Warrior in the Mountain and His People

Labtse Mountain Cult and Its Social Significance in an Amdo Tibetan Village

Abstract

This article deals with a type of deitycult called Labtse (lab tse, lab rtse,lab btsas, la btsas, la rdzas) and its significance for Tibetans in the village of Fudi. Labtse constructionsare understood as abodes and placesof veneration for the local territorialgods and are the center of communalrituals that reinforce the exclusiverelationship between a mountain deity,“his” local community, and a territory. The ritual and the veneration of thedeity are dedicated to the realization of mundane benefits related to personal and communal matters, such ashealth, wealth or other forms of goodfortune (g.yang). In recent years, therehas been a revival of these cults. Inmany places, new Labtse have beenerected, rituals have been resumed, and Labtse constructions that were formerly small and simple have beenrebuilt on a larger, more expensive and elaborate scale. My aim here is to  provide a “thick description” of the underlying meaning and significance of this popular cult for Tibetans in the Labrang area. [...]