女神信仰·海洋社会·性别伦理——对水尾圣娘信仰的性别文化考释

Goddess Worship,Coastal Societies and Gender:The Worship of Shuiwei Holy Mother

水尾圣娘信仰发端于海南岛东北部,遍及环南中国海周边国家和地区的海洋女神信仰。基于水尾圣娘的女性身份,不同主体通过阐释其性别文化意涵,传递了同性别权力有关的观念、价值及规则,表达了对女性的角色期望与社会定位。由此,他们也成为南海海洋社会性别伦理的构建者。在水尾圣娘信仰演进的实践情境下,人与神灵、人与自然、人与社会的关系不断地发生着变动,这一进程同样伴随着社会性别关系的再生产。这不仅体现了性别视角在涉海人群信仰研究中的重要性,更彰显了南海海洋文化包容互鉴的本质特征。

The worship of Shuiwei Holy Mother originated in the northeast of Hainan Island and the faith spread throughout the countries and regions around the South China Sea. Since Shuiwei Holy Mother is a goddess, different people, by interpreting its implication on gender, have established a set of concepts, values and rules concerning gender and power, and these reflect gender expectation and women ’ s roles in society. In the development of Shuiwei Holy Mother Worship, the relationship between human and deities, nature and society as well people and society had been changing, and this process accompanied the reproduction of gender relations in society. All these not only reflect the importance of the gender perspective in the studies of people ’ s beliefs, they also highlight the cultural inclusiveness of the coastal societies in the South China Sea.