The Construction of Identity in the Changshu Shiniang Precious Scroll Narrative
There are at least 28 kinds of"Precious Scrolls"related to witches known as"shiniang"circulating in the folk area of Changshu,Jiangsu Province.In order to to reduce the many negative images of witches in popular imagination,the typical shiniang used to employ either"explicit identity construction"or"implicit identity construction"to the effect that positive images of her witchcraft would be duly established across the scroll pages.It is little wonder that it came to pass that"helping out"emerged as a core motif which fully showed that the ultimate purpose of the shiniang figure creation in the said precious scrolls is to eliminate the stereotype of her witch identity and emphasize her identity and characteristics of saving people.This observation also indirectly shows these precious scrolls in the folk tradition,in addition to serving as a medium of moral-virtue cultivation,has uniquely their own social functions to play.
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