明清时期江南清明卜叶习俗与桑叶市场

The Mulberry Leaves Divination at Clear and Bright and Mulberry Leaves’ Markets in Jiangnan in Ming and Qing

明清时期,江南蚕桑区普遍存在着清明占卜叶事的习俗,蚕桑户通过各种方式占卜当年桑叶丰歉、叶价高低。这一习俗的形成与传播是当地蚕桑生产兴盛的折射。随着蚕桑生产的规模化、专业化、商品化进程,江南桑叶市场不断发展,并涌现出一批专门交易桑叶的特色市镇。叶市价格剧烈波动的特性,让种桑、养蚕的农户以及专事桑叶贸易的经营者都承担着很大的经济风险。作为蚕桑生产的主要劳动力,女性成为经济风险的主要承担者。卜叶正是为了缓释这种风险和压力而产生的民俗事象。这类习俗既反映了农户希望借助超自然力量消灾祈福的心理,也指导着农户调整蚕桑生产规模,推进了江南蚕桑生产发展。

The mulberry leaves divination at Clear and Bright was popular in Jiangnan during Ming and Qing. People divined the output and price of the mulberry leaves. This custom was generated because of the prosperous of sericulture and mulberry production here. By the large-scale, specialization and commercialization of sericulture and mulberry production, the mulberry leaves’ markets devoloped. Some town for selling mulberry leaves came into being. The price of mulberry leaves fluctuated extremely. The mulberry planters, the sericulturists and leave sellers both took a big risk. Women often bore the risk as the major workforce. The mulberry leaves divination relieved the pressure and risk. This custom reflected the mentality that people hope blessing by mana. It also guided people adjust scale of production, and promoted the development of sericulture and mulberry production in Jiangnan.