祖靈的女兒──排灣族女巫包惠玲Mamauwan

 

祖靈的女兒──排灣族女巫包惠玲Mamauwan

Mamauwan, the daughter of ancestral spirits, a Paiwan pulingau

蔚藍的南迴公路，轉入蜿蜒的大武山群，山林蓊鬱依傍著大竹溪，這裡是東部排灣族唯一還保存著五年祭傳統祭儀的部落-土坂部落Tjuabal。走在土坂部落的街道上，錯落有致的井字型街道，不難看出日本人來到東部山脈對於山區部落的規劃與影響。而或許也正是這樣的影響、西方宗教的傳入，使得許多部落傳統祭儀、巫文化，日漸的消逝。

The azure South Bound Highway winds into the lush Dawu Mountains, where dense forests hug the Dazhu River. Here lies Tjuabal, the only Eastern Paiwan tribe preserving the tradition of the Five-Year Ceremony.

Walking along the streets of Tjuabal, one notices the intricately planned grid layout, reflecting the influence of Japanese planners in the Eastern mountainside communities. Perhaps it is this influence, along with the introduction of Western religions, that has contributed to the gradual disappearance of many tribal traditions, rituals, and shamanic cultures.

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包惠玲Mamauwan 是現任土坂部落的首席女巫，陽光熱情的笑容，身背巫術箱，帶我們走入包頭目的祖靈屋。祖靈屋的正中央便是包頭目歷代祖傳頭目信物的祖靈柱，Mamauwan手拿起杜虹葉一一整理，杜虹葉是土坂部落各儀式中時常使用到的祭葉，（屏東的排灣族大多則使用桑葉作為祭葉）並依據儀式不同使用不同數量的葉子。Mamauwan笑說杜虹開花的樣子很漂亮，只可惜我常常用到都看不到它開花。短短幾句話，道出了身為部落女巫的使命。

Mamauwan, the current chief pulingau of Tjuabal tribe, greeted us with a sunny and warm smile, her witchcraft box on her back. She led us into the ancestral spirit house of the tribal chief. At the center of the spirit house stood the ancestral pillar, a sacred artifact passed down through generations of chiefs. Mamauwan carefully arranged the Formosan Beauty berry leaves, commonly used in various rituals of the Tjuabal tribe (compared to the mulberry leaves used by most Paiwan tribes in Pingtung), adjusting the number according to the specific ceremony. Mamauwan chuckled, noting the beauty of the Formosan Beauty berry flowers that she rarely got to see bloom because she often used the leaves in her rituals. In these few sentences, Mamauwan expressed the essence of her role as a tribal pulingau.

族人有需要，我們就是零拒絕

If our people need it, we never say no.

 

「一旦當了女巫，就是天命，族人有需要，就是零拒絕。」這是Mamauwan的母親Galaigai前頭目所時刻提醒的，更深刻的影響著。部落裡族人各式各樣的疑難雜症都有可能找到Mamauwan來尋問，不論是考試祈福、新屋納福、新生兒取名、久病不癒、問夢占卜、喪家招魂等等，各個大大小小的事更甚是非本部落、非族人，只要覺得有需要都可以向巫師詢問。巫師在部落裡的角色，更像是族人們尋求心靈慰藉時的依靠，作為人與靈魂之間的媒介成為溝通的橋樑。

"Once you become a pulingau, it's destiny. If our people need it, we never say no." Galaigai, Mamauwan's mother and former chief, always reminded her of this, and it deeply influenced her. In the tribe, Mamauwan is approached for all sorts of difficulties and problems: blessings for exams, blessings for new homes, naming newborns, long-term illnesses, dream interpretation, summoning spirits for grieving families, and more. It doesn't matter if the issue is from outside the tribe or from non-tribal members—if they feel the need, they can consult the pulingau.

In the tribe, the role of the pulingau is akin to a pillar of support for the community, especially in times when individuals seek solace for their souls. They serve as a mediator between people and spirits, becoming a bridge for communication."

