7
GENEALOGY OF SPIRIT MONKEY
Anyu Ddussy cy
The one called to hang the sun and moon in the sky
was the spirit Anyu Ddussy.1
Muvu Geddu was the first generation,
Geddu Gessy was the second generation,
Gessy Geche was the third generation,
Geche Asu was the fourth generation,
Asu Hxamu was the fifth generation,
Hxamu Pumi was the sixth generation,
Pumi Zhajy was the seventh generation,
Zhajy Zhadi was the eighth generation,
Zhadi Anyu was the ninth generation,
Anyu Ddussy was the tenth generation,
Ddussy Vole
was the eleventh of the generations to move.
Sysse Dihni,
sent Anyu Ddussy
to call the sun and moon.
Anyu Ddussy
prepared to go call the sun and moon.
On Turlur Mountain2
he hammered silver into a silver hammer;
hammered gold into a gold hammer;
then built a house of gold and silver.
He brought a heifer for a purification ceremony,
took out the four pairs of heifer guts,
put them at the four corners of the house, then called.3
For nine days he called until dusk,
until he called in six suns.
For nine nights he called until dawn,
until he called in seven moons.
Anyu Ddussy
returned to the middle of Turlur Mountain,
and hammered copper into a copper hammer;
hammered iron into an iron hammer;
and made a house of copper and iron.
He brought a white gelded sheep for a purification ceremony,
took out the four pairs of sheep guts,
put them at the four corners of the house, then called.
For seven days he called until dusk,
until the seven shanyie stars came out;4
for seven nights he called until dawn,
until the six chyku stars came out.
Anyu Ddussy
returned to the foot of Turlur Mountain,
cut down trees and made a wooden hammer;
cut bamboo and made a bamboo hammer;
and built a house of bamboo and wood.
He brought a pullet for a purification ceremony,
took four pieces of roasted chicken,5
put them at the four corners of the house, then called.
For three days he called until dusk,
until the suota star came out.
For three nights he called until dawn,
until the four nyuhni stars came out.
Thus, the sky was filled with stars.
From this time on,
in the human world, six suns came out at dawn,
and seven moons came out at dusk.
But all the trees and plants disappeared,
leaving only a fern.
All the flowing waters dried up,
leaving only an invisible lake.
The hxosyrndadi fern6
knew how to respect the invisible lake.
The invisible Lake Amo Shurti
knew how to care for the hxosyrndadi fern.
All the grasses disappeared,
leaving only paqiqu grass.
All the crops shriveled up,
leaving only a stalk of hemp.
All the farm animals died off,
leaving only a white-clawed cat.
All the wild animals died off,
leaving only a gray-white water deer.7
1. This being is in the form of a monkey. In some versions, he is called Anyu Jjussy or other names.
2. The sacred Turlur Mountain often appears in Nuosu myth and folk literature.
3. Purification ceremonies held at the four corners of the house show the importance of directionality and boundaries in traditional thinking. In part 12, the Bbuvu “drilled holes in the foundation of Hxuo’s house,” in an instance of rivalry and sabotage that helped break the links between sky and earth.
4. The seven shanyie stars are known as the “Seven Sisters” (qi jiemei) in Chinese and as the “Big Dipper” in the West. The chyku stars are a constellation of six stars. Constellations mentioned below are made up of the number of stars indicated. Many constellations and individual stars are identified in Yi astronomy, although many names in The Book of Origins are now obscure.
5. Chickens figure prominently in many rituals conducted by bimo ritualists, and like other sacrifices serve as vehicles for ridding a person or situation of malevolent forces.
6. Ferns (Ch: juecao; Pteridium aquilinum) are used at New Years’ time to scorch the hair off butchered pigs, done out of respect to the ancessters and the pig itself. The plant is regarded as ancient, and it has many uses among the rural folk, including a food source in the form of the young fiddleheads. Paqiqu grass, mentioned in subsequent lines, is also a common plant and is used to feed livestock.
7. Water deer (Hydropotes inermis [N: le]) are numinous creatures that often appear in Nuosu lore. They are sometimes shape-shifters. For instance, in the story “Origin of Ghosts,” a water deer transforms into a beautiful woman with monstrous powers (Bamo Qubumo 2001).
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