A Study of the Names of Maogusi (Part Three)
The Historical Trajectory of the Tujia-language Names of Maogusi. Anthropologists divide the history of human social evolution into three stages. "Nothing is known, nor can be known, about what constituted the first stage; this stage is the earliest phase of tool use and of language, morality, and possibly religion or at least worship of supernatural forces. As for what actually happened in the second stage...
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The Historical Trajectory of the Tujia-Language Names of Maogusi
The history of human social evolution is divided by anthropologists into three stages. "As for what constituted the first stage, we know nothing, nor can we know; this stage is the earliest stage of the use of tools and of language, morality, and possibly religion, or at least the worship of supernatural forces. As for what actually happened in the second stage, in the sense of exactness, we also know nothing. As for the third stage, we know its history; the people of this stage lived in limited areas of the earth, and in time this stage is limited, probably not exceeding 6,000 years." The performance content of Maogusi and the ethnic customs it displays are consistent with the third stage of human history. From the Tujia-language names of Maogusi, its historical development trajectory can also be discovered. "History is the record of things worth attention discovered in one era in another era." From the Tujia-language names of Maogusi, the historical trajectory of human social development is also revealed.
1. The Historical Trajectory of Matrilineal Clan Society
The Maogusi of the Tujia people originated in human matrilineal clan society. It gives a vivid record of the conditions of matrilineal clan society. Therefore, in the Tujia-language names of Maogusi, female names occupy the vast majority.
In the Tujia-language names of Maogusi, the female names also show a progressive pattern: Bapa—Bapa Gechi—Bapani—Bapaha—Kuqi Kabus—Hezuo Niga. Although these Tujia-language names come from different Tujia mountain villages, and no one among them rigidly prescribed how they should be called, when these names are now viewed together, a progressive relationship can be found, revealing the trajectory of the historical development of human naming.
First, "Bapa" (woman) determines women's status. It clearly states that Maogusi is "woman"! There is no ambiguity at all. This reveals to people the original information of Maogusi: originally Maogusi first performed female content. This was the power manifested by maternal authority in the matrilineal clan, and this power was extremely authoritative; at that time no one challenged it. Second, let us look at "Bapa Gechi" (women playing): as the times advanced, maternal authority further expanded, women could freely dispose of themselves, and women could also arbitrarily issue orders to men, making men do all the heavy physical labor while they themselves played freely and at ease. If it was not satisfying enough to say that women at that time could play freely and at ease, they would also hide in other places, so that for a time people could not find them, and thus there was "Bapani" (looking for women). Later, men slowly accumulated inner resentment and began to have some rebellious feelings, and then dared to contend with women, and thus there was the act of "Bapaha" (beating women). Because men contended for power and posed a certain threat to women's ruling position, women were no longer as glorious as before, and Maogusi then also had the inelegant Tujia-language name "Kuqi Kabus" (man-bear grandmother). That is to say, in the eyes of the whole society and of men, women were only like the "man-bear grandmother," old and decrepit, and the maternal scepter was about to be lost. Finally, most of the power of matrilineal clan society had withdrawn from the stage of history, and the universal significance of female power no longer existed. People only cherished the memory of women who had made great contributions in history—Hezuo Niga (the goddess Meichang)—and thus the Tujia-language name of Maogusi also came to include "Hezuo Niga."
From the female names of Maogusi in the Tujia language, one can not only see the footprints of human historical development one by one, but also be given an interesting and mysterious historical phenomenon. Just as the British anthropologist Frazer said, "These laws govern the past history of humankind, and nature is truly always consistent; these laws may also be expected to govern the future history of humankind."
