A Comparative Study Of The Jingpo And Dai Elephant-foot Drumming Rituals

The art of elephant-foot drum dance is spread among many ethnic minorities in Yunnan Province.In the long course of development,the elephant foot drum dances of different ethnic groups have shown different artistic characteristics and functional connotations due to the influence of different historical backgrounds,ethnic cultures,and social environments.At the same time,there are many similarities between them.These similarities are not only the result of exchanges and blending between different cultures,but also the foundation for all ethnic groups to continue to promote the prosperity of Chinese culture in the future.From the perspective of comparative research,this paper selects the Jingpo and Dai elephant-foot drum dance in Dehong,Yunnan to analyze.It carries out a key investigation into the Jingpo elephant-foot drum dance in Qingping Township,Longchuan County,Dehong Prefecture,Yunnan Province,and the Dai elephant-foot drum dance in Fengping Town,Mangshi,Dehong Prefecture,Yunnan Province by adopting the method of regional control comparative study.The purpose is to summarize the similarities and differences in the forms and characteristics of the two current ritual performances and analyze the reasons for the similarities and differences between the two elephant-foot drum dances in the present from the perspective of the cultural entity.On that basis,this paper continues to explore the similarities and differences in the ritual functions of the two dances caused by these reasons,and summarize the artistic characteristics and laws of the two dances,hoping to provide references for the future development of them.The thesis takes the elephant-foot drum dances of the Jingpo and Dai ethnic groups in Dehong,Yunnan as the "rituals" of their respective ethnic groups for comparative analysis.The starting point is that from the perspective of anthropology,"'ritual' is a vast space and scope with the meaning of understanding,definition,interpretation,and analysis.It can or may contain the cognition of cosmology and specific practical behavior.The ritual research in anthropology has established the cross-relationships between religion,history,and society in the context of comparative cultural studies since it became a specialized research field.It has the possibility of multi-dimensional interpretation by taking the two dances as the different "rituals" to analyze.It is also better to explore the reasons for the similarities and differences between the two dances by combining history,belief,environment,culture,and other categories in the present.Based on several field investigations on the elephant-foot drum dances of the Jingpo and Dai ethnic groups in Dehong,Yunnan,the author combine the theoretical guidance of anthropology,ethnology,art,and dance ecology to write this article.The first part of the paper sorts out the different ritual performance forms and characteristics presented by the elephant-foot drum dances of the two ethnic groups and summarizes the similarities and differences between the two dances in the current rituals.The second part explores the causes of the similarities and differences between the two dances in the present as deep as possible and explains the persistence and acculturation of the two dances from diachronic and synchronic factors in the development process.Based on the first two parts,the third part further digs into the functional connotations of the two dances.From the dual perspectives of the ritual function and artistic function,it explores the specific functions of the two dances in terms of entertainment,cohesion,and enlightenment,and summarizes the functional similarities and differences between the two dances.The concluding part combines the theories of "the Pattern of Diversity in Unity of the Chinese Nation" and other theories to give the prospects for the future development of the elephant-foot drum dances of the two ethnic groups.So far,the internal logic starting from the analysis of the form,digging out the specific causes behind the form,and ending up with sorting out the similarities and differences in the contents of the two dances forms in the paper.