Untitled - Life and Culture on the Tibetan Plateau

Two Helpers Make an Oration to the A zhang <strong>and</strong> Present
Gifts Three Times
About a half an hour after guests have the second meal, the
two men from the sha nye who made the oration to the
sngags pa, hairdresser, <strong>and</strong> the village women earlier, now
give an oration to the A zhang zhang bo. There are three
rounds of oration while presenting gifts that express how
much the family appreciates the A zhang, <strong>and</strong> especially, the
A zhang zhang bo, attending the party. The two men give
three orations. They approach the A zhang zhang bo with
about 300 RMB, two or three pieces of white felt, <strong>and</strong> kha
btags; put these gifts on the table in front of the A zhang
zhang bo; <strong>and</strong> say, "The family actually should present a
horse to you, the A zhang zhang bo, but they cannot prepare
one because of their poor condition. We hope these gifts will
satisfy you <strong>and</strong> make you happy."
The A zhang zhang bo might reply that he is satisfied
<strong>and</strong> happy, or he might say that the gifts are inadequate. If he
says that he is happy, then he asks for reward songs, which
the helpers sing. If he says the gifts are inadequate, the two
men must bring more such gifts as were just offered <strong>and</strong> give
another oration. If gifts are presented a third time, the A
zhang zhang bo must express satisfaction. If the family or the
helpers have offended the A zhang zhang bo, he says that the
gifts make him unhappy, he will require many gifts, <strong>and</strong> asks
why the family <strong>and</strong> the helpers offended him. For example,
he might be upset if helpers bring chang bsu but forget to
bring kha btags. Subsequently, he is unhappy, asks for many
gifts, <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong>s to know why the family <strong>and</strong> the helpers
did not bring kha btags. The A zhang zhang bo's anger is
called khong, a term which only applies to the A zhang zhang
bo's anger <strong>and</strong> cannot be used in other contexts.
The second oration is about the family's obligation to
present a mdzo 48 to the A zhang zhang bo. The two men
must bring the sort of gifts described above <strong>and</strong> talk to him
as described above. The A zhang zhang bo must express
satisfaction at least after the third round of gifts, though he
may express satisfaction after one or two rounds of gifts.
The third oration states that the family should present a
48 A yak-cow hybrid.
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