论土家族梯玛的渊源与发展

On the Origin and Development of Tujia Tima

梯玛是土家族先民在长期与自然界斗争中创造的古老独特的祭祀文化,在神坛上通过服饰、法器、吟唱神歌及施展法术,以解脱土民生活疾苦,来获得精神愉悦和身心安康。这种神秘文化,起源于旧石器时代先民'生殖器崇拜祭祀',先后经历雏形、形成、成熟、发展四个时期,历时万年、格局宏大、规模浩繁,内容涉及土家族生产生活的全过程,是土家族人类社会发展的'活化石'。

Tima is the unique ancient sacrificial culture created by the ancestors of the Tujia ethnic group in their long struggle with the natural world.Through dresses,ceremonial musical instruments,chanting divine songs and performing magical arts,it attempts to relieve the Tujia people of their hardships and gain spiritual pleasure and physical well-being.This mystic culture originated in the'phallic worship ritual'of their ancestors in the Paleolithic period and experienced the four stages of prototype,formation,maturity and development.Continuing for a period of ten thousand years,this culture features magnificent structure and numerous lengthy oral works.As its contents cover the whole process of life and production of the Tujia people,it is the'living fossil'of the social development of the Tujia ethnic group.