Lubuw of the Atayal People, Research Paper Example

The Lubuw instrument is an ancient form of bamboo mouth harp, endemic to the Atayal tribes of Taiwan, who are considered an aboriginal and indigenous tribe on the island. Whereas Atayal culture remains vibrant in the Taiwanese island, with the Atayal aborigines still utilizing their native language and also settled in their own communities, it has been recognized that the art of construction of a proper form of Lubuw is one that is dwindling. The Lubuw nevertheless plays a significant role in the Atayal culture, insofar as its utilization is normally confined to specific practices, whilst its employment at the same time can be forbidden during the carrying-out of other practices. When considering the specific traditional modes of the construction of Lubuw, with its careful attention to particular materials, alongside its exactly delineated social functions, both in terms of when it may be played and when it may not be played, it can be suggested that the Lubuw itself represents a certain microcosm of the cultural mores and normativities of the Atayal people. Hence, the Lubuw is not only a form of musical instrument, but one that reflects the Atayal ideological beliefs: an investigation into the Lubuw instrument is therefore also an investigation into the social ontology of the Atayal people themselves.

As an aboriginal tribe in Taiwan, the Atayal are considered as one of the native inhabitants of the island. Insofar as their historical presence on Taiwan has been traced back to approximately seven thousand years ago, essentially a history of the Atayal is an investigation into the deep anthropological history of the Taiwanese island. The Atayal are more specifically one of “eight mountain tribes, all of which still exist in Taiwan – the Saisiyat, Atayal, Arni, Bunan Tsou, Puyuma, Rukai, and Paiwan.” (Balcom, 9) Primarily, a hunting and gathering/foraging people, the Atayal “were also known for a number of social initiation customs”, (Balcom, 9) which suggests the complex nature of their social arrangements. Namely, the multiplicity of initiation rituals demarcates the stratified and segmented nature of Atayal society, wherein the functionality of the overall tribe is partitioned into specific roles.

It can be said that the detailed cultural paradigm which surrounds the Lubuw instrument itself, from how it is made to when it may be used, is itself a symptom of the exactly structured society of the Atayal. Furthermore, the Lubuw can be considered another symbolic instrument of the Atayal culture, according to the specific roles it plays, as well as is conferred, by the tribal peoples. The Lubuw’s origins are thus consistent with the migration of the Atayal people themselves to Taiwan. Hence, Noming suggests that the instrument itself “has a history of about 5000 years.” It is important to underscore that all of the Taiwanese aborigine tribes play a variant of the Lubuw. However, each tribe has its own name and its own variation of the Lubuw: the name Lubuw itself is found in the Atayal language. In this case Lubuw and its invariants are in a sense inseparable from aboriginal existence and culture on Taiwan.

The Lubuw mouth organ possesses a very detailed and specific construction. The Lubuw is distinguished from other types of similar instruments, insofar as it is fabricated of specifically one to five reeds. Furthermore, the sounds that are desired to be produced by the Lubuw mean that only certain types of Taiwanese bamboo may be used for its construction. Taiwanese bamboo itself has many different types, and thus the Ali zima type of Taiwanese bamboo is the only acceptable material for the instrument’s construction. As Noming notes, this is “because the diameter at each note of the bamboo, the thickness and elasticity of the bamboo tube, the density and resonance effect are the best.” The careful consideration of musical elements and motifs in the Lubuw’s construction therefore underscores the deep reflection the Atayal people have made upon the instrument. There is a preferred cultural musical palette of this aboriginal people, and the Lubuw is thus built to reflect these specific preferences.

Furthermore, careful reflection is given to the specific type of Ali zima bamboo that is chosen. As Noming notes, “only bamboos facing the sun and are in creamy (yellowish-brown) will be selected because only those facing the sun have stronger fiber and will grow old faster.” While this suggests a purely practical purpose to the Lubuw’s construction, since those reeds which are in direct sunlight are naturally stronger, a symbolic element could be suggested to this selection: the sun is clearly viewed as a source of life in the majority of cultures, such that the bamboo can be tied to a direct relationship with the sun. Furthermore, the tradition exists that only one piece of bamboo should be made to use a singular Lubuw. Noming suggests that this also bears a symbolic function, as it reflects the “observance of ethnic norm in culture”, thus showing that Lubuw-making is itself a continuation of Atayal tradition and therefore essential to the Atayal identity. In addition, the bamboo shafts are supplemented by a copper reed, which Nosing also traces back to the rich history of the Atayal, insofar as the latter have a “history of more than 5000 years in using bronze made utensils.” The development of the Lubuw is thus closely related to a combination of the Atayal’s use of diverse materials, as the instrument is a synthesis of bamboo and copper.

It is also important to note that the number of reeds making up the instrument possesses its own function. For example, the single reed instrument “is for beginners, for festivity celebration or for playing light beat musical pieces.” (Noming) Accordingly, the single reed construction does not in any way bear a character of seriousness, rather reflecting less complex aspects and practices of Atayal life. In addition, each Lubuw according to its number of reeds has a specific name: the single reed is known as the “Lubuw Totaw”, and to the extent that each instrument receives a different name according to the number of reeds it contains, this suggests a deep reflection on the precise function and role of the instrument in Atayal society.

