明清时期中原地区应对瘟疫民俗活动考述

A Research on the Folk Activities of Central Plains Dealing with Plague in Ming and Qing Dynasties

明清时期中原地区瘟疫频发,囿于民众认知水平有限和官方医疗机构的缺位,民间盛行“瘟鬼说”“疫神说”“疫气说”等观点,从而产生大量应对瘟疫的民俗活动,主要体现在节日礼俗、瘟神信仰和傩仪演出方面,反映了古人应对瘟疫的行为及心态。清末以来随着公共卫生体系的逐步建立,这些民俗活动存在的现实和社会基础受到动摇,降低了人们对瘟疫的警惕与敬畏。本文从民俗角度对此进行考察,并阐释明清时期中原地区作为防疫的民俗存在的价值及意义。

During Ming and Qing Dynasties,the outbreaks of plague were frequent in the Central Plains.Due to the limited cognition of the public and the absence of official medical institutions,the hypotheses of“plague ghost”,“plague deity”and“pestilential pathogen”were prevalent among the people,which resulted in a large number of folk activities coping with the plague.They are mainly displayed in the festival customs,the worship of plague deity and the performance of Nuo ritual,reflecting ancient people’s behavior and mentality in dealing with plagues.With the gradual establishment of public health system since the late Qing Dynasty,the actualities and social bases to which those folk activities attached have been undermined that has thus reduced people’s vigilance and awe of plague.From the perspective of folk custom,this essay investigates and interprets the value and significance of the existing folk customs in Central Plains during Ming and Qing Dynasties.