2. The Historical Trajectory of Patriarchal Clan Society
With social change, power also shifted. As society developed and men carefully managed affairs, the power edifice of the matriarchal clan quietly crumbled, while the towering structure of patriarchal clan power rose majestically. Men, bearing the heavy trust of history, openly ascended the throne of power. Thus the Tujia-language term for Maogusi came to include the content of "Bapuka (man)." Among these there also emerged another transitional male appellation—"Bapukari (men at play)." Such a term as Maogusi also allowed men to feel a sense of leisurely self-satisfaction. Specifically, in the actual performance of Maogusi, there is a scene called "Seizing a Wife." This precisely depicts the display and expansion of patriarchal authority in patriarchal clan society, where men could freely exercise their dominance over women. Men then used their fierce and masculine vigor to violate women. So men's desire for women required no consent from women, and there was no need to be gentle, kind, courteous, modest, or yielding toward women; they could defy women's will and use the means of abduction to fulfill their desires. The history of matriarchal clan dominance over society was completely overturned.
3. The Trajectory of Language History in Primitive Society
"Language is a branch of the great art of making or choosing signs. Its problem lies in seeking certain sounds as symbols or emblems suitable for each meaning." In the preceding second part, we interpreted the extended Chinese meaning of the Tujia-language Maogusi appellation "Chega," which is Maogusi's historical record of humanity's earliest linguistic condition. If Maogusi had spoken fluently from the very beginning, that would actually not conform to historical fact. Throughout the actual performance of Maogusi, Maogusi's language is always expressed rather incoherently; some utterances allow only sounds to be heard, without complete words or sentences. For example, in the performance of "Maogusi · Reading" in Shuangfeng Village, Heping Township, Yongshun County, there is this passage:
Teacher: Ren zhi chu (At birth, humans...)
Little Maogusi: An! An! An!
Teacher: Xing ben shan (Their nature is inherently good.)
Little Maogusi: An! An! An!
Sir, the dog does not bark (Gou bu jiao),
Little Maogusi: An! An! An!
Teacher: Xing nai qian (Their nature then changes.)
Little Maogusi: An! An! An!
This may seem as if Little Maogusi is deliberately being mischievous, but in fact it is a true portrayal of the time. People in the Maogusi era could not even speak clearly—how could they possibly read classics like the Analects? This is also a powerful satire of forcing others to read classics in society.
This actual manifestation of Maogusi intuitively and vividly replicates the linguistic condition of humanity in primitive society. A cultural phenomenon like Maogusi has not yet been discovered among other ethnic groups. That the Tujia people use "Chega" as the Tujia-language appellation for Maogusi shows the superb wisdom of the Tujia people, and it is also entirely consistent with the actual situation of Maogusi.
4. The Trajectory of Economic History in Primitive Society
Among the Tujia-language appellations of Maogusi there is one called "Shijie." The Chinese meaning of "Shijie" is hunting, which is what the Tujia people call "chasing meat." Actually, "Shijie" is only one scene in the entire Maogusi performance. But as an appellation for the whole of Maogusi, it still has a certain basis. Tian Zongtong of Songlin Village, Pojiao Township, Longshan County (when interviewed in 2003, Tian Zongtong was already 86 years old) said: "In the past, our ancestors lived by 'Shijie (hunting),' so when we perform Maogusi we must perform 'Shijie.' If you do not perform 'Shijie,' your Maogusi has not been performed well (successfully)." From this we can see the weight of "Shijie" in the entire Maogusi performance. Tian Zongtong also indirectly told us that the earliest economic form of the Tujia ancestors was hunting. Hunting is the starting point of economic history. Why hunting has such great significance is mainly because it played a key role in human economic history. According to Maslow's psychological theory of needs, human survival needs come first. Without the emergence of hunting as a mode of production, humanity would have regressed by tens of thousands of years. Hunting was the simplest and easiest mode of production for primitive people; it required no complex production design and did not need excessive means of production. Materials could be obtained locally, and whether to go hunting could be decided according to the advantages or disadvantages of the environment—it was highly flexible. Thus hunting became the best economic means of survival for humans in primitive society and made great contributions to the development of human social history. The philosopher Hegel also once said: "One need only look at history to understand that human actions arise from their needs, their passions, their character, and their talents. We are firmly convinced that needs, passions, and interests are the sole driving forces of action." This provides the best footnote to Maogusi's hunting economic and cultural type.