This function and role is further underscored in the specific settings in which the Lubuw may be played, and those settings in which its use is shunned. Lubuw primarily has specific uses and cultural roles in Atayal society, primarily associated with courtship and entertainment. Hence, men and women may utilize the Lubuw to convey their love for each other, such that Lubuw can be said to function a critical role in courtship rituals. The love associated with cultural rituals is also clearly reflected in the utilization of Lubuw for leisure and for festivities, in which dance and play are accompanied by the playing of the instrument. This certain light-hearted nature of the Lubuw is also demonstrated in the cases in which it is not to be played: “during head-hunting, animal hunting or funeral periods, people aren’t allowed to play Lubuw.” (TITVWeekly) Hence, in these more somber occasions, Lubuw’s forbiddance reflects the overall motifs of life that the instrument itself evokes. Insofar as various forms of hunting and the funerary rituals are activities that bear a close relationship to death, Lubuw in contrast suggests a phenomenon of life. As tied to the courtship procedure, it symbolizes love and marriage that leads to the creation and celebration of life. On a symbolic level, this is furthermore reflected in the aforementioned fact that Lubuw is only made from bamboo that faces the sun, the latter being a clear metaphor for that which gives life. It could also be suggested that what Noming terms the “ethnic norm” that all Lubuw should only be constructed from a single bamboo shaft suggests a form of unity: much like the courtship ritual produces a single family from divided individuals, the Lubuw itself, although made up of different shafts, ultimately originates from one bamboo.

These motifs are also present in the musical qualities of the instrument. The one reed Lubuw generally produces a fast-paced sound, with a deep voice and undertone. In the Atayal culture, the two reed Lubuw produces one tone, that of the minor third. Whereas from a European perspective the minor third may “both give a sad or mellow emotion to music” (Sternal, 7), this merely shows how different cultures phenomenologically receive different sounds: according to the use of Lubuw by the Atayal, this particular minor third bears an entirely positive and affirmative emotion. In addition, the Lubuw, depending on reeds, plays distinct scales: in the three reed variant, the scale is Mi, Sol La; in the four reed variation, the scale may either be Re, Me, Sol, La or Sol, La, Do, Re; whereas in the five reed variation, the scale is Sol, La, Do, Re, Mi, a scale which only the Atayal and the Seediq peoples (another aboriginal tribe that inhabits the island of Taiwan) possess. Whereas the utilization of the scale and the emotions it evokes are tied to how the notes are ultimately played, the musical qualities presented by the Lubuw in all its forms suggest a certain life-affirming expression.

The close ties of the Lubuw to the historical origins of the Atayal people underscore how the existence of a people is manifested in all its social practices. Music, of course, is one of the decisive cultural practices of a given social group. The specifically delineated means of constructing the Lubuw and when or when it is not to be used demonstrates that it is an essential reflection of the Atayal world-view. The instrument’s close connection with the phenomenon of life itself entails that the Lubuw is in fact a metaphor for the survival of the Atayal people and a commitment to their ethnic tradition.

One-Page Presentation

The Lubuw instrument is a variant of a bamboo mouth harp and an important part of the culture of the Atayal tribes of Taiwan, who are considered an aboriginal and indigenous tribe on the island. Whereas the making of the Lubuw is slowly becoming a lost art, practitioners of its fabrication still exist; furthermore, the Lubuw plays an important part in Atayal people’s history. Hence, Atayal is traditionally played only in rituals of courtship and as a form of entertainment. Following the ethnic norms of the people, its use is prohibited during times of hunting and funerals. This suggests that Atayal is above all an instrument that possesses a symbolism equated with life-affirmation in the culture, since its use is distinctly separated from all instances of death in Atayal experience.

The instrument itself may appear in various forms, consisting of one to five copper reeds. The instrument is constructed from a singular bamboo shaft, following Atayal traditional practice and normativities. Furthermore, the usage of copper reflects the Atayal’s traditional utilization of this material, which has been suggested to date back five thousand years. Accordingly, the Lubuw is a reflection of Atayal’s specific usage of the materials of their surrounding world.

The musical qualities of the instrument of course vary according to the precise configuration and numbers of reeds used in the instrument. The single reed instrument provides an up-tempo sound, and is employed for more light-hearted affairs, reflecting a simplicity of existence. In contrast, the five-reeded instrument plays a scale of Sol, La, Do, Re, Mi, a scale that is found only among the Atayal and another indigenous tribe of Taiwan, the Seediq. This suggests that the instrument itself reflects the uniqueness of the Atayal world-view, since its musical characteristics are almost exclusive amongst Taiwanese aborigines. In this regard, the Lubuw itself is inseparable from the cultural identity of the Atayal.

References

Balcom, John, “Translator’s Introduction”, In: Li Qiao, Wintry Night, Columbia, NY: Columbia University Press, 2002.

Noming, Yawi, “Making Lubuw Totaw”, YiLan Literatures Magazine, Accessed at: http://library.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4418/page/music/music04.htm, August 14, 2012.

Sternal, Mark John, The 12 Notes of Music: Ear Training and Interval Study Course, Crystal River, FL: MJS Publications, 2005.

TITV Weekly, “Our Story, Our Life: Lubuw, Atayal Musical Instrument”, Accessed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeUp9SSgsi4, August 14, 2012.