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- Convenors:
-
Valentina Punzi
(EPHE)
Zuoxi Yueqi
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- Discussant:
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Mark Bender
(The Ohio State University)
Short Abstract
The panel explores nature(s) in ritual narratives and practices, based on the study of local ritual manuscripts and/or oral expressions and ethnographic documentation concerning plants and animals as well as their place in the cosmologies of different ethnic communities in Southwest China.
Long Abstract
Southwest China is a highly biodiverse region characterized by frequent natural disasters, such as mudslides, floods, and earthquakes, as well as increasing pressure from human activities, including the construction of power stations and railways.
The area is rich in linguistic and cultural diversity, with ritual narratives playing a crucial role in transmitting knowledge about the natural environment. Local communities’ multi-script written sources and multilingual oral traditions share information about the origins of using specific plants or animals in rituals, supernatural experiences in nature, and emic ideas about the distinction between wild and domesticated nature. They also describe human practices that interact with nature through different forms of exploitation and coexistence, such as hunting, plant collecting, and trading rare species.
The panel welcomes contributions on the role of nature(s) in ritual narratives, based on the study of local ritual manuscripts and/or oral traditions, as well as ethnographic documentation related to plants and animals and their importance in the cosmologies of various ethnic communities in the region. While current research has mainly focused on a single ethnic group, we propose a space-centered, transethnic approach to highlight continuity and move beyond current ethnic classifications. We are especially interested in exploring potential similarities and connections in ritual narratives across different communities within their respective ethnolinguistic contexts or groupings in Southwest China.
Accepted papers
Session 1 Saturday 13 June, 2026, -Paper short abstract
This paper uncovers a nearly-lost Bon camel exorcistic ritual from the Na(Mosuo) region. By analyzing the "toxic-plant camel" effigy's symbolic mechanisms, it reveals shared exorcistic frameworks across ethnic groups in the Bon cultural sphere, contributing rare documentation to ritual scholarship.
Paper long abstract
This paper examines a Bon exorcistic ritual text from the Na (Mosuo) region in southwest China—the Camel Exorcistic Ritual (rnga mong than zor). The actual practice has reportedly been lost since the Cultural Revolution, surviving only in textual records with significant regional characteristics rarely found elsewhere.The text describes creating a camel effigy from nine poisonous plants, decorated with feathers to carry impurities, diseases, and misfortune. This study first establishes a critical edition with translation and annotations, explaining key terminology and ritual procedures. Subsequently, it analyzes the “camel” as a chimera from three dimensions: imagery—materiality—function. Its chimeric image of “horse-like yet unformed horse” (phung rta) resonates with toxic material composition, creating a liminal medium between human and spiritual realms, purity and pollution.Using comparative analysis with 12th-century Tibetan Buddhist treasure literature, this paper situates the text within broader “expelling impurities/transferring misfortune” rituals across Bon cultural regions, exploring the symbolic logic of chimeric exorcistic practices. Through analyzing the classificatory system of “bad omens” (than ltas), this study reveals cognitive patterns of Na (Mosuo) Bon ritualists regarding inauspicious signs, contributing significant ethnographic data for understanding shared epistemological frameworks and worldview structures among ethnic groups within the Bon cultural sphere.
Paper short abstract
Based on the analysis of flora and fauna motifs featured in a recently discovered 12-text ritual corpus - bya rdang (literally: bird perch) - from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, the presentation will contribute to documenting and cross-comparing ritual narratives in Southwest China.
Paper long abstract
Two decades ago, approximately 40.000 Tibetan-script folios preserved within private households in the northeastern region of the Tibetan Plateau were discovered and subsequently published in facsimile. As a result, an extensive repository of information concerning the non-Buddhist cosmology, beliefs, and worldview of Tibetans has been made accessible to scholars, offering valuable insights into the earliest ritual landscape and worldview of the Plateau.
Within this extensive collection, there is a 12-text ritual corpus that focuses on the topic of bya rdang (literally: bird perch). The latter is both a ritual craft and a ritual process, which is still practiced by the Baima community in Pingwu County (Sichuan, PRC), as well as other communities in the Sino-Tibetan borderlands.
This presentation will first provide a comprehensive overview of the textual, material, and performative dimensions of bya rdang rituals. Second, it will concentrate on analysing narrative motifs and structures. Specifically, attention will be given to sections concerning the sensory engagement with natural elements, including flora and fauna. Lastly, it will highlight the role of repetition and formulaic narration in defining the stylistic characteristics of these rituals, while also enhancing their semantic depth. The primary objective is to situate bya rdang ritual narratives within the broader context of Southwest China through a cautious comparison with the ritual traditions of other ethno-linguistic groups in the region.
Paper short abstract
In Eastern Minyag, eggs in soul-calling rituals show how natural elements adapt to diverse cultural needs and shape belonging.
Paper long abstract
In the Eastern Minyag region, eggs are frequently employed in ritual contexts, especially in soul-calling ceremonies performed in the domestic space. A common practice involves placing an egg atop a handful of rice, symbolizing the state of the soul: if the soul successfully returns to the human body, the egg is believed to fall. Despite their apparent ritual significance today, the ritual use of eggs in the Eastern Minyag community is relatively recent. Narratives surrounding eggs and confirmations from local ritual specialists’ accounts suggest that the adoption of eggs emerged as a flexible strategy to reconcile differing ritual preferences across ethnic and cultural groups in the region—including Minyag, Yi, Ersu, Han Chinese, and others.
This paper takes the egg as a material and narrative trace through which to explore broader questions of ritual adaptation, interethnic negotiation, and vernacular understandings of the soul and the natural environment. It examines how Minyag ritual specialists have reconfigured ritual practice to meet local needs, extending their spiritual authority beyond the Minyag community and ethnic boundaries. The study reflects on how elements of the natural world, such as eggs, become entangled with cultural meanings, ritual efficacy, and shifting cosmologies—offering insight into the dynamic relationship between nature, narrative, and belonging.
Paper long abstract
Hunting is a highly rewarding even if risky vocation, but in the Nuosu-Yi animistic world, killing certain species of wild animals may bring misfortune to hunters and their families. With the implementation of the relevant regulations of national ecological protection in China, such as the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife (Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Yesheng Dongwu Baohu Fa 中华人民共和国野生动物保护法), hunters are no longer allowed to hunt in the forest. Although the former hunters can no longer hunt, and many have died of old age, some of their descendants are still troubled by the fact that their forebears had hunted in the past. Following the descendant of a hunter who is no longer living, this chapter recounts his story and the troubles he met. Through this hunter’s tale, I throw light on Nuosu concepts of ecological protection, animal protection, and more, as part of their animist approach to forestry protection.
Paper long abstract
This study adopts an ecological anthropology perspective to examine the impact of the Chengdu–Kunming Railway on ecological concepts in the Liangshan Yi region. By tracing the forestry management practices of the Liangbei Forestry Bureau (later the Liangbei Forestry Administration) between 1958 and 1998 and its interactions with Yi communities, the research reveals how large-scale logging during railway construction exerted ecological pressure and reshaped villagers’ livelihoods and ecological perceptions. Findings show that while the railway offered short-term access to fuelwood and economic opportunities, it also caused severe forest depletion and ecological imbalance. With the implementation of the Tianbao Project, Yi communities gradually shifted from resource users to ecological stewards, transforming their ecological outlook from pragmatism to sustainability. The study demonstrates that major infrastructure projects not only restructure regional economies but also profoundly influence ecological practices and cultural values in ethnic minority areas, offering a representative case for understanding human–environment adaptation in the process of industrialization.