Enjoying Meishan / Introduction Bunun tribe
Trip Start
Nov 06, 2006
1
59
99
Trip End
Dec 31, 2008
Meishan,
Taiwan
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Total Distance: 10km
Altitude up: 160m
Altitude down: 160m
Another early wake-up, 5:30 am. The too few hours and not deep enough sleep is again, as in the previous sections, taking its toll. At 6:15am we walk down to Meishan village, part of a roughly 6km trail. The bus stop for the kids is outside the village. Just beside a makeshift breakfast shop, lots of school kids having breakfast and waiting for the bus, as well as a really fat pet pig with name Guei-Guei. It doesn't seem to be too worried about the smell of grilled pork burgers. We are told that the only way into the village over a concrete bridge is damaged and cannot be used. We sit down, have our breakfast and observe the busy activities
Suspension bridge view
. Later we walk into the village by crossing a suspension bridge. A man on a motorcycle is just crossing from the opposite direction, an act not to be underestimated as the bridge is swinging and the motorcycle makes dangerous rolling movements like a ship - I hold my breath and it helps - he makes it safely to the other side. The village is quite orderly with some nice houses and only 3 cars - great a car free village. We walk through the village and then down to the river, taking photos of passion fruits and Ai-Yu fruits - in this way I might recognize their trees/bushes in the future. At 8:10 we are back in the hostel, have our Shi Fan breakfast. At 9:00 it begins to rain and we just sit down in the coffee shop and read and write. A nap after 11:00 is just the right thing to do in the rain and being so tired and worn out. Eraly afternoon we visit the Bunun Cultural Museum and then the Yushan National Park Meishan Center in Meishan-Kou. Everywhere we are the only visitors. They are worth visiting when you are there and have time to spare. In the Park Center we are shown a 25 minutes video about the Park's vegetation in the different hight and climate zones. We go to the coffee shop at the Meishan bus stop, but it's closed. So back to the hostel and hang around in the coffee shop with the great view. We move between in- and outside depending on the degree of rain. Finally after 5:00pm the rain stops and we can watch an amaizing play of evening light ( orange/red ), fog and clouds moving fast and opening different views in short sequence. Clusters of clouds linger like candy floss around the green mountains. A rainbow forms and streches in a perfect arch from mountain top to mountain top. Finally the evening sun breaks through and basks everything in a red-golden light. The sunlight reflects in the white mountains of clouds, creating a peaceful and light atmosphere. We talk to a man who rests in this hostel for a few days
Also in Meishan memory of Bunun hereo
. He had been an enthusiastic hiker until 2 years ago when he severely injured his knee when fly fishing from a fishing boat. The boat was hit by a strong wave, which threw him into the air and he landed on a sharp iron piece with his knees. Everything was damaged and had to be nailed for 2 years. He recently got the nails pulled and is now in rehabilitation.He just had to get out and enjoy the nature - as I said before he has been an enthusiastic hiker. We plan to go to Tienche tomorrow - 27km, all up for 1.200m. We plan to start early, best before 6:00am.
Bunun tribe Introduction ( based on Meishan's Bunun Cultural Center )
General:
Bubun tribe is a typical mountain tribe and one of the most widespread. They compose of 6 substribes ( Isbukun, Tekebanuad in Nantou, Hualien,Taitung, Kaoshiung / Take-vata in Tili / Take-todo in Jenai and Wuchieh / Take-bakha in Tannan, Tili and Shuanglung / Takopulan which are extinct ). The early Bunun lived around Shaliao and Mingchien, located at the southern of the Choshuei river
Having breakfast in Meishan
. They then migrated along this river to the west rim of the Central Range and the North of Yushan. Beginning of the 18th century they had travelled across the central range to te southeast and south, then to te southwest. Weaving of the Bunun:
Men and women are responsible for different tasks: Men defending the clan, hunting,basket weaving as well as pottery and tool making. Women are responsible for harvesting ramie, weaving, sewing and farming . Women will harvest the ramie and process it by peeling, boiling and drying. Finally they will weave the fiber and make clothes for the family.
Dress detail:
Bununs have a variety of accessories including head ornaments, neck ornaments, bracelets etc. Most of them are made of shells or glass beads that are obtained through trade with the outside world.
