“女娲作笙簧”神话的文化解读

The Cultural Interpretation of "The Goddess Nu Wa Creating Shenghuang" Myth

“女娲作笙簧”神话植根于先民生殖崇拜的文化土壤中。神话中女娲所作之笙簧有着深刻的象征意义 ,作笙簧乃是一种乞生巫仪 ,整则神话象喻性地表达着先民对两性交合方能生人的认识。由于女娲所作之笙簧在上古有两性交媾的原始文化内涵 ,有生殖人口的神秘功能 ,后世婚恋和乞子乃至乞求再生民俗中多以“笙簧”作为文化形具。

The myth of Nu Wa creating Shenghuang has its roots in the cultural soil of primitive phallicism and the Shenghuang created bears a deep symbolic meaning. In the myth, creating Shenghuang is just a witchcraft rite begging for life. The whole myth figuratively indicates the primitive men's knowledge of reproduction by sexual intercourse. Having the original meaning of sex and the mysterious function of reproduction in the ancient history, the Shenghuang has been a cultural tool used in the rites of marriage, begging for sons and reincarnation ever since. All these can be regarded as cultural expansion and folkways transformation of the female reproduction theme expressed in the myth.