唐代敦煌官方祭祀新探——以S.1725V所载祭品为中心

A New Study on Official Sacrifices in Dunhuang during the Tang Dynasty——Centered on the Sacrifices Recorded in Manuscript S.1725V

敦煌写卷S.1725V记载了敦煌当地官方祭社稷、释奠、风伯、雨师等祝文及具体祭品。学界普遍认为其祝文内容与唐玄宗开元二十年(732)颁行的《大唐开元礼》的差异不大,验证了后者在敦煌地区得到了较为有效的实施。然而,比对《大唐开元礼》与S.1725V等文献所载祭品,可发现敦煌写卷中的实际祭品不完全符合前者祝文之规定。实际上,S.1725V、P.3896V中祭品的改变与皇帝的诏敕息息相关。同时,敦煌当地官府亦是根据实际经济情况对祭品作了相应的调整。而若将S.1725V中的风伯、雨师祭祀,视作祈礼,则可解决祭品与礼典所载差异较大等相关问题。

Dunhuang manuscript S.1725V records a eulogistic text and detailed sacrifices offered to various deities and powers,including sheji(社稷,local gods of land and grain),Shidian(释奠,an ancient ritual honoring Confucius),Fengbo(风伯,the god of wind),and Yushi(雨师,the god of rain).Scholars have generally agreed that the content of this text is not much different from a eulogy in Datang Kaiyuan Li(大唐开元礼,Rituals Established in the Kaiyuan Era of the Great Tang)written in the 20th year of the Kaiyuan era(732)under the rule of Emperor Xuanzong,which proves that the latter was implemented very effectively in Dunhuang.However,by comparing the offerings recorded in Datang Kaiyuan Li with S.1725V and other historical documents such as manuscript P.3896V,it can be seen that the sacrifices in the Dunhuang manuscript do not completely conform to the provisions listed in Datang Kaiyuan Li.In fact,the changes to the sacrifices found in S.1725V and P.3896V are actually quite similar to edicts made by the emperor at the time.On the other hand,Dunhuang's local officials can be seen to have made adjustments to the sacrifices according to the economic circumstances of their position.However,if the sacrifices offered to Fengbo and Yushi in S.1725V are regarded as a prayer ritual,which required a different set of sacrifices,then the differences between the sacrifices described in the manuscripts and those recorded in historical books on rituals can easily be resolved.