出土文物与传世文献中半人半兽形象的演化及文化探原

Cultural Origin and Evolution of the Half-man-half-animal Images in Unearthed Cultural Relics and Handed-down Documents

在中国出土文物与传世文献中,半人半兽的艺术形象从史前时代一直延续至宋元时期,经历了萌芽、发展、变化和定型四个阶段。史前时代,随着图腾崇拜的瓦解和人类主体意识的觉醒,人们初步构拟了以人为主导的半人半兽神,形象由写实发展到抽象,功用由纹饰审美演变为镇墓安魂。夏商周至秦汉时期,半人半兽的文化属性由神祇逐渐转化为仙人,形象由板滞到生动,功能由辟邪祈福到帮助墓主升天成仙。魏晋南北朝时期,在民族融合和多元宗教信仰的文化背景下,祥和与狞厉的半人半兽相混杂,具有导引升仙和执守冥界的职能。隋唐至宋末,由于儒家礼乐文化和风水堪舆术盛行,半人半兽的形象由凶恶到谦恭,作用由镇守门户到福佑子孙。半人半兽形象特征、功能属性及文化内涵的变迁,本质上是古代人民宇宙概念、宗教信仰、审美观念的变化发展。

Among the unearthed cultural relics and handed-down documents in China,the artistic half-man-half-animal images lasted from prehistoric times to the Song and Yuan Dynasties,and experienced four stages:germination,development,change and finalization.In prehistoric times,with the disintegration of totem worship and the awakening of human consciousness,people initially constructed human-oriented half-man-half-animal deities,whose images developed from realistic to abstract,and their function evolved from ornamentation to calming the soul in the tomb.From the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Qin and Han Dynasties,the half-man-half-animal deities gradually turned to immortals,dull images became more vivid,and their function changed from exorcising evil spirits and praying to helping tomb owners ascend to heaven and become immortals.In the Wei,Jin,and the Southern and Northern Dynasties,against the cultural background of ethnic integration and multi-religious beliefs,harmony and ferocity were mixed in the half-man-half-animal images,which had the function of guiding immortals and guarding the underworld.From the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the end of the Song Dynasty,due to the prevalence of Confucian ritual and music culture and Feng Shui geomantic omen doctrine,the ferocious half-man-half-animal images turned mild,and their role changed from guarding the gate to blessing the offspring.The changes of the features,functional attributes and cultural connotations of half-man-half-animal images are essentially the changes and developments of ancient people's concept of universe,religious beliefs and aesthetic standards.