Mayasvi
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Mayasvi
The mayasvi war ceremony is a ceremony that involves the whole village and which asks the god of war to protect the warriors and encourages the people of the village give their all to protect the village. Prayers are offered to the god of war and god of heaven.
Alishan's Tsou Tribe's Mayasvi
Mayasvi – War Festival, can be known as the most well-known annual festival of the Alishan Tsou tribe. It compounded a number of rituals, with a very rich content, and a deep meaning of praying for victory and strengthening the tribe. In Tsou tradition, the elders will choose the date after the annual Homeyaya (millet harvest festival), considering factors such as hunting results, whether the kuba needs reconstruction, and situations that affect the tribe like natural disasters or other incidents.
Myth and Celebration
Mayasvi: This is the highlight of the Tsous’ festive calendar. Held every year after the Homeyaya, the site of this festival is the square right outside the men’s gathering place, or Kuba. Today, the Tapangu and Tfuya communities are the center of all Mayasvi celebrations. Mayasvi roughly translates as “Victory Ceremony”.
Knowledge Graph
Examples
1 The ‘Mayasvi’ or Ceremony of War and Triumph is the greatest event in the calendar of Taiwan’s Tsou people.
2 During the first weekend in March, I visited Tefuye Village in Alishan Township to watch the Mayasvi (Warring Ceremony) of the Tsou people.
3 The Mayasvi is the holiest of all the religious ceremonies of the Tsou tribe.