Manchu Stories
Changbai Mountain in the southeast of Jilin Province is the birthplace of the Manchu people. The ancestors of the Manchu people have lived and multiplied on this vast, beautiful and magical fertile land since ancient times. Manchu storytelling is an ancient folk long-form storytelling art passed down by word of mouth by the Manchu people and their ancestors. It is called "ulabun" in Manchu, which is translated into Chinese as biography or biography. Its form and connotation are very different from listening to ordinary folk stories. It is often told by the elders of the tribe, who rinse their mouths and burn incense, often accompanied by tambourines and boards, with narration and singing. It is intended to tell the "roots", respect ancestors and praise heroes. The listeners are humble and orderly, and are extremely pious. Manchu storytelling is rooted in the custom of the Manchu people and their ancestors telling stories. Its source is probably the worship of the heroes of the previous generations by the Manchu clan. Manchu storytelling is mainly passed down orally within the clan and inherited from generation to generation. In the early days, Manchu storytelling was mostly used. After the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Manchu gradually became obsolete, so Chinese storytelling was used instead, with some Manchu language mixed in. Manchu stories are dignified and magnificent, covering the rise of clans and tribes, ancient sacrifices in the wilderness, pioneering and starting businesses, heroic histories, ethnic customs, and knowledge of production and life. They are known as the encyclopedia of northern ethnic groups. The stories are the memory of the history of the Manchus and their ancestors. Some of the historical contents mentioned in the book are little known, while others make up for the lack of historical documents in northern my country. They are precious materials for the study of ethnic history, territorial history, ethnic relations history, anthropology, sociology, and folklore. Some stories have been translated into Russian, Japanese, English, Italian, German, Korean and other languages and published, enriching the world's cultural treasure house. Manchu stories are rich in content, but most of the storytellers and inheritors are special groups, and there are not many of them now. It is urgent to carry out rescue and protection work. In recent years, Manchu stories have been included in the scientific research projects of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the national pilot project of the "China National Folk Culture Protection Project". More than ten stories have been collected and recorded, and the interim results have been verified by experts. However, there are still many stories that have not been recorded, and the task of rescue and protection is quite heavy.