臺閩地區王爺信仰儀式中的王府行儀初探

謝國興。〈臺閩地區王爺信仰儀式中的王府行儀初探〉。《民俗曲藝》208 (2020.6): 1-89。

Hsieh Kuo-hsing. “A Preliminary Study of the Ritual Practice of the Lord’s Mansion in the Cult of Epidemic Lords in Taiwan and Fujian.” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 208 (2020.6): 1-89.

Abstract

臺灣的王爺信仰中，王船相關儀式十分普遍，醮典迎王之後設立王府祀王的現象也常見，但以禮生主導王府科儀進行的例證則較少。血食為儒家祭神傳統，道教齋醮封山禁水，明清時期瘟神信仰長期被官方視為不合祭祀正統的淫祀，地方禮生如何以禮祝之儒的角色，配合道壇科儀，提升王爺信仰祭典儀式的正當性，並撫慰民眾消災解厄的心理需求，實為值得探討的宗教文化議題。臺灣王爺信仰中的王府一向門禁森嚴，難以窺其儀軌全貌，本研究因緣際會，得以對保存王府科儀最稱完整謹嚴的臺南西港慶安宮王府行儀進行田野調查與觀察記錄，另一方面也與臺南蘇厝長興宮與屏東東港東隆宮的王府科儀相互比較，並透過福建漳州地區迎送王爺儀式的調查研究，設法理解臺灣王爺信仰文化的閩南淵源。禮失求諸野，目前臺灣的王爺信仰文化與王府行儀保存顯然比較優質。

In the cult of Wangye (Epidemic Lords) in Taiwan, rituals related to the epidemic boat, as well as the establishment of the Lord’s mansion, held upon receiving the Epidemic Lords, are prevalent. In contrast, cases of Confucian ritual masters presiding over the Lord’s mansion are rarely seen. It is the tradition of Confucian worship to offer animal sacrifice, while the Daoists abstain from meat and wine during their jiao purgatory ritual. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cult of Epidemic Lords had long been considered licentious and unorthodox. How the Confucian ritual masters of local cult adapted the Daoist rituals to promote the legitimacy of the cult of Epidemic Lords and to meet the people’s need to ward off calamities is a religious cultural issue worthy of investigation.

Premises of the Lord’s Mansion and the ritual practice there have always been off limits to outsiders. I had the rare opportunity to observe and investigate an extensive and meticulous ritual in Qing’an Temple of Xigang, Tainan, which is famous for preserving a complete ritual tradition. I also compare it with rituals in Changxing Temple, Sucuo, Tainan, and Donglong Temple of Donggang, Pingdong. My field trip to the Zhangzhou area of Fujian to examine rituals associated with the cult of Epidemic Lords was an attempt to probe into the southern Fujian origin of the cult in Taiwan. “When rites are missing (from the upper echelon), recover them from the peasants.” Taiwan has obviously better preserved the cult and rituals of Epidemic Lords.

Also in Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore:

謝國興。〈臺灣田都元帥信仰與宋江陣儀式傳統〉。《民俗曲藝》175 (2012.3): 1-42。

Hsieh Kuo-hsing. "The Cult of Marshal Tiandu and the Ritual Tradition of Song Jiang Militia in Taiwan." Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 175 (2012.3): 1-42.

http://ritualtheatreandfolkloreat.blogspot.tw/2012/03/blog-post.html