The Puyai Pumo script, from the scant information we have, is a set of pictographs used by local clergy for divination and blessing.
In the Journal of Chinese Writing Systems 2023, Vol 7(2) 79–85, Professor Bojun Sun writes: “The Pumo script of Puyai was first discovered by a foreign churchman in Lijiang City in the 1940s, but was not identified at that time. Afterwards, the texts in similar script were successively found in Guizhou and Yunnan Province, and were generally called “Ancient script of Puyai people.” From September to October 2018, Li’s group collected similar texts through the investigation on Ladinggu Village of Ninglang, Yunnan Province. In order to differentiate from the Chinese-style Puyai characters and the traditional Pollard alphabetic writing created by a churchman, this script is named “Puyai Pumo Script,” for the script users are local clergy as well. According to the collation by the Li’s group, there are 20,050 Puyai Pumo symbols (including variants) in Dongchuan County, 820 in Hezhang County, 449 (including variants) in Qiaojia County, 267 (including variants) in Ninglang County, and another 54 symbols of divination and four symbols of ritual scene.”
Needless to say, we are fascinated, and wish we knew more. If you have any information or contacts, please don’t hesitate, etcetera.
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