北魏“阴山却霜”习俗新解

A New Interpretation about the Custom of Resisting Frost on the Yinshan Mountain in the Northern Wei Dynasty

从西晋末年到北魏开国,拓跋鲜卑在其境内大力发展农耕,农业已成为北魏新的经济支柱。北魏恰逢气候史上的寒冷期,《魏书·灵征志》有大量关于霜灾的记录。阴山、平城一带频发的霜灾制约了当地农业之发展,故拓跋氏才形成了“阴山却霜”习俗“。阴山却霜”与鲜卑游牧旧俗关系不大,它是北魏中前期转向以农立国的见证。

From the late Western Jin Dynasty to the founding period of Northern Wei Dynasty,the Tuoba Xianbei(拓跋鲜卑)developed farming vigorously at their territory.Agriculture became the new economic pillar of Northern Wei Dynasty.But the Northern Wei dynasty coincided with a cold period in climatic history,and the Auspicious Records(《灵征志》)in the Book of Wei contains extensive records of frost damage.The frequent frosts in the area of Yinshan and Pingcheng(平城)restricted the development of local agriculture.The Tuoba Xianbei formed the custom of Resisting Frost on the Yin Mountain.This custom had little relation with the old nomadic customs of the Xianbei.Actually,It was a testament to the shift to an agricultural-based state in the early-mid Northern Wei Dynasty.