The Rukai are an aboriginal ethnic group in Taiwan. The Rukai are mainly found on the east and west sides of the Central Mountain Range in southern Taiwan: the Shimousanshe and West Rukai groups in the west (Pingtung and Kaohsiung counties), and the Danan or East Rukai group in the east (Taitung County). The Rukai and the Paiwan and Peinan tribes are also a society that emphasizes "length". Because of the emphasis on "length", the birth order affects the social status and creates social hierarchies: the chiefs control the resources, the nobles have some privileges, and the commoners pay taxes and seek protection.
Basic Introduction Chinese Name: Rukai Foreign Name: (Rukai) Population: about 10,779 Belonging to: Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples Overview, Geographic Distribution, Living Conditions, Overview, Economic Life, Social Life, Historical Legends, Legends, Legends I, Legends II, Cultural Characteristics, Social Organization, Social Classes, Chiefs, Nobility, Shih, Commoners, Social System, Composition, Inheritance, Marriage, Famous People, Profile, Overview, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai, The Rukai Famous People, General The Rukai differ from the Paiwan and the Peinan in that they emphasize gender; the Paiwan emphasize only birth order and ignore gender; the Rukai emphasize the eldest male; and the Peinan emphasize the eldest female. Their social class*** is divided into four levels: the chiefs, the nobles, the commoners (those with special merits or talents) and the commoners. Clothing is also very similar to that of the Paiwan, with cross-stitch embroidery, glazed bead embroidery, and elaborate and exquisite patterns. Lilies are a common accessory among the Rukai, with purity and social class significance. Important festivals include the Millet Harvest Festival and the Bountiful Year Festival in Onamura. The population is about 10,779 (2003). The population is about 10,000 people. They live in Peinan Township, Taitung County, Wugu Township, Pingtung County, and Maolin Township, Kaohsiung County. The Rukai are a tribal society with a strict internal system, divided into four hereditary ranks: chiefs, nobles, warriors, and commoners; the ranks can change with marriage, and men are favored over women within the society. Religion is based on the Creator and the Ancestral Spirit, and the Hundred Pace Serpent, which is the origin of the chief family legend, is the object of worship and reverence of the tribe. Pottery pots, glazed beads, rattan and bamboo utensils, and embroidery are national handicrafts. The Rukai were distributed on both sides of the southern section of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range during the Ming Hongwu era (around 1340 A.D.), and belong to the mountainous areas bordering Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Taitung counties, mainly in Wanshan, Maolin, and Donner villages in Maolin Township, Kaohsiung County; in Old Dawu, Go-Lu, and Tadal villages in Wutai Township, Pingtung County; and in Dannan Old She Village in Peinan Township, Taitung County. There are more than 10,000 people in the whole tribe. Rukai Sisters Their social organization is a social stratification system based on the land system and eldest male inheritance, and land ownership is acquired by eldest male inheritance. The Rukai and the Paiwan share the same social organization, but in terms of inheritance, the Rukai are inherited only by the eldest male (the opposite of the Amis), while the Paiwan are inherited by both the eldest male and female. Therefore, it can be said that the Rukai social stratification system is the result of the primogeniture system. This social stratification*** is divided into three layers: a nobility, a privileged class, whose members are mostly close relatives of the landlords; a second class, whose social status is lower than that of the nobility and higher than that of the commoners, whose eldest son is a sergeant and whose remaining heirs are commoners; and a third class of commoners, who are brothers other than the three subordinates of the landlords, some of whom are distant relatives of the landlords, some of whom are unrelated, and most of whom are sharecroppers, and who are the lowest in the social hierarchy. Among the nobles, only the chiefs were allowed to have patterns carved on the gable trusses of the entrance of their houses, such as snakes, deer, and human heads, and their houses were relatively large, with human figures carved on the pillars of the indoor main hall welcoming the door, and there was a commander's platform in front of the mansion. The women's weaving and basketry, and the men's wood carving were excellent and detailed. Especially the men with excellent wood carvings are the most respected and loved among the tribes; the glazed beads are their important decorative objects; and the urns of the ancestral spirits are their important ceremonial objects. However, the Rukai do not make glazed beads or ceramic urns, which have been passed down from their ancestors from generation to generation, so they pay close attention to these artifacts. The Rukai traditionally have five main types of totems, including the spirit gua, guardian god, partner (the hundred-paced snake), urn, and saint (the human head), which are displayed in patterns on wood carvings, stone slabs, walls, and housing. In particular, different totems are also found