巫术思维与《山海经》的植物文化

Witchcraft Thinking and Plant Culture in The Classic of Mountains and Seas

《山海经》中的植物有上百种,反映的是先民早期的植物认识水平。这种认识与巫术思维有着密不可分的关系,主要体现在三个方面:第一,《山海经》对植物功效的认识主要集中在药效上面,但很多药效缺乏现实依据,而是一种顺势巫术的体现;第二,《山海经》中的神树、神草多具有不死药的性质,而采摘不死草木是巫的重要职责,《山海经》中保留了有关巫与不死草木的最早记载;第三,扶桑、若木、建木是早期宇宙神话的重要组成部分,也是沟通天、地的天梯树,这是巫术信仰中人神交往信念的外化。

There are hundreds of plants in The Classic of Mountains and Seas,reflecting ancestors’early understanding of plant.It is closely related to witchcraft thinking,mainly reflected in three aspects.Firstly,the understanding of plant efficacy in The Classic of Mountains and Seas mainly focuses on drug efficacy,most of which lacks realistic evidence,as a manifestation of homeopathic witchcraft instead.Secondly,most sacred trees and grasses in The Classic of Mountains and Seas have the nature of immortal medicine,and picking immortal plants is an important duty of witches.The Classic of Mountains and Seas keeps the earliest records of witches and immortal plants.Thirdly,Fusang,Ruomu and Jianmu are important parts of early universe myth,and they are also ladder trees that connect heaven and earth,which is the externalization of belief in the communication between man and God in witchcraft thinking.