Yang
Cheng-hsien. "Image, Representation, and Commodity: Contemporary
Manifestations of Flying Fish Culture among the Tao in Orchid Island
Abstract
蘭嶼座落西太平洋一隅，每年黑潮（Kuroshio）皆固定流經附近海域，帶來諸如飛魚與鬼頭刀等為數可觀的迴游性魚類等海洋資源；其中，飛魚除了是島上達悟族人重要的海洋物資、文化飲食之外，更是一種彼此互惠流通的社會禮物。因此，我們可以看見人類（達悟）善加利用海洋資源（黑潮魚群），發展生活飲食（靠海吃海）與社會交換（飛魚文化）等傳統海洋文化的歷史發展模式，及其自成一格的人魚網絡體系。
徵諸歷史，蘭嶼達悟不只重視飛魚以及圍繞着飛魚的一系列祭典，甚至是以飛魚為認知主體來理解海洋、區分季節。本文將介紹達悟族人與飛魚之間的傳統人魚網絡，並藉由飛魚的神聖化、具象化與商品化等機制，分別分析其象徵（神聖性）、表徵（族群性）與物資（商業性）等不同文化內涵，進而探討蘭嶼飛魚文化在意象、藝像與商品等不同面向的當代顯像。換言之，本文將具體分析基於飛魚神話與族群起源的文化意象，飛魚在公共藝術與現代藝品的族群藝像，以及飛魚演變成貨幣經濟與市場機制裡的交易商品等演繹歷程，期能進一步詮釋蘭嶼飛魚文化的當代顯像及其文化景觀。
The
Kuroshio, passing by Orchid
Island
Historically,
the Tao of Orchid Island place much importance on the flying fish and the
related festivities. They even perceive the ocean and distinguish between
seasons from the perspective of flying fish. In this paper, I will introduce
the historical context of traditional “people-fish network” among the Tao. By
examining the cultural mechanisms of deification, personification, and
commodification of the flying fish, I intend to analyze the varied implications
of flying fish as symbols (divinity), representations (ethnicity), and
commodities (commerce). The following aspects of flying fish culture will be
investigated: first, the cultural image of origin myth about the fish and the
Tao; second, the ethnic artistic representation of the fish portrayed in public
or modern arts; third, the functional diversion of the fish into monetary
economy and market mechanism. Eventually, this article attempts to further
illuminate the contemporary significance and cultural landscape of flying fish
on Orchid Island