in black pottery handicrafts, headdresses, and costumes, expressing the different classes and identities of the ethnic groups. The Hundred-Pacer Snake is the legendary ancestor of the Rukai, so they regard the design of the Hundred-Pacer Snake as a symbol of the spirit of the Rukai, and use it in the wood carvings of the pillars of the spirit of the Rukai, the gables, the doorways of the houses, the tattooing of the body, the embroidery of the clothes, and the other living objects. Before Christianity was introduced to the Rukai people, the traditional beliefs of the Rukai people were based on "multiple gods," such as the God of Heaven, the God of the Universe, and the God of the Sun. In normal times, they would worship the sky in front of their houses, and during the New Year's Festival, they would gather in the activity square and worship the sky led by the chiefs, or they would worship the sky with traditional mountain songs and dances. Since the introduction of Christianity to the Rukai people, most of them have converted to Christianity, and their belief in traditional "gods" has declined in favor of the Christian "prayer" ritual. Only the traditional worship of ancestors and the Fung Nin Festival remain, and are held in the middle of the eighth month of the lunar calendar every year. During the ceremony, the men usually wear swords whose hilts and sheaths are covered with the Hundred Pacer Snake totem and the human figure, or decorated with silver and copper studs. Another symbol of the Rukai people that can be seen at the headdress is the wearing of lilies. The lily is the flower of the Rukai, and when worn on the headdress, it symbolizes nobility and supreme honor. The tribe's respect for the lily has been elevated to spiritual significance, and even represents the social order and ethics of the tribe. The Rukai's traditional method of economic production is still based on farming, from burnt cultivation to fixed cultivation, and the main crops are grain and taro (dry taro), with tree beans and sweet potatoes as other crops. After harvesting, taro is roasted and dried over a fire and stored for a year's consumption. Secondary production includes hunting, livestock raising and fishing in mountain streams. Most of these places are located in the high mountains, and the richness of the Rukai flavor and the preservation of the inherent cultural characteristics of the mountainous regions have created unique resources for the tourism industry. However, due to their extremely limited income and lack of social resources, there has been a serious exodus of the Rukai people in order to make a living through work, employment, and education, especially in Wutai Township, Pingtung County, where the Rukai Tribe and its population are the largest. Geographic Distribution The Rukai live in the mountainous areas on both sides of the southern section of the Central Mountain Range, namely Wutai Township in Pingtung County, Maolin Township in Kaohsiung County (which has been reorganized into the Maolin District of Kaohsiung City), and Beinan Township in Taitung County. According to legend, our ancestors came ashore from the coast of Taitung and then headed up the mountains, settling in the Kendul Mountains in the southern section of the Central Mountain Range. Afterwards, some of the tribesmen were led by tribal leaders, led by a psychic clouded leopard and guided by an eagle in the air, over the mountains to Old Haocha, where the clouded leopard stopped for a long time and refused to leave, and the tribesmen established a tribe in Old Haocha. This is why the Rukai are called the "home of the clouded leopard" and the tribe is forbidden to hunt clouded leopards and eagles in order to express their gratitude. Distribution of the Rukai on Taiwan Island The Rukai of Maolin Township, Kaohsiung County (Kaohsiung City, Maolin District) have a different origin legend, and it is believed that they originated in the territory of Maolin Township, and that because they are close to foreigners such as the Bunun, the Tsou, and the Pingpu, they have been y affected by foreign influences on their culture, language, and living customs. Wutai Township in Pingtung County has the largest population, followed by Peinan Township in Taitung County. The total population is about 11,000 (Council of Indigenous Nationalities, Executive Yuan, cited in December 2006) Living Conditions Overview Since ancient times, the Rukai, together with the Paiwan Rawa and Bucao, have been known as the Puppet Fans, also known as the Zelisian-meaning aborigines. In fact, the Rukai of Wutai Township in Pingtung, the Shimousanshe Group of Maolin Township in Kaohsiung, and the Danan Group of Binan Township in Taitung are one system. The tribes are distributed below 1,500 meters. The shallow mountains between 500 and 1,000 meters are the main distribution. It is said that the Rukai originally lived on the right bank of the upper reaches of the Dannan River in Taitung, between the old Dannan Drop and the Benmaster Mountain, in a place the Rukai called shipalichi. Around 1340, the Rukai were forced to move westward and settle in Haocha Village across the Dawu Mountain after they turned against the Taimali aborigines who lived nearby for some reason. After about 300 years, a small portion of the Rukai moved from Haocha to A Li Village, and after another 100 years, a small portion of the Rukai moved to Wutai Village. In