Coastal Lunar Lanterns
Sakuliu Pavavaljung
Paiwan, Taiwan
Sakuliu Pavavaljung
Paiwan, Taiwan
Sakuliu Pavavaljung was born in Paiwan Indigenous community of Tjavadran in Pingtung. He is keenly aware of the cultural changes of the tribe and often practices through creative means, public events, and ceremonies to rebuild the lost or soon-to-be lost traditions of the tribe. He aims to promote and reform traditional cultures and to demonstrate his artistry and reflections in the current society. Through his works, Sakuliu strives to spread the valuable cultural traditions of his tribe and to awaken the self-awareness and confidence of his clan. Sakuliu has made it his mission to pass on the ancestral knowledge to the clan and to spread the idea to many other Taiwan’s Indigenous communities. Sakuliu’s works involve a variety of artistic genres, including painting, carving, pottery, sculpture and architecture. He has been engaged in cultural and artistic creation for 40 years and was awarded the 20th National Arts and Culture Award in 2018.
The tribal folklore of the two Paiwan brothers carrying down an earthen pot from Mount Tjaivuvu evolved into the rituals of the wedding ceremony for the Ravar Mazazangiljan group of the Paiwan people. The ritual is called “Paukuz” and is still practiced by some tribes today.
The sequence of the Paukuz (escort) wedding ceremony is summarized as follows:
- “Carry up” refers to the groom arriving at the bride’s home, carrying her on the back. During the time of Japanese occupation, this ritual was replaced by carrying the bride in a sedan chair.
- “The bridge of ties” refers to the gifts from the groom’s family to the bride’s family as a token of gratitude for the journey, so that the bridal party would carry the bride to the groom’s home smoothly and safely.
- “Chimney smoke” refers to the fire lit with silvergrass at the entrance/exit of the tribe. It is for the reason that the smoke of good spirits can purify the bodies of the party.
- The “opening of the tribe gates” refers to when the bridal party enters the groom’s tribe, or when the groom sends gifts to the bride’s tribe, and both parties gather at cacavalj (the entrance/exit of the tribe) to exchange gifts then formally invite outsiders into the tribe.
- The tribe lights the sigil and pray for blessing. Gifts from the other party are counted, and the reason for the visit is explained.
- “Swinging” refers to people swinging in the horizontal direction. The four supporting poles of the swing represent the four cardinal directions of north, south, east and west. The ritual of swinging delivers a message to tribes that the couple, symbolized as children of the sun, are important seeds of the tribe. Families of both sides are therefore honored by the marriage ceremony.
*The described ceremony is unique to the Ravar group of the Paiwan people; each tribe has its own variations.
The qinalu a rarukuzan (wedding gifts) in the Paukuz marriage ceremony is broadly divided into five main categories:
- sini kiljakev — gifts of protection against evil spirits (muskets, iron targets, iron pots, etc.)
- ljakarau: garlands — gifts of honor (head rings, feathers, betel nuts, firewoods, etc.)
- veljatj: the escort of the bride — the main gift of the bride price (lands, rivers, earthen pots, knives, glass beads, etc.)
- vadis: the prey — gifts of animals
- kavecengel: crops — gifts of plants
Contact Artist
Sakuliu Pavavaljung was born in Paiwan Indigenous community of Tjavadran in Pingtung. He is keenly aware of the cultural changes of the tribe and often practices through creative means, public events, and ceremonies to rebuild the lost or soon-to-be lost traditions of the tribe. He aims to promote and reform traditional cultures and to demonstrate his artistry and reflections in the current society. Through his works, Sakuliu strives to spread the valuable cultural traditions of his tribe and to awaken the self-awareness and confidence of his clan. Sakuliu has made it his mission to pass on the ancestral knowledge to the clan and to spread the idea to many other Taiwan’s Indigenous communities. Sakuliu’s works involve a variety of artistic genres, including painting, carving, pottery, sculpture and architecture. He has been engaged in cultural and artistic creation for 40 years and was awarded the 20th National Arts and Culture Award in 2018.
The tribal folklore of the two Paiwan brothers carrying down an earthen pot from Mount Tjaivuvu evolved into the rituals of the wedding ceremony for the Ravar Mazazangiljan group of the Paiwan people. The ritual is called “Paukuz” and is still practiced by some tribes today.
The sequence of the Paukuz (escort) wedding ceremony is summarized as follows:
- “Carry up” refers to the groom arriving at the bride’s home, carrying her on the back. During the time of Japanese occupation, this ritual was replaced by carrying the bride in a sedan chair.
- “The bridge of ties” refers to the gifts from the groom’s family to the bride’s family as a token of gratitude for the journey, so that the bridal party would carry the bride to the groom’s home smoothly and safely.
- “Chimney smoke” refers to the fire lit with silvergrass at the entrance/exit of the tribe. It is for the reason that the smoke of good spirits can purify the bodies of the party.
- The “opening of the tribe gates” refers to when the bridal party enters the groom’s tribe, or when the groom sends gifts to the bride’s tribe, and both parties gather at cacavalj (the entrance/exit of the tribe) to exchange gifts then formally invite outsiders into the tribe.
- The tribe lights the sigil and pray for blessing. Gifts from the other party are counted, and the reason for the visit is explained.
- “Swinging” refers to people swinging in the horizontal direction. The four supporting poles of the swing represent the four cardinal directions of north, south, east and west. The ritual of swinging delivers a message to tribes that the couple, symbolized as children of the sun, are important seeds of the tribe. Families of both sides are therefore honored by the marriage ceremony.
*The described ceremony is unique to the Ravar group of the Paiwan people; each tribe has its own variations.
The qinalu a rarukuzan (wedding gifts) in the Paukuz marriage ceremony is broadly divided into five main categories:
- sini kiljakev — gifts of protection against evil spirits (muskets, iron targets, iron pots, etc.)
- ljakarau: garlands — gifts of honor (head rings, feathers, betel nuts, firewoods, etc.)
- veljatj: the escort of the bride — the main gift of the bride price (lands, rivers, earthen pots, knives, glass beads, etc.)
- vadis: the prey — gifts of animals
- kavecengel: crops — gifts of plants
Contact Artist
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