土家族梯玛神歌的特征和社会功能

The Characteristics and Social Function of the Tujia People's Tima Sacred Songs

祭祀歌属于民间耳口相传的文学范畴。在原始人类的宗教生长期万物皆有灵性,人类与鬼神共同生存,鬼神可以支配人类,人又依附于鬼神。祭祀歌就产生于人类对自然界尚无认知能力且对语言的魔力又十分崇敬的这一特殊时期,即假想使用语言去讨好鬼神,命令鬼神,以达到辟邪消灾、祈福求利的目的。土家族祭祀音乐源于它深厚的祭祀文化,有着其鲜明的音乐风格,梯玛神歌作为土家族祭祀音乐中极具特色的音乐种类,散发着它独特的光芒。

Sacrificial songs possess a mysteri- ous cultural identity and have been widely popular in Chinese folklore; at the same time it has been difficult to identify and record them all. Therefore, in the cultural history of the Han Chinese people, folkloristic sacrificial songs （including ＇ calling soul-back lyrics＇ or certain incantations closely re- lated to the sacrificial songs） rarely have been re- corded and/or successfully handed on to our day and age. In times past however, the sacrificial po- etry chanted by ethnic priests/shamans in various rituals and ceremonies was respected, protected, and widespread among the various people. Among all sacrificial music belonging to various ethnic groups in China, the music of the Tujia people is auite uniaue.