The Preservation and Transmission of Intangible Cultural Heritage “Mamu”in Liangshan through the Lens of Social Memory

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY， VOL. 15， NO.07， 79-88， 2024 （CN51-1731/C， in Chinese）

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.07.009

Abstract：

Generally speaking， the protection and" transmission" of intangible cultural heritage" emphasize the concept of “l(fā)iving，” particularly concerning the integration of such heritage" into contemporary social life." In this context， “Mamu，” a traditional oral type of literature of the Yi people in Liangshan， was recognized as part" of the fourth batch of state-level intangible cultural heritage in 2014. Despite this official designation，" this study finds that the protection and inheritance of “Mamu”are still facing a lot of challenges since its inclusion on the heritage list. Originating over a millennium ago， “Mamu，” often referred to" as the “Three-character scripture，” has been serving as a comprehensive narrative of" the Yi people’s social history， hierarchical relations， ideological beliefs， ethics， customs， and traditions， passed down orally from generation to generation. What is more， field investigations reveal that" “Mamu” has the attribute of social memory，" suggesting a brand-new framework for discussing" the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage from the perspective of social memory. This article thus indicates" that the protection and transmission" of “Mamu” can be carried out" in" two dimensions：" Embodied practice and the practice of writing." The embodied practice of “Mamu” apparently manifests itself in the traditional and ceremonial lives" of the Yi people，" while the written practice mainly encompasses" various versions of “Mamu”.

In the Yi people’s daily life" embodied practices， “Mamu”" seems to incorporate" memory elements， such as" age， agricultural and pastoral production， kinship， marriage， geography， social status， and hierarchy. These different memory elements， moreover， evidently correspond to different memory fields， where numerous memory memes" coalesce to form cohesive memory components maintained within their respective domains. Results further demonstrate that the transmission of “Mamu” occurs through three primary modes：" The first is vertical transmission from parents to children within families ; the second kind is lateral transmission" among relatives， such as uncles and nephews within family branches ; the third kind is horizontal transmission" across peer groups， encompassing entire family branches or broader social networks" of the Yi. In the" embodied practice of ritual" life， the maintenance and transmission of “Mamu”" are predominantly expressed through marriage and mediation ceremonies， where narratives are conveyed compellingly through indigenous “rap” performances， enhancing emotional resonance and comprehension. This" meme transmission of ritual life mainly involves one-to-many and many-to-many models; the practice of writing of “Mamu”， however， is primarily done through woodcuts， manuscripts， inscriptions， Yi-Chinese bilingual editions， and Yi-Chinese-English bilingual editions.

To sum up， the embodied practice of “Mamu” ostensibly has been expressing and transmitting information through daily and ritual life， while the written" practice of “Mamu”" has been capturing and preserving this information through various documentation methods. This dual process of keeping and transferring the memes of “Mamu” in the field of social memory" has demonstrated to be an effective way of protecting and passing on" the “Mamu”." To foster a “l(fā)iving” preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage， it is essential to engage deeply with communities to gather valuable firsthand information， thereby exploring" more research perspectives to open a living way" of" safeguarding such intangible cultural heritage.

Key Words：

intangible cultural heritage; protection and inheritance; social memory; “Mamu” of the Yi in Liangshan