and recorded the history and actuality of shibi and shibi culture transmission by oral historiography. This data prepare the base of shibi and shibi culture studying. Thirdly, researched and studied the shibi sutra and picture sutra of shibi using frame of reference of ethnonymics, ethnology and linguistics, opened out the inbeing of shibi culture. Fourthly, based on the characteristic of religion system, I observed the conception of deities and ghosts of Ch'iang people anew. Fifthly, researched and studied the folk religionceremonials for sacrificing offerings to god and deities, and unscrambled the multi-meaning of shibi culture.