从西汉中山国的两件铜器谈四神图像的形成与演变

The Formation and Change of Images of the Four Deities on Two Bronzes of the Zhongshan Kingdom during the Western Han Dynasty

四神,是古人将天上二十八星宿按照方位动物化的形象。有的学者将古人的这种行为追溯至新石器时代中期。本文以考古发现的材料为基础并结合文献记载,对四神形象的出现、组合的演变及稳定展开讨论,以获知它的相关信息。

The four deities are animal images used by the ancient people to designate directions according to the positions of the 28 constellations.Some scholars trace this behavior of the ancient people back to the mid-Neolithic period.This paper,through the combination of archaeological findings and historical documents,discusses the appearance and the change and fixed pattern of the combination of these deities so as to gain related information.