Uncovering a tradition for the dead: politics and identity dynamics in Taoist funeral parlour music in Hong Kong. ; 死亡傳統的揭示: 香港道教殯儀音樂的政治與身份角力 ; Si wang chuan tong de jie shi: Xianggang dao jiao bin yi yin yue de zheng zhi yu shen fen jiao li
在香港,若逝世者生前沒有宗教信仰或指定的喪葬儀式,家人通常都會為他舉行道教葬禮。黎志添教授認為道教葬儀在香港已經習俗化。事實上,在一般情況下,進行道教葬儀根本不能反映死者生前信奉的宗教信仰。為何道教葬儀在香港會成為大部份香港人的習俗?我認為,道教葬儀音樂已成為香港人不言而喻的一種身份。 ; 港人一般不會關心葬儀,就算舉辦也不會深究儀式內容。但他們卻認為儀式中的音樂代表了他們的身份。在實地考察中,我發現道教葬儀音樂包含了不少廣東音樂的元素,曲牌《一錠金》就是其中的例子;事實上,採用道教儀式是香港人認同本土中國人身份的表現。 ; 在實地考察中,我發現研究道教殯儀音樂可有多個視角,其音樂及宗教元素更蘊含多層意義。本文以樂師的活動為切入點,以政治身份角力的角度,研究香港道教殯儀音樂。 ; In Hong Kong, a Taoist funeral is usually held for a deceased person by his or her family if the deceased did not have any religious belief or preference. In most cases, a Taoist funeral is a mere convention rather than a reflection of choice or religious affiliation of the deceased. To explore the reason of this ritual popularized in this particular region, I would like to suggest that the music played in a Taoist funeral is part of Hong Kong people's identities. ; Most Hong Kong people, in fact, would avoid the idea of death, not to mention death rituals. When they do, they usually have little knowledge of the Taoist ritual. Most, however, consider the music to be an essential part of the ritual, which reflects to a great extent, their identity. They do, however, consider that the music played represent their identity. ; During the fieldwork for this thesis, I identified a number of traditional Cantonese music pieces in the ritual. For example, the Cantonese tune "Yi-ding jin"一錠金has been playing a significant role. Ordinary Chinese people, as a matter of fact, accept that the music in Taoist funeral rituals represent their identity. ; I have come to understand that there are many layers in a Taoist funeral. The musicians, the ritual, and the Taoist philosophy are part and parcel of the funeral other than the music. Through extensive fieldwork and interviews, I attempt to draw a clear picture of Taoist funeral music activities in the Hong Kong community and explore the entwined relationship between politics and identity dynamics within Hong Kong Taoist funeral music. For a long time, perhaps even today, the identity of the Hong Kong people has remained a controversial ...