寻根:西盟佤族外来新娘认“娘家”研究

Roots Seeking:A Study on Non-resident Brides’“Natal Family”Recognition of the Wa people in Ximeng County

在西盟佤族社会文化中,女性的娘家被视为她及其子女的根源和发源地,每个女性及其子女都通过“根源”找寻自己的血脉渊源,即追溯“我从哪里来”的问题。外来新娘也遵循佤族村寨缔结婚姻的普遍原则,通过在嫁入地认“娘家”得以实现。认亲优先追溯父系组织或血缘的关联,其次是依照村寨内部的婚配规则和制度。“娘家”男子代为参加、完成外来新娘从婚嫁至婚后的各类仪式,直至成为她子女的“舅家”,履行娘舅对外甥的职责。“娘家”作为各类仪式的重要参与者,从送女儿出嫁、为女儿安家、管教外甥,直至送女儿、外甥入土,都是不可缺少的“洗酒杯者”和“吃脖子者”。在嫁入地认“娘家”不仅是佤族社会亲属关系的再生产和延伸,也是外来新娘融入当地社会的一种策略,是亲属关系双方进行“实践的亲属关系”的共同选择。

In the social culture of the Wa communities in Ximeng County,the natal family of a woman is seen as her and her children’s roots and place of origin.Every woman and her children seek their own blood origin by seeking their“roots,”which is to answer the question“where I am from.”A non-resident bride follows such a common principle for marriage in a Wa village by identifying the relatives of her natal family at the place where she gets married.She first traces the patrilineal succession or blood ties,and then follows the marriage rules and systems of the village.A man from the bride’s natal family takes part in the wedding and post-marriage ceremonies on behalf of the bride until he becomes the uncle for the bride’s children.He then takes the responsibilities as the uncle of his nephews and nieces.As important participants of various ceremonies,the natal family members of the bride are indispensable“alcohol cup washers”and“pig neck eaters”,whose responsibilities range from sending off the bride to get married,setting up homes for her and disciplining her children to burying her and children when they die.Identifying the“natal family”members at the place of marriage is not a only the reproduction and extension of kinship in a Wa community,but also can be considered as a strategy of the nonresident bride to get integrated into the local community,thus being a common choice of the two sides of the relatives in dealing with the practical kinship.