花亡配婚:广西南宁地区的冥婚——兼与香港、台湾冥婚的比较

Spiritual Marriage:A Comparative Study of Ghost Marriage Rituals in Nanning City,Hong Kong and Taiwan

冥婚仪式与地方社会结构的关系密切。冥婚习俗乃中国传统社会"男娶女嫁"观念的投射,男性需要通过结婚"传宗接代",确保自己祖先的香火不断。女性则需要通过结婚,从夫家得到父系社会承认的祭祀地位。然而,早夭未婚的男女,要怎样解决未婚乏嗣的香火祭祀与传承,便成为社会的重要问题。这个问题直接涉及地方社会的价值体系与社会结构,同时也影响到冥婚的形式。2009年,广西南宁地区举办了一场跨村落的"斋会"与冥婚的仪式,反映了乡村社会的信仰体系以及这套信仰体系所象征的社会结构与人群的关系。比较广西南宁、台湾和香港乡村社会未婚亡灵奉祀的现象,能够了解未婚亡灵在不同社会结构下的祭祀难题与处理的办法。

Ghost marriage rituals are closely related to Chinese social structure.The custom of ghost marriage reflects Chinese traditional views on marriage.By marriage,men could ensure that the family line and ancestral worship may continue from generation to generation.And married women could be admitted and worshiped as ancestors in their patrilineal families.However,how to solve the worshiping problems for the deceased unmarried men or women becomes a social issue.This issue is closely related to the social beliefs and social structure in the local society,which would in turn affect the custom of ghost marriage.In 2009,there was a'zhaihui'and ghost marriage co-organized by several villages in Nanning City,Guangxi.This religious event showed not only the village belief system,but also the ritual symbols of the social structure and relationship.By comparing the ghost marriage rituals in Nanning City,Hong Kong and Taiwan,we could understand the religious practices of ghost marriage in different social structures.