addition to the pressure from other ethnic groups, the Rukai people's migration was also due to their choice of a better living environment. Economic Life Traditional economic production is still based on farming, from burnt cultivation to fixed cultivation. The main crops are millet and taro (dry taro), with other tree beans and sweet potatoes. Once harvested, taro is roasted and dried over a fire and stored for a year's consumption. Secondary production includes hunting, livestock raising, and fishing in mountain streams. The Rukai have a population of about 10,212 and their social organization is a social hierarchy based on the land system and primogeniture. The social organization of the Rukai and the Paiwan is the same, but in terms of succession, the Rukai can only have the eldest male heir, while the Paiwan can have the eldest male heir, regardless of gender. Therefore, it can be said that the Rukai social class system is the result of the primogeniture system. Social life The Rukai social class*** is divided into three layers: the nobles, a privileged class, whose members are mostly close relatives of landowners. The Shi, a social status lower than that of the nobility and higher than that of the commoners, whose first-born sons are Shi and whose remaining heirs are commoners. Commoners, are brothers other than the main three subordinates, some are distant relatives of the landlords, some are irrelevant characters, most of them are sharecroppers, the lowest social class. The Rukai are very excellent and meticulous in the expression of primitive arts. Women's weaving and basketry, men's wood carving. Especially the craftsmen who are excellent in wood carving are the most respected and loved among the tribes. The glazed beads are their important ornaments and the spirit urns are their important ceremonial objects, but the Rukai do not know how to make them, these objects are left behind by their ancestors, so they pay much attention to and wear them ceremonially. Among the legends of their ancestral origins, there is one that says that the ancestors of the Rukai were born from a hundred-pacer snake, so the design of the snake is regarded as a symbol of the ancestral spirit, and is used in wood carvings such as the ancestral spirit pillars of the house, the gable trusses, the doorways, tattooing of the body, embroidery of the clothes, and other household objects. Historical Legends Legends A long, long time ago, surrounded by clouds and mist, forests and trees, Darobaling Lake, lived a lake god Edi Dinga, who is the ancestor of the Rukai tribe, in a fortuitous opportunity, met the head of the Alyshe's daughter, Banen, her clear eyes, elegant posture, y attracted the god of the lake. In order to win the girl's heart, the god of the lake played the mouthpiece flute to tell his love, and the sound of the flute finally touched the girl's heart, and the two wove the melody of love in the mountains and forests. One day, the God of the Lake came to the chief's house to propose marriage. Banen said to her family, "The God of the Lake will stay at our house tonight, so please don't get up too early". The chief was puzzled and decided to get up early in the morning to see what was going on. So, before dawn, he lit a wood fire to find out what was going on, and discovered that his daughter had a huge hundred-pacer snake wrapped around her body, and she was full of joy. Banen and snake love story, has been the clan's favorite head of this suddenly realized, the original god of the lake is the legend of the clan fear of the hundred paces of snake. On the wedding day, the God of the Lake and his subordinates bring their family heirlooms of ancient pots, iron pots, betel nuts, and noble and beautiful strings of glazed beads to the chief's house to welcome the bridegroom. The chief counted the bride price one by one and hosted a banquet for the guests. Afterwards, the bride-welcoming party set off in great numbers towards the abode of the lake god, and Banen said to the parents and villagers who were seeing him off: "As a sign of reverence, when our clan passes by the sacred lake in the future, please wear white garments, and as a token of remembrance of you, I will prepare warm food for you to take and please leave the hind legs of your prey." Having said this, he walked towards the lake, which rippled and reflected the patterns of the Hundred Pace Snake, and Banen finally reached her husband's home. To this day, this popular legend still circulates in the clan. The old song that tells the story of the snake husband is even more evocative and memorable. "Farewell, my dearest Banen, you are about to leave us, over the mountains, never to see our homeland again, to be married off to Lake Darobaling" "Farewell, my homeland, soon to be my eternal memory. Farewell! All of you, I'm going, and when my cap and crown go into the lake, I'll have been married into the palace. Bless me for ever and ever." Legend II II. A long, long time ago, two suns appeared in the sky, both of which had very strong personalities, and the light and heat they emitted were very, very strong, scaring away the gods of wind and rain, and the earth was getting drier and drier by the sun, and gradually, the earth became a bare expanse. There was a group of clansmen who hid under the shadow of the mountain and saw their lives in trouble, but there was nothing they could do about it, and the only patriarch