There are three types of funeral activities of the Maonan people: first, funerals for the elderly who died normally; second, funerals for old and middle-aged people who died abnormally; third, burials for minors who died young. . There are big differences between the three methods, but they are generally used to bury them in one go and in a thin way. The main difference between the three funeral methods is that in concept, normal elderly people are regarded as "family immortals" after death and can be included in the spiritual status of their ancestors. Elderly people who died abnormally must go through a complicated "repentance" procedure before they can join the ranks of their ancestors. A deceased person under the age of 35, regardless of whether he or she has any children, is generally considered to have died in infancy and cannot be included in the ancestor's spiritual throne.
People (especially teenagers) who die from falls, dystocia, drowning and other abnormal deaths are regarded as "wild ghosts". During the process of encoffining, funeral and burial, the treatment is completely different from that of "family immortals". Not only are funeral arrangements simple and sloppy, but many "precautionary" measures are implemented. When sending funerals, they are often sent out of the village at night, and even march in circles from time to time to make the ghosts get lost and prevent them from going home to cause trouble and harm their family members. The graves of these deceased people are not swept or paid tribute to. Sacrifice requires "alms", such as pouring rice outside the house.
The funeral arrangements for the elderly who died normally were complicated and grand in the past. Such funeral activities include mourning, buying water to wash the body, announcing the funeral, enclosing, clearing the way, stopping the coffin to keep vigil, "making cloth" (sound), holding a fast, paying homage, sending funerals, burying and "painting and driving" (sound). Among them, several practices such as mourning, "making cloth" and "painting and driving" are relatively special. The rest of the rituals are generally the same as the funeral customs of Zhuang, Han and other fraternal ethnic groups.
The mourning report is divided into two times. For the first time, not long after the death of the deceased, the filial man (filial daughter) went to the waterside to buy water for him to wash his body and dress up. Then he put on white linen clothes, applied pot ashes on the forehead and cheeks (left for men, right for women), lit incense and burned paper. Holding the memorial tablet, he and his companions went to the uncle's house to report the funeral.
This is called mourning, and the purpose is to bring the soul of the deceased back to his mother's uncle's house, and to seek the opinions of the uncle and his relatives on how to organize the funeral. The second time, after the uncle led his relatives to express condolences at the nephew's house (for autopsy) and returned, the filial man and the filial daughter brought some wine and meat with them to the uncle's house to report the funeral on the day of the funeral, and asked the uncle or his representative to lead the relatives and clan to host the memorial ceremony and deliver the funeral. The ceremony, this time is called a funeral ceremony.
"Making cloth". During the period of rest, the bereaved family often invites Taoist priests to fast, ranging from one day to three to five days, up to seven days. Every night before fasting, filial men and women hold "flags" and kneel in front of the ancestors' mourning hall (there is a memorial tablet for the deceased next to it), and offer white glutinous rice, vegetarian vegetables, poultry and livestock models made from cooked rice flour. Accompanied by musical instruments, Taoist priests recited the epic "Pai Jian" to commemorate their ancestors, preach the merits of their ancestors and the deceased, and advise future generations to pay attention to filial piety, so that the onlookers received a traditional moral education. This move is called "making cloth" by Maonan people.
"Drawing Driving". After burying the deceased, within a few days, dutiful men and women set up an altar at home one night, displayed offerings, and waited for the deceased soul to return home. It expresses the filial piety of descendants to the deceased.