黄泉、泰山、蒿里考

On Huangquan,Mount Tai and Haoli

黄泉是由太阳东升西落这一自然现象在神话思维中所衍生出来的,它是处于北方地下的一个幽闭的世界,有水,无光。泰山,古称岱宗,是万物相交代之处,也是帝王告代之处,其执掌生死的职能是后来才有的。蒿里本来指野草丛生的荒芜之地,在和上古将死人葬于草中的习俗结合后,慢慢有了鬼魂归依之所的意思;而泰山的高里山演变为蒿里山,是在泰山由万物交代之处变为执掌生死之神后人们的附会。

Huangquan refers to the sunrise and sunset as conceived in mythology,which is believed to lie in a dim world in the north with water yet without light.Mount Tai is deemed to be a place where living things succeed each other and emperors pass their power to their descendants.Haoli used to indicate a wilderness with wild grass,but has come to mean a place for the soul and ghost where the dead are buried.It is argued that Mount Gaoli,part of Mount Tai,was later referred to as Mount Haoli,for Mount Tai is where living things succeed each other,a place where the dead and living meet.