臺島資訊

臺灣少數民族:賽夏(SaiSiyat)

時間:2009-12-01 14:06   來源:臺胞之家網


  賽夏,意指人的意思。賽夏族群居住在新竹縣五峰鄉和苗栗縣南莊鄉、獅潭鄉,是臺灣少數民族中人口數排名第十的族群。根據賽夏口傳歷史,祖先是從“烏比喃布嗡”大霸尖山發祥地下山,順著溪流四處遷徙,大約在400多年前,北起桃園、南達苗栗的丘陵及海邊,都曾經有賽夏氏族的部落。後來因為泰雅祖先沿著中央山脈北上,佔領了賽夏人的深山獵場,加上平地漢族移民的雙重夾攻,讓賽夏人口因為爭戰而迅速減少。1906年最早的人口統計,賽夏氏族只剩下了737人。在清光緒年間,漢族移民大規模地武裝掃蕩賽夏部落,迫使賽夏人撤退到現在的居住地。
  
  賽夏氏族實行嚴格的父系社會和極嚴謹的姓氏社會組織,族內大事,由各氏族長老議決,這種政治制度稱為“長老共議制”。家族以男性最年長者為尊長,地位崇高,女性地位低微,寡婦或離婚的婦女必須重返娘家,離婚婦女的兒女則屬於夫家。歷史上,賽夏女兒一旦嫁給平地人,就喪失了族人身分,即使日後歸來,也不能與同本氏族的人共食或同居一宅。
  
  賽夏歲時祭儀,由每個姓氏家族執掌不同的祭典,如:矮靈祭、祈天祭、姓氏祖靈祭、敵首祭等,都是賽夏人依循著祖先流傳下來的傳統與歲時祭儀所舉行的祭典,由於很少受外來宗教的影響,祭典仍保留了原始模式的祖靈禁忌和巫術,因而也是臺灣少數民族祭典儀式中保存最為傳統和完整的祭祀活動。

SaiSiyat
 SaiSiyat refers to “human” in the tribe’s native language. The SaiSiyat population, which is the 10th largest of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes, is concentrated in Wufeng Township of Hsinchu County and Nanzhuang and Shitan townships of Miaoli County.  According to the tribe’s oral history, its place of origin is Dabajian Mountain, which it calls Oe’ pooh na’ boong. The tribe followed the rivers to lower elevations and spread out. About 400 years ago, there were SaiSiyat villages from as far north as Taoyuan County to the hills of Miaoli County and along the coast. However, due to invasion of its hunting territories by the Atayal tribe and the mass immigration of Han Chinese the SaiSiyat population rapidly decreased. In a 1906 census, the SaiSiyat population was recorded as 737. During the Qing dynasty, the superior weapons of Chinese troops forced the SaiSiyat to withdraw to its current locations. 

 This tribe possesses a patrilineal society with a strict clan structure, and the affairs of the tribe are decided by the elders of each clan in the form of a tribal council.

 The SaiSiyat have many traditional rites and ceremonies, each organized by a particular clan. These include the Dwarf Spirit Ceremony, ancestral spirit worship ceremony and prayer for blessings. The SaiSiyat have been careful to preserve the taboos and shamanistic practices handed down to them by their ancestors. Thus, the ceremonies of the SaiSiyat are considered to be the most well-preserved when compared with the ceremonies of Taiwan’s other indigenous tribes.

編輯:楊永青

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