明代土默特蒙古收继婚风俗考——美岱召泰和门明代石刻铭文丛考(一)

A Study on the Custom of“Levirate”Among the Tumet Mongols in Ming Dynasty:An Examination of the Ming Dynasty Inscriptions on the Taihe Gate at Meidai Temple

明代土默特蒙古延续北方游牧民族既有风俗,普遍存在着收继婚习俗。而且随着政治形势、社会形态的错综复杂,其收继条件、收继形式等发生较大变化,而且出现了一些更为复杂的收继情形。土默特蒙古收继婚习俗中反映出如下史实特点:其一,体现了女性在婚姻关系上以及社会关系中的从属地位。其二,收继婚是纾解家庭和社会矛盾的重要手段。其三,收继行为是对正统地位的宣示和认可。其四,收继婚习俗中包含了抚养孤幼、赡养老弱的道德观念与责任。虽然《阿勒坦汗法典》中未见有对收继婚的明确规定,但其可以被看作是彼时全体人们的一种习惯法,而且在具体实施过程中开始展现出极具特点的灵活性。这种灵活性无疑是对既有传统的破坏和挑战,显示出那种曾经似乎制度化的传统风俗在明代土默特蒙古时期已经支离破碎,从而呈现出更为复杂的形态。

During the Ming Dynasty,the Tumet Mongols continued the existing customs of the northern nomadic peoples,widely practicing the custom of“Levirate”(succession marriage).As the political situation and social forms became increasingly complex,the conditions and forms of“Levirate”underwent significant changes,and more complex situations of“Levirate”emerged.The custom of“Levirate”among the Tumet Mongols reflects the following historical characteristics:First,it demonstrates the subordinate status of women in marital and social relationships.Second,“Levirate”served as an important means to resolve family and social conflicts.Third,the act of“Levirate”was a declaration and recognition of legitimate status.Fourth,the obligations of care and moral concepts were contained within the custom of“Levirate”.Although there are no explicit provisions in the“Altan Khan Code”,it can be regarded as a customary law of the entire people at that time,and it showed a very characteristic flexibility in the specific implementation process.This flexibility is undoubtedly a destruction and challenge to the existing traditions,showing that the seemingly institutionalized traditional customs had already fragmented during the Ming Dynasty among the Tumet Mongols,thus presenting a more complex form.