古代海南的海神信仰与厉祭活动

Sea God Beliefs and Nameless Ghosts Sacrifice in Ancient Hainan

古代海南既有伏波将军、天妃、平浪侯等与中国内地地区共同的海神,也有峻灵王、西天大士、兄弟公等海南地方的海神。直到清朝末年,除了天妃这位普遍崇奉的海神之外,海南对其他海神的信仰都局限在局部地区。海南的海神,多为海上凶死者,因此,海南的海神信仰在本质上是厉祭,即对无祀鬼魂的祭祀。海南古代居民通过祭祀活动把海上遇难者从可能的厉鬼转化为实际的海神,是为求得海上活动的平安。基于同样的原理,海南古代居民也通过祭祀活动把其他场合的遇难者转化为保护神。

Ancient Hainan shared common sea gods such as Fubo General,Heavenly Empress,and Pinglang Marquis and etc.with China's mainland and also had its local sea gods such as Junling King,Western Heavenly Celebrity and Brother Lords.Heavenly Empress was generally worshiped as sea goddess in all parts of Hainan,but other sea gods were worshiped in limited areas.Most of the sea gods in Hainan died on the sea by violence,and sacrifices to them were essen-tially sacrifices to nameless ghosts,i.e.to ghosts with no sacrifices.People of ancient Hainan transformed ocean victims from possible malicious ghosts into actual sea gods by rites of sacrifice in order to ensure safety in their sea affairs.According to the same principle,people of ancient Hainan transformed victims in other cases into patron saints by rites of sacrifice.