河伯神话传说源流探析

Exploring the Origin of Hebo Myth

河伯是上古时期河国的祖先,河伯族是东夷九种之一的风夷之一支,河国是他们创建的媿姓国家,与鬼方等北狄诸部为同族系,均出自东夷。他们最初的活动地域是黄河下游的九河、济水一带。河伯冯夷是河国最初的祖先,既是黄河之神,也具有凤鸟图腾神的性质,故后与风神之风伯混同,衍化出雨师屏翳、风伯姨等神灵。有娀氏简狄与河国人生了殷人的初祖契,后来神话中生商的玄鸟为凤凰,就是河伯的化身,故殷人祀河伯为"高祖"。

Hebo(河伯)was the ancestor of the State if He in the Early Ancient Period.Hebo people were a branch of Fengyi(风夷),which was one of the nine Dongyi(东夷)tribes.The State of He,whose family name was Kui(媿),was founded by Hebo people,who were the same ethnic group as Beidi(北狄)tribes like Guifang(鬼方).Hebo people first lived in Jiuhe(九河)and Jishui(济水),the lower Yellow River.Hebo Fengyi(冯夷),the god of the Yellow River and the god of phoenix totem,was the earliest ancestor of the State of He.Hebo Fengyi was confused with Fengbo(风伯),the God of Wind,so other deities such as Rain God Pingyi(屏翳)and Fengbo were derived.Jiandi(简狄)gave birth to Xie(契),the primogenitor of the Yin(殷)people.In later myths the mysterious bird that gave birth to Shang(商)was seen as phoenix,the embodiment of Hebo,so Yin people regarded Hebo as Gao Zu.