IV.Epic and Legend of Jinuo Ethnic Group
(I)The Epic of the Jinuo Ethnic Group—“Mahei and Maniu”
The description about tea in the Jinuo epic Mahei and Maniu is as follows: it is said that in ancient times, there were 7 suns in the daytime and 7 moons at night.After 7 days and 7 nights, the plants were killed by the sun, and the flames rose into dark clouds.Then the rain poured down, flooding the earth and human beings.In the world, only Mahei and Maniu were instructed by the creator to hide in the drum with a pair of roosters, tea seeds and cottonseeds, and survived.They drifted in the drum for 7 days and 7 nights, and then stayed in Youle Mountain.After getting married, they planted tea and cotton and raised their offsprings, forming the Jinuo Ethnic Group today.
Fig.3-14 Sculpture of Mahei and Maniu in the Jinuo Stockaded Village
（二）基诺族的神话传说《女始祖尧白》
在《女始祖尧白》中记载：“很古很古时候，尧白造天地以后，召集各民族去分天地，基诺族没有参加。尧白先后派汉族、傣族来请，基诺族也没有去，尧白亲自来请，基诺族还是无动于衷。尧白气得拂袖而去，走到一座山时，想到基诺族现在不来参加分天地，以后生活会有困难，便站在山顶上，抓了一把茶籽撒在龙帕寨的土地上。从那时起，基诺族居住的地方便开始种茶。”