of the clan was sunburned to death. At this point, the clan's twin warrior, the patriarch's son, spoke up: "The sun is really abominable. Originally, the gods wanted them to divide up the days and nights, and to take good care of the life of the universe, but they have gone too far, causing us to have no life, which is intolerable. So the brothers and their clan discussed the matter and set off to shoot at the sun with the bow and arrows that the gods had given their ancestors, the only dried fruit they had, and a little water, and before they left, they planted a tangerine tree outside their house, as was the custom. They went over the mountains to find the top of the nearest hill that was farther from the sun, and in order that the arrows might reach farther, the two brothers drew their great bows together, and lifted up their arrows, and shot one after another toward the sun. Finally, he shot one of them, the sun's hot blood dripped down like rain, flowing all over the earth, the older brother in order to protect the younger brother will hold him, blocked to the magma-like sun blood, the older brother therefore unfortunately scalded to death, the younger brother was heartbroken, and returned to the village alone. The road back home is so far, when the brother returned to the village, has been a full of gray hair of the old man, in their departure before the planting of orange trees, but also has blossomed and fruit. When the younger brother returned to the village, he gave a full account of what had happened, and the clansmen were moved to tears, praising the bravery of the brothers, and thanks to their courage, everyone was able to live a normal life, and therefore, on the spot, they embraced him to take over as the patriarch of the clan. However, he still gave the credit to his grandparents this is where the chieftain came from why he was honored and considered a nobleman. This is why the chief is honored and regarded as a nobleman, and this heroism is y rooted in the hearts of every Rukai, and will be celebrated for generations to come. Cultural Characteristics Gorgeous Rukai Clothing (a) Gorgeous Clothing: Rukai clothing is mainly embroidered with cross stitch and glazed bead embroidery. The patterns are so elaborate and gorgeous that they are very close to those of the Paiwan, especially in Sandimen Township and Majia Township, where it is almost hard to tell them apart. (b) Sacredness of the lily: It is not an exaggeration to say that the lily is the clan flower of the Rukai, and the clan's respect for the lily has been elevated to a spiritual significance, even representing the social order and ethics. The nobility's right to adornment was emphasized on important occasions. (iii) Respect for the Hundred-pacer Snake and the Clouded Leopard: There are many rumors about the Hundred-pacer Snake in the myths and legends of the Rukai, such as the Hundred-pacer Snake being the ancestor of the chiefs and the elders. There are also many taboos against the Hundred Pacer, such as avoiding contact with it as much as possible. The clansmen treat it with respect and sacrifice. This is very close to the Paiwan's conception of the Hundred-pacer Snake. (iv) Artistic attitude to life: The Rukai's art is manifested in their homes, costumes, songs and dances. In a Rukai village, artistic expressions of life can be found everywhere, such as carving, embroidery, weaving, and flower gardening, all of which are part of the traditional life of the Rukai. Current status of the festival (1) Tsatsapipianu (Corn Harvest Festival) The Rukai people, who rely on millet as their main crop, hold a harvest festival around August every year to mark the end of the year and to welcome the new year. One of the most important events of the harvest festival is the baking of millet cakes. The Rukai people bring the millet dough to a specific place (usually in the field outside the village), lay a stone slab on the ground, heat it up, place the millet dough on top, cover it with banana leaves, and then press down on the stone slab for 30 minutes or so, remove the stone slab and the leaves, and then look at the phenomenon of the baked cakes to see how the year's farming and hunting is going to be like. For example, if the rice cake is too dry, there may be less rain this year, and if it is warm, it means that there will be plenty of rain this year. The ceremony of baking millet cakes is a religious act that is restricted to men only. In the past, the harvest festival lasted seven to fifteen days, but now it is centralized in one day, and only a few tribes have preserved the traditional religious ceremony of baking millet cakes. Most of the tribes have changed to singing and dancing competitions and other recreational activities, which are mostly held in mid-August. (II) Kalalisiyan in Danan Village The Rukai in Dananshe, Eastern Taiwan, have a very different festival from the other tribes, which is described as follows: The special emphasis on gender relations is evident in the Rukai Kalalisiyan. Dananshe is famous for its youth clubs, and the tribe continues the fine tradition of preserving the club training for seven to nine days during the Kalalisiyan. On the upper floor of the modern activity center (assembly hall), the youth of the entire village collectively believe in the clubhouse, which is under the unified management of the youth captain. They prepare for a series of events in