殷墟卜辞中的商代“北里之舞”考论

The Dance of Beili in the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty

司马迁在《史记》中所说“作新淫声”的“北里之舞”,就是我们今天对殷墟卜辞释文译义的“从”。“从”的字形来源,是中国远古先民的生殖崇拜舞蹈。“从”的引申义在商代的运用,并非“从”的本义或初义。“北里之舞”是殷商时期王室贵族权力享乐的标志之一,在殷墟卜辞中,除了祭祀求雨外,有关“北里之舞”卜辞的存在,传递出了商代权力表达的一个重要特征。占卜祭祀是商王室贵族权力宣示的方式,也是商代权力“合法化”的途径之一。“北里之舞”这种专供商王室贵族权力享乐的工具,其活动仍然需要进行占卜贞(鼎)问的允许,从而使得这种“以酒为池、悬肉为林”的“靡靡之乐”舞蹈表演,也具有了“神授王权”的合法性,同时充满了商代特征的神秘性。商代“北里之舞”的兴起,虽然迎合了商王室奴隶主贵族的奢侈享乐之需,却在客观上同时促使了中国古代舞蹈从单纯的祭祀实用,向非祭祀性的表演观赏的转变。因此,“北里之舞”成为中华舞蹈历史变衍发展中的一个重要组成部分。

The Dance of Beili,described as"making new decadent sounds"in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian,is interpreted as cong in the inscriptions of the Yin ruins.The character cong originated from the fertility cult dances of ancient China.In the Shang Dynasty,the character was used in its extended meaning.The Dance of Beili symbolized joy and power among the royalty and aristocracy during the Yin and Shang dynasties.In the oracle-bone inscriptions,alongside rain-seeking sacrifices,the account of the Dance indicates it was an expression of power in the Shang Dynasty.Divination and sacrifices served as a means for the Shang royalty and aristocracy to demonstrate and legitimize power.The Dance of Beili,as a hedonistic demonstration of power and joy,required the consent of divination.This"licentious music and dance"in debauchery banquets were thereby divinely legitimized and became a mysterious feature of Shang culture.The emergence of the Dance of Beili in the Shang Dynasty not only fulfilled the hedonistic needs of the Shang aristocracy but also promoted the transformation of ancient Chinese dance from ritual to non-ritual performance and appreciation,making the Dance a milestone in the development of Chinese dance.