The Precious Scroll of Watermelons in the Modern Performance Tradition of 'Telling Scriptures' in Changshu County, China

Berezkin, Rostislav (2022) The Precious Scroll of Watermelons in the Modern Performance Tradition of 'Telling Scriptures' in Changshu County, China. ACTA ORIENTALIA ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM HUNGARICAE, 75 (1). pp. 99-121. ISSN 0001-6446

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1556/062.2022.00193

Abstract

The Precious Scroll of Watermelons (the earliest known manuscript is dated 1867) is a representative example of narrative texts used in the scroll recitation practices of southern Jiangsu since the nineteenth century. It uses a subject widespread in folklore to propagate belief in Bodhisattva Guanyin, a popular Buddhist deity, and thus it combines indoctrination with didacticism and entertainment. A comparison of several variants of the Precious Scroll of Watermelons (falling in between 1867 and 1989) demonstrates the evolution of its functions and cultural meaning in the modern practice of precious scrolls recitation, taking 'telling scrip-tures' of Changshu as an example.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Funding Agency and Grant Number: State Social Sciences Foundation of China [17ZDA266] Funding text: This research was assisted by grant from the State Social Sciences Foundation of China: 'Survey and research on Chinese precious scrolls preserved abroad' (sic) (17ZDA266). The author also expresses his gratitude to Yu Yongliang (sic), Yu Dingjun (sic), Huang Zhiheng (sic) and Dou Heng (sic) for providing materials and assistance during fieldtrips; to Ji Qiuyue (sic) for the help with the library materials; and to Paula Roberts for English editing, as well as to two anonymous readers for their valuable comments on the manuscript.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	history; precious scrolls (baojuan); telling scriptures; ritualized storytelling; Chinese folklore; Bodhisattva Guanyin; folk Buddhist beliefs;
Subjects:	D History General and Old World / történelem > D0 History (General) / történelem általában P Language and Literature / nyelvészet és irodalom > PI Oriental languages and literatures / keleti nyelvek és irodalmak
SWORD Depositor:	MTMT SWORD
Depositing User:	MTMT SWORD
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2022 07:10
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2022 07:10
URI:	http://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/153555

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