灵魂不灭:排瑶人灵观的死亡人类学解读

Spirits Never Die:Interpretation of Paiyaopeople’s View of Spirit from the Perspective of the Anthropology of Death

死亡是人生命历程中的重大事件,联系着个体情感与社会的方方面面,其丧葬仪式的差异体现了不同民族的独特性。排瑶具有独特人灵观,从粤北排瑶死亡仪式入手可理解排瑶对死亡的认识。瑶民相信人逝世后“灵魂不灭”,称为“缅”,其依旧可以存在于世间。排瑶对尸体的安置与死亡仪式的开展不仅是为了安抚逝去的灵魂,也是族人对逝者的集体道别,实现对逝者社会身份的转变。面对死亡,不仅是个体的情感与身体的感知体验,也是社会集体表征的显现。

Death,which connects all aspects of individual emotion and society,is a significant event in the course of hu⁃man life,and the relevant rituals of death reflects the uniqueness of the people.Paiyao people own a unique view of spirit,which can be explored by the rituals of death of Paiyao in northern Guangdong.Paiyao people believe that man dies but their“spirits never die”,which is called Mian,and it can still exist in the world.The placement of the dead body and the death ceremony of Paiyao people are not only to appease the dead souls,but also the collective farewell of the people to the dead,so as to realize the transformation of the social identity of the dead.Facing death is not only an individual’s emotional and physi⁃cal perception experiencebut also a manifestation of social collective representation.