“九天”与“九神”考

TEXTUAL RESEARCH ON THE NINE HEAVENS AND THE NINE GODS

《天问》中的“九天”源本先秦神话传说,意指天帝与众神所居住的由九重天垣环绕的天庭。神话中的天庭以人间都城的形制为模板,通过想象的放大而虚构出来。神话对天庭的想象受到星象的启示,而星垣体系的构拟又仿效宫城的体制和布局。《楚辞》中的“九神”指的是太一、黄帝、太皥、炎帝、少昊、颛顼、云中君、大司命、少司命这九位司掌“九天”的星神。

The nine heavens in the poem of To Question Heaven by Qu Yuan originated from a myth of the Pre-Qin period, meaning a heavenly court surrounded by nine layers of heavens resided by the heavenly king and gods. The heavenly court is fabricated by magnifying the imagination on the basis of structure of capital city of the world of mortals. The imagination of the heavenly court in the mythology is enlightened by celestial map, and the formation of constellation system follows structure and layout of imperial city. The nine gods in Elegies of Chu refer to nine celestial gods who command the nine layers of heavens, including God Taiyi, Yellow Emperor, God Taihao, Yan Emperor, God Shaohao, God Zhuanxu, the Lord amid the Clouds, the Great Master of Fate and the Lesser Master of Fate.