Environmental Ethics in the folk songs of the Yao ethnic group, Guangxi Province, China, analyzed according to the concept of Ecocriticism.

Abstract

        This research focuses on analyzing the environmental ethics reflected in the folk songs of the Yao ethnic group in Guangxi Province, China, through the lens of eco-criticism. The study examines a selection of folk songs from three collections related to the Yao ethnic group: 1) "Mi Luotuo" songs by Zhang Shengzhen, 2) "Pan Wang" songs by Pan Chengqian, and 3) ancient Yao folk songs from Gongcheng county in Guangxi Province by Mo Jide. The research uncovers that 1) Environmental ethics towards animals are evident in 6 songs, which include songs about the creation of animals, capturing the mountain god Kaheng, rescuing the mountain god Kaheng, the fate between humans and monkeys, the use of plowshares and burning of the land, and the bright and shining moon. These songs illustrate environmental ethics towards animals through beliefs regarding the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and plants in sustaining life. The songs convey ethical prohibitions against harming animals, such as prohibitions against killing, angering, capturing, and beating, specifically frogs, birds, mice, monkeys, and cows. And 2) Environmental ethics towards plants are found in 2 songs, The "Song of Meeting Plant Seeds" and the "Song of the Oriole and the European Starling Singing Loudly". These songs build environmental ethics towards plants through the belief that damaging plants can have repercussions and potentially lead to ecological problems, with prohibitions against destroying bamboo trees or cutting trees during the spring season, through these musical narratives, the study highlights the Yao ethnic group 's intrinsic eco-conscious ethos, aligning seamlessly with the principles of eco-criticism.