朝鲜半岛马球起源考——基于“球庭”属性的考察

Study of the Origin of Polo on the Korean Peninsula:Investigation Based on the Property of“Court”

马球在古代东北亚地区广为开展,朝鲜半岛亦曾盛极一时。关于朝鲜半岛马球起源,中国学界普遍认为由唐代传入,但相关研究错乱模糊;韩国学界则观点多而无定论,争议的焦点在于“球庭”是否为马球场地,其中主张朝鲜半岛马球传自唐代的“统一新罗起源说”和“三国时代起源说”长期占据学界主导。“高丽起源说”虽提出质疑和反驳,却在解答球庭属性的问题上语焉不详。笔者通过对支撑“三国时代起源说”和“统一新罗起源说”关键史料的考辨,推证球庭并非马球场地,而是关乎风水,与“明堂”互为依附的球形庭院。并根据朝鲜半岛关于马球的最早记载始于高丽睿宗5年,且高丽臣属辽国,皆有端午马球之俗的事实,推断朝鲜半岛马球应在高丽睿宗年间由辽国传入。

Polo was very popular in the ancient Northeast Asia and on the Korean Peninsula.The Chinese scholars generally believe that polo was introduced to Korean Peninsula in the Tang dynasty,but related historical research is messy and ambiguous with many mistakes.The Korean scholars have many opinions with no final conclusion,and the focus of the debate is whether the court is the polo field.The“Unified Sillaorigin theory”and the“theory of introduction of polo to the Korean Peninsula in the Three Kingdoms Period”have a dominant position in the academic circle;although“Goryeo origin theory”proposes doubt and retort,it fails to answer the property of“court”.Through study and comparison of critical historical data in the dominant“Unified Sillaorigin theory”and the“theory of introduction of polo to the Korean Peninsula in the Three Kingdoms Period”,we infer that the court is not the polo field,but a circular yard about feng shui,which is related to the ceremonial hall in a palace.The earliest record of polo on Korean Peninsula started in the 5th year of Yejong of Goryeo,and Goryeo was subject to Liao.People on the Korean Peninsula had the custom of playing polo during the Dragon Boat Festival,so we can infer that polo was introduced to the Korean Peninsula from Liao during the reign of Yejong of Goryeo.