宋元话本预测术与社会生活论略

Forecasting Revealed in the Huaben Novels of the Song and Yuan Dynasties and Social Life

对神秘预测术之狂热信仰,是宋元话本的一大特点。作品中之人物,小至衣食住行、送往迎来,大至家族兴衰、朝代荣枯、军国大事,都无不以之为指针。这一现象出现的社会根源一是此类信仰在民间的广泛流布;二是统治者的倾心膜拜,皇帝及上层官吏甚至还常常把它当成操纵政治军事运作的工具,作为官吏遴选任免之根据,甚至连皇权传承储君之决定也以此为准的。这些术数及极一世之盛的以预测为旨归的巫术鬼神信仰的负面影响,常常导致民财之耗蠹,吏治之变乱,民命之残害等。

Fervent worship of mystic forecasting is one characteristic of the Huaben novels of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Forecasting covered all aspects of life, including basic necessities, customs, ebbs and flows of the families, the gains or losses of the dynasties, affairs of national defense and administration. The root of the phenomenon was twofold: firstly, forecasting was widely accepted at that time;secondly, the ruling class then was infatuated with forecasting. The Emperor and upper class officials even took it as a means of controlling the operation of political and military affairs, of appointing and removing officials and of determining heir to the imperial power. The negative effects of forecasting of this kind and witchcrafts aiming at forecasting led to the loss and exhaustion of properties, social upheavals and prosecution of people.