贵州化屋歪梳苗“谈姑妈话”习俗:“舅权”的历史遗留与变迁

A Special Custom of "Talking Something about the Aunt" from the Waishumiao People in Huawu Village of Guizhou Province: The Historical Remnants and Vicissitudes of the Avunculate

"谈姑妈话"是贵州化屋歪梳苗的一种特有习俗,是已婚女性去世后娘舅家在丧葬活动中专门为其举行的系列仪式的总和。该习俗是苗族传统"舅权"的某种历史遗留,主要体现为"舅权"关系中娘舅对其姐妹的义务。通过承担对外嫁姐妹维权的义务,娘舅得到娶回姐妹之女或收取"外甥钱"的权利,由此"舅权"逐渐发展为娘舅对外甥的权威。歪梳苗"谈姑妈话"习俗传承到今天,无论是其本质还是具体的仪式过程,都发生了一定程度的变化。

'Talking something about the aunt' is a special custom from the Waishumiao people in Huawu village of Guizhou province which means a sum of a series of ceremonies that were given by the uncle in the aunt's funeral. It is partly an historical remnant of Miao people's traditional avunculate which primarily reflects the uncle's duty for his sisters. By means of assuming the responsibility for the married sisters, the uncle gets some rights, such as taking back his sister's daughter as daughter-in-law or getting some money from his niece. Thus, the avunculate has come to develop a kind of authority of the uncle over his nephew. Nevertheless, whether the nature of the custom or its contain has changed to some extent up to today.