“场圈”与文化认同:凯里苗族生肖场研究

“Field Circle” and Cultural Identity: A Study of the Zodiac Field of Miao Ethnic Group in Kaili

清水江流域为苗族的核心聚居区,此地至今流行生肖与地支相配、将乡镇赶场日期固定在某个生肖日的生肖场。本文基于结构功能主义视角对凯里生肖场进行考察,发现生肖历法在苗族社会结构体系中仍具有不可替代的时间调节功能。同时,凯里所辖乡镇在生肖历法推动下形成以市区为中心转动的'场圈','场圈'以商品贸易为载体、带动村落间族群交往,创生出苗族特色生肖文化。该文化现象蕴藏的'苗甲子'彰显了西南与中原文化的交融,属于古代中原历法系统在清水江流域的本土化结晶。研究表明生肖场具有文化认同的人类学价值,它强化了人们对'生肖节奏'时间心理的认同,将传统村落中的血缘认同提升到地缘认同层面,促进地域共同体的形成,还是我国传统生肖文化在西南民族地区'活态'传承的典型案例,对增强中华民族文化认同具有现实意义。

Qingshui River Basin is a concentrated area of Miao ethnic group.In this area,the zodiac field is still popular to match 12 symbolic animals with 12 earthly branches and fix the date of village fair on a certain Zodiac Day.This paper investigates the zodiac field of Kaili from the perspective of structural functionalism,finding out that zodiac calendar has an irreplaceable time regulation function in Miao’s social structure system.Meanwhile,townships in Kaili have formed field circles around urban areas according to zodiac calendar to promote inter-village ethnic exchange and create zodiac culture of Miao ethnic group through trade.'Miaojiazi'(a circle of 60 years)embodied in this cultural phenomenon manifests the integration between the Southwestern area and the Central Plains culture,representing the localization of the ancient Central Plains calendar system in Qingshui River Basin.The study shows that the zodiac field has an anthropological value of cultural identity by strengthening people’s recognition of the time psychology of zodiac rhythm,uplifting blood identity in traditional villages to geographical identity and promoting the formation of spatial communities.It is also a typical case of live inheritance of Chinese traditional zodiac culture in Southwestern ethnic areas,which is of realistic significance to enhancing the cultural identity of the Chinese nation.