五行之序:《山海经》性质问题新论

Order of Five Elements:New Discussion on the Nature of The Classic of Mountains and Rivers

前贤时俊认为,《山海经》的性质为神话、地理志、语怪之祖、上古天文历法等,学界迄今尚未达成共识。结合《山海经》的文本内容、生成语境、成书时间、成书缘由整个系统来看,《山海经》是秦帝国在祠山基础上所组织的“序天地名山大川鬼神”,其指导思想即五行思想。从历代史书中的五行思想及其表征书写反观《山海经》中的畸形叙事,发现怪异叙述与五行书写二者之间具有质的类同性,从而可知《山海经》的性质实乃五行之序。

The scholars have not reached consensus on whether The Classic of Mountains and Rivers is myth,record of geography,origin of bizarre language,or astronomical calendar of ancient times,etc.Seen from the whole system of its text content,generation context,time and reason of publication,The Classic of Mountains and Rivers reflects Qin Empire organizing“order of ghosts and gods of heaven and earth,famous mountains and rivers”on the basis of offering sacrifices to mountains,which is guided by five-element thought.Reviewing the abnormal narratives in The Classic of Mountains and Rivers from five-element thought and its representation writing in historical books of past dynasties,we can find that bizarre narration and five-element writing share the qualitative similarity,and then know that the nature of The Classic of Mountains and Rivers is the order of five elements.