 

而Mamauwan成巫的過程，雖然從小在祖母的薰陶下但也並非從小便立志成為巫師，而是在成年之後有感於巫文化的消逝開始習巫。「沒有巫師，頭目怎麼保護族人？」頭目主要掌管地方事務，而巫師負責與祖靈萬物溝通。習巫除了自身的努力學習外，更重要的是透過祖靈的揀選獲得巫株印記。巫株亦會隨著個人的法力，超自然的增加或是減少。（其中更多的習巫過程與細節推薦閱讀<祖靈的女兒──排灣族女巫包惠玲Mamauwan的成巫之路，與守護部落的療癒力量>書中有更多詳盡的記載。）

Mamauwan's journey to becoming a pulingau was not something she aspired to from a young age, despite being influenced by her grandmother. It was later in adulthood, witnessing the fading of shamanic culture, that she felt compelled to learn the ways of witchcraft. "Without a pulingau, how can the chief protect our people?" In the tribe, chiefs oversee local affairs while pulingaus communicate with ancestral spirits and all living things.

Learning witchcraft involved not only diligent personal study but also the crucial acquisition of the shamanwood seal through the selection by ancestral spirits. This seal's power could increase or decrease supernaturally according to the individual's abilities. For a deeper exploration of Mamauwan's apprenticeship and more intricate details, I recommend reading "The Daughter of Ancestral Spirits: Mamauwan, the Paiwan pulingau, and the Healing Power of Tribe Guardianship," which provides a comprehensive account of her journey.

 

在整個過程中，Mamauwan為了將這獨有的巫文化有條理的紀錄下來更去攻讀碩士，希望不僅僅是以個人、族人的文化紀錄，更希望透過學理的紀錄與學界對話。更在攻讀博士的過程中，透過自身執行者的角色與世界各國的學者交流，告訴世界屬於台灣排灣灣族巫的文化性與真實性。

Throughout her journey, Mamauwan took great care to systematically document the unique shamanic culture she inherited. This dedication led her to pursue a master's degree, aiming not only to preserve her personal and tribal heritage but also to engage in scholarly discourse through academic records. During her doctoral studies, she actively engaged with scholars from around the world, sharing her firsthand experiences as a practitioner and advocating for the cultural authenticity and significance of Paiwan witchcraft in Taiwan. Her academic pursuits were driven by a desire to contribute to the broader understanding and recognition of Paiwan shamanic traditions on an international scale.

 

巫師像極了醫生，一樣要望、聞、問、切，透過來自祖靈的印記照顧族人

Pulingaus are much like doctors. They use observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, caring for their people through the signs left by their ancestors.

 

巫師除了主理部落中各個歲時祭儀外，更多的時候需要處理關於族人生命儀禮。而其過程像是醫生般，需要推敲診斷更需要做足了功課。

In addition to presiding over various seasonal rituals in the tribe, pulingaus often need to handle life ceremonies for the people. Their process is akin to that of doctors, requiring careful diagnosis and thorough preparation.

 

Mamauwan娓娓道來起了曾經協助處理一位外地人前來求助的故事，因為不知道什麼原因而產生的病痛，尋求醫學無果後便開始到處尋求靈界的幫助，初步的了解當事人都說不知道，祖先似乎也沒有甚麼糾紛，然而就在問到興趣時，對方便說喜歡爬山，才開始回想起似乎是在爬了北大武山之後身體才出現不適。問到了關鍵點，便開始協助處理，將魂魄安撫找回其平衡。

Mamauwan recounts a story of helping an outsider who sought aid. This person suffered from inexplicable pains and, after finding no answers in medicine, turned to the spirit world for help. Initial inquiries revealed no clear cause, with the person and their ancestors reporting no significant conflicts. However, when asked about hobbies, the person mentioned a love for hiking, leading to the realization that the discomfort began after climbing Mount Beidawu. With this crucial clue, Mamauwan began the process of restoring balance by calming the soul and regaining harmony.

 

「其實我們平常跟普通人沒什麼不一樣，只是我們多了來自祖靈的印記，用這個印記來照顧人。我看到巫在部落裡面有他的地位與社會價值，我也會繼續堅持守護到終老，那這是我的生活、我的日常，也是我的職責。」Mamauwan坦承巫的學習與傳承，著實辛苦，除了要熟悉母語外，更需要熟稔繁複古老的傳統經文。雖然對巫文化的傳承感到憂心但也決心努力的用這份力量守護。

“We are actually not much different from ordinary people, except we have the ancestral marks to care for others. I see the pulingau’s role in the tribe as one of status and social value, and I will continue to uphold it until old age. This is my life, my daily routine, and my duty.” Mamauwan acknowledges that learning and passing on the shamanic traditions is indeed arduous, requiring not only proficiency in the native language but also mastery of complex ancient scriptures. Despite concerns about the preservation of shamanic culture, Mamauwan is determined to use this power to protect.

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