ABSTRACT
The studies in this volume depart radically from earlier scholarship on Chinese "sworn brotherhoods" in many salutary respects. First, the search for the historical "origins" of these groups (usually attributed to political opposition to Manchu rule) has been replaced by the search for cultural sources for the tradition, sources often found in the social life and ritual forms of Southern Chinese communities. However, in contrast with earlier scholars fascinated with the parallels between Triad ritual practice and that of European Freemasonry (Schlegel 1866; Ward and Stirling 1925; Wynne 1941), most of these authors do not consider ritual the primary focus of analysis. Rather, they view ritual practice in functional terms as a means of bonding a group's members together. Second, these authors challenge earlier scholars who assumed that secret societies like the Triads were long-enduring corporate groups with branches in many areas of Asia. The new studies characterize these groups as forms of social organization that (in the apt words of Heidhues) were both "ephemeral" and "indestructible," formed when Chinese required an organizational structure to achieve their goals. Finally, and perhaps most important, these new analyses link the organization of sworn brotherhoods and the pursuit of economic goals.
