跳丧的生死观及社会心理功能:凝聚群体与纾解死亡恐惧

Life and Death Concept and Psychosocial Function of Funeral Dance:Increase Group Cohesiveness and Alleviate Fear of Death

作为土家族一种独特的丧葬习俗,跳丧礼是生者与死者的对话以及生者与现实社会的互动,不仅充分体现了土家族人积极的人生态度和“以死为生”的豁达精神,而且它也是团结和凝聚社会的重要粘合剂,能够宽慰生者的心灵。在某种意义上,跳丧也具有死亡教育的功能,使得死亡变得不那么恐怖,有助于人们纾解死亡恐惧和实现对于生命的超越。跳丧既是见证土家族历史与文化的“活化石”,也是土家族文化形成和发展的重要纽带。

Funeral dance,as a unique funeral custom of the Tujia people,is the dialogue between the living and the dead,and is the interaction between people and society.It not only reflects Tujia people’s positive attitude towards life and their open-mindedness in the face of death,but also serves as an important adhesive to increase group cohesiveness and sooth the living’s heart.In a sense,it has the function of death education,making death less horrible,alleviating people’s fear of death and realizing their transcendence of life.Funeral dance is a living fossil witnessing the history and culture of the Tujia people and also an important link of the formation and development of the Tujia culture.