Ethnobiol. ll(2):271-274 /. SHORT COMMUNICATION A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW OF CULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY MONGOLIAN IN LIFE NARSU Department Entomology of Inner Mongolia Agriculture University KEVIN STUART Qinghai Education College Xining 810008 Qinghai PR China INTRODUCTION Cultural entomology on the influence of insects cultures exemplified in is literature, language, and music, the interpretive history, religion, recrea- arts, tion (Hogue 1987:181)1. The Mongols, much once dispersed across of Central Asia as a result of the successes Khan of the thirteenth century conqueror Genghis (1162-1227), are now USSR concentrated in China (Mongolian People's Republic) and the (Kalymk and Buryat From nomadic Mongols have Republics). time immemorial, lived intimately with Mongol where nature. Thus, insects figure prominently in culture, generally they and However, some such are seen as small ignoble. insects, as the butterfly, represent beauty. are frequently portrayed in paintings Butterflies (on doors of cabinets and and needlework and carpets2 table-tops) in . In we Mongol this paper examine which appear often in folklore, insects six and Our art, and literature: the honey mosquito, louse, katydid. ant, bee, fly, sources include Mongolian and Chinese language materials dealing with folktales, Poetry, and art. ANT THE The and ant symbolizes working the dangers of pride, the cooperatively, merits of hard work. In the "The Tiger and the Ant," 3 a tiger and ants fight. tale The tiger soon covered by and forced to entreat the ants to is the ants at last is spare may him. The "Though you be powerful, story concludes with the axiom: you And are you you can alone. you and weak, are united, defeat are small if if NARSU & STUART any powerful enemy." This was relevant to Mongols in the process of empire- when Yuan and Dynasty they building the of the (1270-1368), after later, fall became weaker and progressively divided. "The Elephant and Ants," the dangers of pride are taught (Rinchindongrob In An many and saw one time elephant ants transporting grains at a said, 1987:108). "How weak you carrying grain with such difficulty." The ants responded, are, we "Even you you do what doing." Enraged, the are stronger, can't are ele- if me phant "Let do work one time," then unsuccessfully tried to said this at all pick up the grain with trunk. The ants said, "Let us do this work by ourselves. its There every a for job." skill is Another showing hard work has constructing a nest account the value of ants A one summer day (Rinchindongrob grasshopper at play beautiful 1987:162). "How weather happened them and While play nice see stupid. in this to said, I you work and enjoy yourselves." Suddenly began raining, injuring the can't it were grasshopper. But the ants safe in their nest. The ant does not always appear so however. Folklore says that positively, abdomen and dragon competed with the the ant's thread-like because a is it much was winner destined to be the king of animals. Because the dragon all down and As abdomen became longer, the ant lay stretched. a part of his result, thread-like. The moral that dangerous attempt foolish things (Rinchin- is is to it dongrob 1987:141). HONEY THE BEE A The value of unity demonstrated in the story "The Honey Bees Battle is who A Wild Pig." weary and hungry wild pig slept on a hive of wild honey bees "I'm were away One The at work. bee then asked the pig to leave. pig replied, me hungry. Lead honey." The and reported to bee returned the bee leader to what had The wild pig transpired. bee leader then angrily led the bees to the all The and him would be told to leave peacefully so that their friendship not lost. your "You pig replied rudely, animals wish me, destroy to frighten well, little I'll could nest." But the honey bees swarmed the pig about, stinging In great pain, it. only run away. The honey work (Rinchindongrob crazily bees returned to their 1987:55). "The Shepherd and the Honey Bee" (Degujia and Gowa 1984:410) teaches One thanked kindness. day a shepherd saved a hive of bees from a flood. The bees pack him and "When you Some days a wolf said, are in distress, us." later call Many appeared attacked his sheep. Recalling the bees' promise, he called them. and when marriage, stung the wolves he reached the age of into retreat. Later, found When home he he heard would he reached her that a beautiful marry. girl man who could that her parents had announced she would marry the that help, among With bees' identify her in a covered cart 100 similar carts. the faithful whom he chose the right he then married. girl which honey bee The above demonstrate benevolant toward the a attitude them- confirmed by common "A where bees enjoy further the saying, place is result and selves," which indicates a beautiful place with favorable weather, as a bees, which stand for cleanliness and beauty, come (Toronga and Urgen 1984:194). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND THE MOSQUITO, LOUSE, KATYDID FLY, These four viewed from The are differently the insects discussed above. mosquito symbolizes and monster transformed (Toronga dirtiness ugliness. a It is "A and Urgen The where crowd" 1984:141). expression place lice suggests a "A and dirty ugly place (Toronga and Urgen 1984:206). Also the expression net which a fly cannot even pass through," suggests something that small and is man causes be (Toronga and Urgen to ignorant 1984:94). The katydid or long-horned grasshopper also exemplify ugliness and dirtiness (Toronga and Urgen abdomen. 1984:254), partly because of the animal's large However, in the a ward- winning Mongolian poem "Sound of the Katydid," the katydid a nostalgic reminder of the grassland to a Mongol trapped in an is unpleasant city life. Sound Katydid* of the On a hot summer's Katydid on balcony night the no sleep singing poems crying ... you Little green katydid Can't be quiet Why do you As am?! sing I the whole night through?! Poor thing Country animal- Moaning because of hot weather?! city Groaning because of missing your country home?! Upset because morning dew?! of missing every Groaning because of missing every evening grassland breeze?! ... CONCLUSION may we Mongol which have discussed toward the insects cultural attitudes be working together summarized The symbolizes the benefits of as follows: ant and The honey bee stands for unity, of hard work and dangers of pride. the and cleanliness and beauty, and the value of kindness. The mosquito, louse, fly, we paper katydid As indicated previously, this symbolize and ugliness dirtiness. show the most Mongols considerable variation is cursory treatment of this topic. and depending on which they dwell a great deal of the geographical area in field work needed to be able to better deal with the richness of this topic. In is . NARSU & STUART we and Mongolia hope research the future, to further research this topic also taxonomy. folk iHogue (1987) classified insects used in medicine as "applied entomology." For a dis- cussion of insects used in Mongolian medicine see Narsu and Stuart (1987:7-13). Museum and Mongolia 2For examples of butterfly patterns used in shoes boots, see Inner Tu (Monguor, White Mongol) (1987:84, 86-87). For examples of butterfly patterns in and embroidery see Ye and Cao (1987:68-69, For butterfuly carpet, table, cabinet 92, 96). Agewang Mongolia patterns see and Culture Bureau of Inner (1960:39, 55). (1963:2, 11) Academy 3\Ve thank Nasanbayer of the Inner Mongolia Social Science for this translation. 4 Modern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's Editorial Committee of Literature 1986:355. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to Sh. Khasbagan, Department of Biology, Inner Mongolia Teachers' University (IMTU); Sainchogto, postgraduate, Mongolian Literature Studies Institute, IMTU; postgraduate, Mongolian Languages and Department, Inner Bator, Literature Department Mongolia Department IMTU; and University; Hasbatar, of Biology, Baigal, IMTU. of History, A Congress of version of this paper was presented the Second International at Kunming China The Ethnobiology: Challenges of Ethnobiology in the 21st Century, in in 1990. LITERATURE CITED House, Publishing longolian Mongolia People's ner Mon- Hohhot. (Mongolian language), Mon- MONGOLIA MUSEUM. INNER Inner Mongolia People's 1987. golia. Publish- Mongolia ing House, Hohhot. (Mongolian and Inner golia cultural relics. Hohhot. Chinese languages) People's Art Publishing House, CULTURE BUREAU MONGOLIA INNER and Chinese languages). of (Mongolian NARSU KEVIN STUART. Insects 1960. (compiler). Inner Mongolia and 1987. folk Anglo- picture selections. 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