What's wrong with the method
Most of the materials are not credible, and many of them are suspected of copying each other. So I tend to think that witchcraft is just a ghostly legend of the Han people, which has nothing to do with the Miao people in fact, and it is not a technology to release poison.
Research on Miao witchcraft;
First, the study of witchcraft helps us to understand the role of witchcraft imagination in the process of constructing power relations between ethnic groups and within ethnic groups.
Secondly, the study of Miao witchcraft helps to clarify the problem and avoid speculation and speculation without evidence. The explanation of jealousy, social exclusion and conflict of interest behind the witchcraft belief in Miao society is helpful to reveal the social power relationship that witchcraft rumors hope to build and change.
As far as practical needs are concerned, this study has at least the following significance:
First of all, this study helps to increase people's understanding of witchcraft rumors. Anthropology is not an academic study in a rocking chair. Its long-standing academic tradition is to face society and reality. Anthropology has contributed to our understanding of social phenomena in other countries, no matter what it serves and what its impact on real life is. I hope this article can increase people's understanding of witchcraft rumors.
Secondly, this study will help us to get rid of misunderstanding and extreme imagination about witchcraft and its similar contents, and treat others more rationally or tolerantly, instead of falling into it. This is even more important for many of my Miao compatriots who have been accused of being methodical. They have suffered too much unfair treatment. Because the problem of "witchcraft" is hidden in Miao society, it cannot be discussed openly, let alone argued. Unfortunately, people who have been hurt by imagination and rumors can't say anything. We can't remain silent; Someone should speak for them.
Related review
Although there are many records about witchcraft in the history of China, there has been no special research for a long time. The research on this method did not begin until after the twentieth century, and was influenced by western academic circles.
The problem of witchcraft really attracted the attention of domestic academic circles during the Anti-Japanese War. Due to the migration of a large number of Han population to southwest China, the study of ethnic minorities in this period was paid attention to. Chen Guojun, who transferred to the Department of Sociology of Daxia University in Guiyang, described the legend and prevention methods of Miao air defense law similar to ancient books in the article "Magic of Miao Nationality". The author records that many Han people firmly believe that Miao people can practice magic, but the author thinks that there are many incredible places in the rumor. The so-called "Chinese magic" may be due to accidental poisoning under unsanitary conditions. Chen Guojun noticed that the Han people bullied the Miao people because they were too distant from them, so he was afraid that the Miao people would retaliate with poison. The author has never talked with Miao people. Chen Guojun initiated the research in this field and attracted people's attention.
Since then, Li Zhiren published the story of Miao nationality in the 23rd issue of Social Studies. Through the analysis of Gu Fang's story, Li Zhiren thinks that "goo goo" may be people's explanation of natural diseases. The author points out that the long-term contempt for Miao Yi's concept makes the Han people deliberately exaggerate it and describe it as an anecdote of the Miao people. Li Zhiren believes that the so-called "witchcraft" of Miao people is just a superstition. Both of them were later included in the book Study on Miao and Yi Society in Guizhou by Wentong Bookstore. They all pointed out that the so-called witchcraft of Miao people is a superstition or rumor in Han society, and China's witchcraft may be the explanation of some diseases caused by unsanitary conditions. In addition, their research basically did not clearly show the attitudes and concepts of the Miao people. 1960 The ninth issue of Journal of Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica published Sardonar Lee's article On Poisoning and Witchcraft. Due to the separation of the two sides of the strait, the author can only explain his views on witchcraft from the perspective of historical documents and literature analysis. The author thinks that there are Han people suffering from parasitic diseases in southwest ethnic minority areas, witnessing the manufacturing of drugs by southwest ethnic groups, and hearing that there is a wind of black witchcraft there, thus linking the three together and turning them into witchcraft legends with many books and words. Sardonar Lee believes that the fear of using poison and black witchcraft among the ethnic minorities in southwest China makes this method be used to explain the parasitic diseases suffered by the Han people. Sardonar Lee believes that the so-called witchcraft is a specific imagination of black witchcraft.
Norma Diamond pointed out in 1988 that the irreconcilable cultural differences between Miao and Han nationality in religious practice, marriage, family organization or ecology have caused the Han nationality's strange imagination of Miao nationality. In other words, witchcraft is the rumor and imagination of Han people about Miao people. Obviously, De Man has deepened his research on this issue. [1] However, some people think that the way of releasing Miao people may exist. Ling Chunsheng and Rui Yifu reported a witchcraft legend and a witchcraft case in the investigation report of Miao nationality in western Hunan, but they did not analyze it. Shi Qigui, who assisted the two people in their investigation, criticized Ling Chunsheng and Rui Yifu in the section of "Witchcraft and Puzzlement" in the later Report on Miao Field Investigation in Xiangxi. He believes that because Miao people are too superstitious, people believe in witchcraft rumors and are afraid of witchcraft. He pointed out, "in today's society, there are so many people, so we should be ignorant and ignorant, and one person can spread it to a hundred people." [2] Mr. Shi Qigui is concerned about the role played by the spread of witchcraft rumors in the formation of witchcraft beliefs.
Zhang regarded witchcraft as a kind of witchcraft in the book Witchcraft in China, Gao Guofan regarded witchcraft as a kind of witchcraft in the book History of Witchcraft in China, Deng Qiyao in the book Investigation of Witchcraft in China and Yuan in the article Explaining Witchcraft, Preventing Witchcraft and Governing Witchcraft Custom. Among them, Gao Guofan noticed the inheritance and changes of "witchcraft" in history. Deng Qiyao actually saw the imagination of witchcraft, that is, it is just a belief-or superstition, which brings great harm to society and forms a division within society. However, because he did not distinguish between witchcraft and witchcraft. So we can't get rid of the influence of witchcraft theory.
Yinjin Zhan thinks that voodoo is the real witchcraft technology in the book Misunderstanding of the Mind, and Huang Shijie thinks that voodoo: the illusion of wealth and power in the book. However, apart from collecting many magical legends, they have no conclusive evidence to prove it.