西欧近代早期盐的象征意义--16世纪至17世纪西欧社会的盐与巫术

The Symbolic Meanings of Salt in Early Modern Western Europe——The Concept of Salt and Witchcraft in Western European Society of the 16^(th) and 17^(th) Century

在很多地区的民俗中,盐不仅被视作普通的食品和商品,也被认为是圣洁的象征,具有驱邪、祛病、减灾的作用,但这些意义最初是模糊的。16世纪至17世纪,近代早期的西欧社会正处于转型之中。通过宗教改革,分散的盐的象征意义被纳入宗教体系,在宗教语境下被规范起来,并集中体现在巫术文化中。该文试图梳理这一过程,并集中呈现西欧近代早期巫术中盐的象征意义。

According to different folklores, the salt is not only regarded as ordinary basic foodstuff and commodity, but also as a symbol of sanctity used for exorcise, disease-curing and disaster reduction. However, all these meanings are actually kind of indistinct at first. During 16th to 17th century, the Wesrern European Society is going through a transformation period. Through the Reformation, the diffused symbolic meanings of salt are brought into line with the religious system, and are standardized in the religious context, which is presented mainly in the witchcraft. Giving the concentrative presentation of the symbolic meanings of salt in the witchcraft in Early Modern Western Europe, this paper try to hackle the process.