“约纵连衡”与“庆叙亲谊”——明清以来番禺地区迎神赛会的结构与功能

Functions of the Religious Festival in Panyu Area since the Ming and Qing Dynasties

从历史变迁的维度,考察明清以来番禺地区迎神赛会的结构与功能。番禺地区的迎神赛会,以神明崇拜为核心,以神明显圣的神话传说为信仰动力,人们通过神诞中的仪式展演,象征性地建构人与社会、人与超自然的神及祖先之间的关系。人神互惠,是迎神赛会之所以能够延续的稳定的结构,也是其信仰基础。由于社会的变迁,随着这一稳定结构中的各种社会关系此消彼长,借迎神赛会"约纵连横"的防御性功能日渐消失,而"庆叙亲谊"的联谊性功能,则逐渐成为迎神赛会的主要功能。

From the perspective of historical transition,this article researches the structure and functions of the religious festival in Panyu area since the Ming and Qing Dynasties.The religious festival in Panyu makes god worshiping as the core and the god-appearing myths and legends as the dynamics of their belief.Local people symbolically construct the relationship of humans and society as well as humans and the supernatural gods and ancestors by the ritual performance at the birthday of the god.Reciprocity between humans and gods is the stable structure for the festival's continuity as well as the foundation of its belief.As the result of social change,as well as the shift of all kinds of social relationships in this stable structure,the function of defense has disappeared and the celebration for friendship has been the main function of the religious festival.