炎帝神话与华夏农业文明的形成

Myths of Emperor Yandi and Formation of Chinese Farming Civilization

炎帝作为中华文明始祖之一,其角色认定经过历史上不断地建构和转换而定型,与之相关的炎帝神话承载着先民真切的文化体验和华夏民族的集体记忆。炎帝部族在历史上处于游牧文化向农耕文化的过渡时期,通过神话传说追溯炎帝部族的发展、迁徙与扩布,可以了解华夏农业文明演进的历程。炎帝部族自秦陇姜水地区向古上党地区、中原地区乃至湘赣地区分散迁徙,于战争冲突与部族融合中推动农耕文化的传播。炎帝具有农神、火神、雨神多重身份,正是初民适应自然环境开创农业文明的诗性表达。晋陕湘三省地方化的炎帝神话传说和民间信仰,以及近代“炎黄子孙”的话语表达,体现了炎帝文化蕴含的中华民族共同体意识和独特民族精神。

As Emperor Yandi being one of forefathers of Chinese civilization,his roles have been identified and confirmed through continuous construction and transformation in history,and the myths related to Emperor Yandi have also carried our ancestors'cultural experience and collective memory of the Chinese nationality.Yandi’s tribes lived in the period of transition from nomadic culture to farming culture,so the corresponding myths and legends can help trace back the development,migration and expansion of Yandi's tribes,further make sense the evolution of Chinese agricultural civilization.Migrating from Jiang River of Qinling and Longshan Mountains to Ancient Shangdang,Central China and even Hunan and Jiangxi areas,Yandi’s tribes promoted the transmission of farming culture through military conflicts and tribal fusion.Yandi's plural roles of being Farming God,Fire God and Rain God,are no other than the poetic expression of our ancestors'adapting to the natural environment to create agricultural civilization.Localized myths,legends and folk beliefs of Emperor Yandi in Shanxi,Shaanxi and Hunan provinces,and modern discourse expression of"Yan Huang Zi Sun"(offspring of Emperor Yandi and Huangdi)as well,both represent the consciousness of Chinese National Community and its unique national spirits.