preparation for the Toyotomi Festival. The female youths are also organized, and under the leadership of the captain, they weave garlands and pick rattan, and at the beginning of the festival, the whole village gathers and goes around the village to give a message, while the men set up swings at the meeting place. The message-making activity is clearly influenced by the influence of the Peinan. Swinging, which used to be part of a nobleman's wedding, has developed into a social event for men and women in Onansha. The coming-of-age ceremony, song and dance performances are also one of the highlights of the Bunsen Festival. The local women's clothing is colored in red, which is very different from the blue and black of the other Rukai tribes. Social Organization The social organization of the Rukai and the Paiwan is very similar, and during the Japanese colonial period, the Rukai were once organized into Paiwan groups. However, there are at least the following differences: The Rukai do not have the five-year festival that is so prevalent among the Paiwan. The Rukai are a patrilineal society in which the eldest male inherits the family property. The Paiwan are a bi-lineal society with the eldest heir inheriting. The Rukai are a patriarchal society, while the Paiwan are a gender-equal society. The Paiwan's nobles have centralized power and are intent on expanding it. The power of the Rukai nobles is divided between direct and collateral relatives and is gradually weakened. The Rukai bury one person in one grave, while the Paiwan bury one family in one grave. The Rukai are buried sideways, while the Paiwan are buried with their limbs bent. Lilies are more spiritual than visually beautiful in the minds of the Rukai. Another symbol of the Rukai is the wearing of lilies. The lily symbolizes the purity of the woman and the fruitfulness of the man's hunt. A woman is not eligible to wear the lily if she has an intimate relationship before marriage. Lilies could only be worn sideways, and only those of the chiefly class were allowed to spend their hearts forward. In addition to real lilies, the tribe also utilizes modern paper materials cut into the shape of petals and placed on the forehead, another man-made imagery of lilies. Social Classes The social classes*** of the Rukai are divided into four levels: The Great Chiefs are the tribe's major landowners, owning land, hunting areas, and rivers. He represents the tribe in the public **** affairs of the outer society. They mainly collect taxes. Nobles are close relatives of the chiefs and are divided into two chiefs and other minor chiefs. They are allowed to cultivate the land without paying taxes, and they can also take on the name of nobles. Scholar Between the nobles and the commoners, he is a commoner with special achievements or a villager with special talents, such as a sculptor or blacksmith. The chief would grant him certain rights such as wearing feathers and a wreath of rank. Commoners were mostly sharecroppers who rented land and farmed it from the chief. The commoners are obliged to pay taxes to the chiefs, not in money but in the form of food such as millet and peanuts from their own farms, or meat from hunting. The concept of marriage among the same class is also prevalent in Rukai, and the marriage relationship among different classes creates a situation of elevation of class. Social system Compositional features There are four classes: (1) The chiefs: they are the big landowners of the tribe, owning land, hunting areas, and rivers. He represents the tribe in the public affairs of the outer society. The main purpose of the tribe is to collect taxes. (2) Nobles: Close relatives of the chiefs. They were allowed to cultivate the land without paying taxes, and they were also allowed to carry the name of nobles. (3) Sage: A commoner with special achievements or a villager with special talents, such as a carver or blacksmith. The chief would grant him certain rights such as wearing feathers and garlands of rank. (4) Commoners: Mostly sharecroppers who rented land from the chief for farming. The commoners are obliged to pay taxes to the chiefs, not in money, but in the form of food such as millet and peanuts from their own farms, or meat from hunting. Inheritance Generally speaking, there are two principles of inheritance in the Rukai family line: first, the male is the first to inherit, and if there is no male, then the female inherits, and the eldest heir is the first to inherit, regardless of the sex of the male. Marriage The Rukai system of marriage is based on class unions. Marriage is one of the conditions for changing status. It also facilitates social class mobility. There are three types of inter-class marriages: same-class marriages, promotion marriages, and demotion marriages. Generally speaking marriage with a person of higher class than one's own can raise one's status and acquire a social status comparable to that of one's spouse, but those who actually acquire a higher status are the children. Therefore, the main focus of marriage to a person of higher class is often to improve the status of the children. Famous people Shen Wen-cheng - Taiwanese TV host, also hosts a Rukai language program on Aboriginal TV. Liang Wenyin - Singer, 1/2 Rukai, member of Starlight II. Lai Sheng- Singer, member of Starlight Class III. Lin Hongming-Singer, 1/2 Rukai, member of Starlight Class IV. Chen Shichuan- Folk singer.