岐阜市立女子短期大学研究紀要 第52輯（平成15年3月）
抄録
―異界との交流手段としての歌―
| 草場 英子 |
Abstract
Sometimes songs express the feelings of singers. Also among the Amis people, songs are recognized as the method
of communication with supernatural beings called Kawas.
There are/were some religious specialists called Si-kawas-ay in every Amis village. When they hold their ritual,
they sing the songs of gods (Kawas) which are related to that ritual. Every Kawas has its peculiar song and melody.
According to their rituals, the religious specialists Si-kawas-ay choose gods (Kawas) and sing each gods song exactly.
Nowadays not a few Si-kawas-ay change the style of religion. They become Chinese shaman called Tang-ki rather
than Si-kawas-ay. However after they become Tang-ki, they continue to sing the songs of gods (Kawas) when they
hold their rituals even though Chinese Tang-ki does not have that type of song.
Every Amis village holds a harvest festival in summer. The last day of festival there is a rite which makes offerings
to the dead people (called Kawas) who die after the last harvest festival. While all villagers make a circle and dance
to the traditional songs of Amis, the chief of the village, old men and the family members of dead persons go into the
circle, and call the names of dead persons and give offerings.
Also there is a special melody for dead people. The spouse of a dead person cries loudly. Hearing the crying, we
notice that her/his crying has its own melody. It is a melody for the dead person.
It is believed that in the old days there were some monsters in Amnis villages. Now Amis people say that when the
monsters come into the human world, they appear groaning with their own melody.
So the people of Amis recognize that songs are a very important tool and method of communication with
supernatural beings (Kawas).