桑墟“水牛化龙”传说的嬗变与流布

The Evolution and Spread of the Legend of"Buffalo and Dragon"in Sangxu Town

传说,是人类先民记录古老历史的一种载体,它通过口耳相传的形式对某一历史事件加以记录,这其中虽有荒诞无稽的成分,但也蕴含着许多真实的历史信息。江苏沭阳桑墟镇“水牛化龙”便是流传于苏北地区的一则志怪传说,在很多历史文献中都有提及,隐藏着丰富的历史内涵。通过对历代文献相关的梳理,以解释“水牛化龙”传说在流布的过程中产生的地理与环境变化。

Legends are a carrier of ancient history recorded by human ancestors.It records a certain historical event through word of mouth.Although there are absurd elements in it,it also contains a lot of real historical information.The"buffalo and dragon"in Sangxu Town,Shuyang,Jiangsu Province is a mystery legend spread in northern Jiangsu.It is mentioned in many historical documents and contains rich historical information.Through combing the relevant literature of the past dynasties,geographical and environmental changes produced by the legend of"buffalo and dragon"in the process of spreading are explained.