China's Dagur Minority - Sino-Platonic Papers

Taboos6.1 Production Activity TaboosIt was taboo for hunters on hunting trips to call a bear a "bear" (bobok) or call a tigera "tiger " (tasiha). Instead, "old man" (eterken) and "king of animals " (nuoyanguresz),were used. Women were not allowed to go to fishing grounds, because they were"unclean." This would drive the fish away. [Illustrating this] it was said that, on awinter day at the end of the 19th century, a fisherman cast a net in a river close toDengteke. Just as he was about to haul in the net, he saw a woman walking along apath near the river. He nervously approached her, and pleaded with her to stop andwait. She did so for an entire day. This resulted in a good catch, and the fishermanoffered her a large portion of the fish in gratitude.Anglers were not to bring whips to the fishing grounds, because they disturbed fish.Those in mourning were not permitted at fishing grounds. Fishing was considered ahappy thing while mourning suggested bad luck. Walking with hands clasped behindthe back was taboo, as it resulted in the net getting stuck. Yadgans were not permittedat the fishing grounds.Plowing and sowing seeds were not permitted on "Rat Day" and "Fire Day. "A young horse born to a 3-year-old mare was sold17 and a bundle of its hair keptby the owner as a talisman of good fortune. A wenguer horse18 presented as a giftto a barken was not sold or slaughtered.Trees that had been offered sacrifices (juldeng) and under which sacrifices had beenmade, were not cut. Burning juldeng was also prohibited. White birches and elmswere not used in home construction. White birches were not used to build rafts.House timbers had to be free of knife marks and iron nails. Striking beams wasforbidden.6.2 Marriage and Mourning TaboosWomen did not marry when at an even-numbered age. A cart transporting a bride orgroom should arrive prior to sunset. To avoid bad luck in the case of arrivalafterwards, a mirror was placed on the west side of the gate, symbolizing the sun.Horses harnessed to wedding carts were castrated. Births and weddings in otherpeople's homes were taboo.When someone was dying at home, no one slept until the dying person expired.Otherwise, the dying person took away the sleeping person's soul. If cats approachedthe corpse, it would rise up. For this reason, they were kept away from coffins.Coffins nailed with metal were taboo. When a person expired in the home of a familywith the same surname, his corpse was carried out through a window, not the door.Those who died from infectious diseases, childless people, unmarried women, andchildren were not buried in mokon graveyards.I7It was considered bad luck to rear it.18[A horse that pleased and was chosen by Yanjiyaaq God through religious ritual,and was adorned with red, yellow, green, and white cloth strips on its mane and tail.]