Hunting:
The Bunun are good hunters. Males have learned the skill from the elders since their childhood. Hunting is regarded a sacred activity and there are alot of hunting taboos
Annother friend joining
. For example, one is not allowed to join the hunting expedition when there is pregnancy, a newborn or death in the family. During the hunting period the hunters family must obay all the taboos and females are especially not allowed to touch hunting tools. The leader of the hunting team will give the prey to the members according to their contribution. the head of the animal will go to the one who shot it and the remaining parts will impartially be given to all other participants. Then the hunters can share their prey with families, neighbors and friends.Head Hunting
Head Hunting:
In Bunun tribes there are two major political positions - Lisigadan lus-an ( position often taken by wizards ) and Lavian ( makes charge of matters inside the tribe ) - which are responsible for the social order of the tribe. They also act as the political leaders of the tribe.In early times men would hack each other's heads for revenge or judgement. Hacking heads is very sacred. Before the act dream divination must be practiced.A lot of taboos are to be obeyed. At the ceremony, people will pour wine into the mouth of the sacrificed head, saying: '' Welcome to this place. You are our important guest. You should ask your family to come here or you will be too lonely."
Taboos of Head Hunting:
A hacked head cannot be held from the time millet is sown to the time it is harvested
Suspension bridge in Meishan village
. To avoid evil effect on the millet, the hacked head cannot be placed in the barn or hung or hung on the outside walls. In the Isbukan tribe a special rack for the for the hacked head will be erected near the house of the group leader. The Wizard of the Bunun:
In traditional Bunun society, when someone encounters difficulties, he/she would turn to the wizard for help. There are male and female wizards. To become a qualified wizard one has to learn from a qualified wizard or from a holy spirit in a dream. As the communicating agent between the mortals and immortals, a wizard helps to solve difficulties, exorcise evil spirits and cure illnesses. Wizards enjoy high social status and are respected by tribes men.
Disease Therapy:
Bunun believe that desease has much to do with evil spirits, so they go to a wizard for therapy. When practicing magic the wizard will go outdoors or under the eaves, facing the east and ask the patient about his/her dreams and symptoms for disgnosis. Thenwith the power of an awn, the wizard will exhale and make some guestures to call an evil spirit and discuss the proper therapy with the spirit. Finally a Bamboo sifter, a bowl of water, six awns, a pork chop and some millet wine will be prepared for the spirit summoning ceremony. The wizard and te family members of the patient will hum the spell until something falls from the sifter. If it is hair falling, it means the spirit of the patient has been summoned. Then the wizard will spray water onto the awans with his/her mouth, put the sifting hair on the patient's head, hum the spell and end the therapy process.
Balancing act -not easy on swinging bridge
Harvest prayers:
Traditionally, millet is the most important crop for the Bunun. Millet related events account for as many as fifty days a year. The main purpose of the ceremonies is to pray to heaven ( Dihanin ) for an abundant harvest. Magic is practiced on the millet and people are asked not to violate taboos.
Stages of Life
Birth:
The Bunun believe that at the beginning of pregnancy, the baby is on the left side of the body and will move to the right side gradually. When the baby moves to the middle, it will be born. On the third day after the baby is born, the parents will name the baby and give blessings. Before the baby is named, the father has to go hunting in the mountains and brew millet wine for the naming ceremony. The baby's day is observed to celebrate the birth of the newborn. This day parents will hold their baby in their arms at the door, intoducing the baby to the friends and relatives and put a necklace around the baby's neck, hoping the baby will be as lovely as the neckless.
Growth:
The growth ceremony is observed to celebrate the growth of the children
Christmas story waiting for next season
. Parents wil give a hog to the mother's family ( if it is a boy, the gift will be a whole hog; if it is a girl , the gift isa half hog) to show their gratitude to the mother's caln and also to symbilize the blesssing of health and peace. Boys more than 3 years old will come to the ear shoooting ceremony in order to receive blessings blessings to become an excellent hunter. The growth ceremony includes pulling a tooth. Having incomplete teeth is a sign of beauty for the Bunun. Tennagers must extract their incisor teeth at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Traditional marriage is arranged by the parents. Before the marriage is settled, the bridegroom's family often has to spend the evening in the bride's home many times for discussions. On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom will bring presents and a wild boar to the bride's house. The hog is shared by the bride's family. Death:
Traditionally deceased family members are buried in the house for the purpose of protection. Once the in-house family cementary is full, the family has to move and build a new house.
1. he Bunun classify death into " blessed " and " cursed ". "Blessed" means to die in one's own bed and "cursed " means an accidental death.
2. For a " blessed death ", when someone is on the point of death , his/her family will dress him/her and buries him/her in a sitting position with te limbs bound under the house.
3. The funeral has to be held during the day and the deceased has to facethe west ( direction of the sunset ). The cloths and belongings will also be buried and the grave is covered with a slap stone. The family will mourn for a couple of days and during the mourning period the family cannot eat meat , clean the house, take baths, or go out for work or hunting. For the " cursed" death the one who finds the dead body has bury it and no ceremonies are held.
