Mischievous characters and wisecracks: an analysis on social functions of rhymed folk jingles in Xi-Hai-Gu area in south Ningxia
ZHANG Zuotang
(College of Foreign Languages, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003)
Abstract: There are voluminous rhymed jingles widely spread in Xi-Hai-Gu area in south Ningxia’s mountainous region. They are miniature carriers of the folklore in the area, like a mirror that reflects difficult life of the local farmers. They are also tiny, humorous advertisements that season the farmers’ life, satirize the unhealthy tendencies as well as admonish the general public to do good deeds. This writing puts the rhymed jingles into five groups before giving respective analysis.
Key words: Xi-Hai-Gu area; rhymed folk jingles; social function analysis