The Sirayan shamans are important community figures who lead religious events and festivals, and provide advice to community members. The Sirayan shamans specialise in entering trance states where they channel the identities and messages of their ancestor gods, a group of seven sisters. Aboriginal shamans in Taiwan are typically, but not always, females. There is a significant amount of syncretism with Tao Buddhism in the shamanic practices of these communities.
In this participatory project, we conducted everyday interviews with two shamans, and made video and audio recordings of some of their religious practices. A feature of the collaboration was bringing together two shamans who had not previously met, who have been recorded having conversations in the obscure language of their Alizou ancestor gods.
Shaman 向頭 Hiàng-thâu Mr Huáng Róng-fēng 黃榮豐
Male shaman 向頭 Hiàng-thâu Mr Huáng Róng-fēng 黃榮豐 from village Pat-thâu-iûⁿ 北頭洋. 向頭 Hiàng-thâu is a postman.
向頭 Hiàng-thâu Mr Huáng Róng-fēng 黃榮豐 Interview at Beitouyang 19-9-2012
Shaman 尪姨 âng-î Chén Qiū-yàn 陳秋燕
Female shaman 尪姨 âng-î Chén Qiū-yàn 陳秋燕 of the Hoan-á-chhân (潘仔田) Sirayan community in the Koaⁿ-tiân (官田) area. Chén Qiū-yàn 陳秋燕 is a local cattle farmer.
尪姨 âng-î Chén Qiū-yàn 陳秋燕, divining advice for community members at Hoan-á-chhân kong-kài潘仔田公廨, 09-06-2019
Public events
向頭 Hiàng-thâu Mr Huáng Róng-fēng 黃榮豐 leads festival at Beitouyang, 22/04/2012
Festival at Beitouyang 22/04/2012, ladies dancing to traditional song
向頭 Hiàng-thâu Mr Huáng Róng-fēng 黃榮豐 at festival at Beitouyang 22/04/2012
尪姨 âng-î Chén Qiū-yàn 陳秋燕, in part of ritual to identify a future shaman, at Hoan-á-chhân kong-kài潘仔田公廨, 08-06-2019. This ritual also has many Tao Buddhist elements.
Shamans conversing in the language of their Alizou gods
The two shamans during an interview, channeling their Alizou gods, have a conversation in the obscure language of their gods.
The seven Alizou sisters
Shaman 尪姨 âng-î Chén Qiū-yàn 陳秋燕 describes the seven Alizou sisters, who are ancestor gods. The full transcript, in Taiwanese with Chinese and English translations, is below.
[Recording 201209-14.mp4, recorded at Hoan-á-chhân kong-kài 潘仔田公廨 in 2012 with âng-î 尪姨 Chén and Hiàng-thâu 向頭 Huáng]
