汉典虎谭:志异的文学与文化的本位

The Literature of Fantasy Narration and Domination of Culture:A Discussion of Tiger in Chinese Classics

当代“虎文化”研究越出母系氏族的下限而率多牵涉“虎图腾崇拜”,但在文明的历史中一直发生人与虎的交集,人们谈虎也必不脱离文明历史中的文化观念。汉典虎谭则与华夏文化密切相关,对于虎的称名与物性的认知出于独特的文化观念,虎被称为君、王、侯,乃是中国古代君主政治的投射,或谈虎而本《易》理,尤见精诣。在汉典虎谭中,白虎是一个突出的物象,本于星宿的虚构,对应天下的分野,具有阴阳、五行、四时物色以至礼制、军事、刑政、仪仗、建筑、音乐的关联,所谓驺虞仁兽也是本于白虎星宿分野的虚造。生肖虎更与人的生年维系一起,寅配虎和历法寅正,都以敬惕慎始相与为义。虎的威猛在华夏文化中具有广泛的军事假借,用为机构、制度和兵权的协约。至于虎暴害人,则以恶人化虎、为虎所杀用示惩罚,以除暴安民和自然平衡彰显德政,又以善恶相即说为义虎,多关三教,相与融通,不尽义理牵涉,究在山野寺观,僧道所居,人虎交处,虎事乃多。在文学与文化的维度,包括虎事的志异盖本阴阳、五行与扬攉大化,以史家的立场在“子不语”之外载录天人之际的无穷变化,形成基于子学的独特文学传统。

The contemporary study of Tiger Culture has transcended the limitation of the matriarchal system but is involved with the so-called Tiger Totem Worship.During the history of civilization,however,there has always been the correlation between the human and the tiger,thus the discussion of tigers must be related with the cultural concept.Discussing tiger in Chinese classics is bound up with Chinese culture in which the name of tiger and cognition of agent both stem from the unique cultural concept.The tiger is called king or duke which is the reflection of monarchy in ancient China,and discussing tiger out of the principles of the Book of Changes is exquisite.As a prominent object,the white tiger is derived from the fiction of constellations which corresponds to the territory division,thus associates with yin and yang,the five elements,the four seasons as well as ritual,military,criminal law,architecture and music.The so-called Zouyu merciful beast is also the imagination of the constellation division of white tiger.The tiger as zodiac holds together with the date of birth of human.In Chinese calender the tiger is matched with yin which stands for respect,alert,prudence and beginning.The aggression and fierce of tiger has been widely used as a symbol of agreement for institutions,systems and military power.Being killed by a tiger,an evil man will be transformed to a tiger which will then be killed as a punishment to manifest the benevolent rule.Or as a righteous tiger related with Three Religions,it’s not because of righteousness but abundant events of tigers in temples and places where human and tiger might meet.From the perspective of literature and culture,the narration of fantasy originates from yin and yang and the five elements.From the standpoint of a historian rather than Confucius,the infinite changes between heaven and man have been recorded which has formed the unique literary tradition based on the thoughts of Pre-Qin philosophers.