Chapter 11 Section 3 Cremation

The burial method of cremating the corpse by fire is a more popular burial method among ethnic minorities, second only to burial in the ground.In history, Yi, Bai, Naxi, Lahu, Hani, Pumi, Qiang, She and other ethnic groups have generally used cremation.Later, under the influence of the Han people, it was changed to burial successively. Only the Yi people in Liangshan, Sichuan and Yunnan, the Mosuo people in Yongning, Yunnan, and some Lahu and Pumi still retain the custom of cremation.Nationalities such as Tu, Yugu, Mongolia, Tibetan and Dai also adopt cremation more or less due to their religious beliefs.

There are two theories about this: one is that "death" is caused by ghosts, and cremation can not only burn to death the devils lingering on the dead, but also make it as easy for the dead to find their ancestors as cremation.Another said that the ancestors of the Yi people were tigers, and cremation can restore the dead to tigers and return to their ancestors' hometown.The crematorium of the Yi people is in the wilderness or on the hillside not far from the village. After cremation, the ashes are either buried on the spot, put into clay pots, or scattered in the bamboo forest.But this is not the end. To make the deceased live in peace, after a few days, months or even years after his death, the children will ask the bimo (wizard) to choose an auspicious day, go to the cremation place to make a spiritual card, and take it home. Enshrining, so that the soul of the deceased can be sustenance from now on.

For Tibetans, cremation is a high-level funeral after tower burial, enjoyed by living Buddhas and great lamas.For the Mongolian, Monba, Yugu and Dai ethnic groups, only princes, nobles, living Buddhas, lamas, Buddhas, rich people and headmen have the right to be cremated.Except for the Dai people, several other ethnic groups consume a lot of ghee during cremation.The Yugur and Moinba people spread ghee on the firewood stand; the Mongolian people spread the oil on the wrapped corpse.Tibetans and Monbas usually scatter their ashes in rivers; Mongolians put their ashes in monasteries; Yugur people put their ashes into red cloth bags for burial and build graves.

It's the same cremation, but it's a different scene for the Tu people.First of all, the Tu people, who use both earth and cremation, have their own unique views on death.They believe that those who "come with a fine belly" should "go with a fine belly".Therefore, no matter whether you are young or old, once you die, you should strip off all your clothes immediately. Before the body is stiff, make it squat like a fetus in the mother's womb, put your palms together, and support your chin with your thumbs.When encoffining, use a rope to tie (wan pull) knots at some joints, usually 7 to 13 knots.Then put a cloak-style burial dress on the body, and a sarong under it, and then put it into the spiritual sedan chair.The spiritual sedan chair is made of wooden boards after the death of a person, and it is big enough to squat a person.During cremation, the spiritual sedan chair is smashed and assimilated with the corpse.Three days after burning, pick up the ashes and put them in wooden boxes or clay pots for temporary burial.It will not be moved to the ancestral grave until Qingming next year.After that, the tomb will be visited once every Qingming Festival.

The way the Mosuo people in the far southwest dispose of the corpse is similar to that of the Tu people. They also tie the corpse into a squatting position;After burning, part of the ashes were put into bags and placed on the public cemetery (Figure 16).