Spots:王爺信仰
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| Revision as of 18:09, 7 September 2006 Smilelong (Talk | contribs) ← Previous diff |
Current revision Smilelong (Talk | contribs) 王爺信仰 moved to Spots:王爺信仰 |
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王船信仰自清代以來一直盛行於華南地區，由於華南地區就是一個高溫多熱、鼠疫、霍亂、傷寒、瘧疾叢生的地方。面對突如其來且如此嚴重難以控制的災害，一向以草木之富的中國人卻突然的束手無策了，加上早期社會封閉、民智未開的時代，人們便以為瘟疫的流行就是神疫鬼怪的作祟。在這種狀況下，尚鬼祁巫就成為治病唯一的方法。但是瘟神總是瘟神，誰也沒辦法確定他什麼時候會來，什麼時候會走，又在什麼時會發脾氣，而在傳說中，這些疫鬼的巢穴是在海中飄渺的海島。聰明的中國人於是想出一套美麗的神話，一個完美既不得罪疫鬼又可將其消除的辦法，那就是在熱情的款待瘟神之後，刨木成船或糊以紙船，雕塑瘟神模樣（當然是自己想像中的瘟神模樣），且奉其為王爺、千歲，再將其置於船中，送祂出海，希望祂們回到自己的老巢不再回來。
但是，僅管居民想盡辦法將瘟神趨離，但是面對王船仍是相當的懼怕，傳說若王船不幸的靠岸，不僅不能逃避，還得撿起並為它建廟或做醮普渡，否則全村都將會遭遇不幸。而且祭祀內容不可太過寒酸，不然，惹祂們生氣亦會招來不幸。根據《澎湖廳誌》裡記載：『或內地王船偶游至港，船中虛無一人，自能轉舵入口，下帆下椗，不差分寸，故民間相傳祭以為神，曰王船至矣。則舉國若狂，畏敬特甚，聚眾鳩錢奉其神於該鄉王廟，建醮演戲…』足見沿海居民對王船信仰的畏敬。而王船飄著的地方，對當地居民而言，無疑是一種凶兆，但是有些村落因祭祀王船和祀奉王爺而人丁興旺的。也因如此，王船逐漸地退去其恐怖的色彩，最後變成一個吉祥的神器。
而這項由古老傳至現今的信仰習俗一直受到相當的重視。早年王船都是自福建沿海漂來，人們畏懼王船上的瘟神會帶來瘟疫，乃聚眾集資舉行隆重醮典，祀典過後再將其火化（遊天河）或放水流（遊地河）。
早年台灣西南口海以及澎湖地區普遍盛行王船醮，以三年一科或六年一科，舉行王醮，以做為祈福降安的活動。而現今，有些地方因深信當地虔誠奉祀的王爺為其帶來平安及福運，因此會有「留任」的現象，通常若該地區的王爺在未奉玉皇大帝的委派至他地任守的情況下，對於當地居民的懇請「留任」都會允准，因而繼續留守該地，為其居民消災降福、保祐社稷。
在台灣地區對於王爺的稱呼名稱眾多，像是「千歲爺」、「府千歲」、「代天巡狩」或稱「大人」，而流傳於民間的王爺由來傳說，版本亦不下幾種，以下茲以幾個常見之說法稍做敘述：
（一）秦始皇焚書坑儒，曾在咸陽活埋儒生360名，後人將這些儒生尊為王爺供奉。
（二）唐朝有五名進士赴京趕考，途中投宿客棧，深夜倦睡中，忽聞幾個瘟神議論，次日將於井中散播瘟疫為害百姓，五名進士聞言，分別躍入藥井中淹死，拯救當地村民；翌日村民發現井裡有死屍都不敢喝井水，因而免去了一場災禍。
（三）唐玄宗清道士張天師作法，造成360名進士無端而死，因此皇帝賜封「王爺」，並令全國建廟供奉；據傳眾多王爺中，便有132姓。
（四）唐朝貞觀年間，皇帝李世民微服出巡，遇險困危，溫鴻及其同伴共36人合力救駕有功，受封為三十六進士，而其中以溫鴻功居其首，為溫王爺。太平盛世，三十六進士奉旨巡行天下，宣揚國威，不幸在一次海難中全部罹難，貞觀皇帝聞此訊息，痛失功臣之餘，復信其成神之說，乃追封為「代天巡守」，頒旨全國建廟奉祀，春秋致祭，又下旨建巨舶，名為「溫王船」，內奉溫王爺及其結義弟兄之神位，於清醮畢送入海中，王船上有御書「遊府吃府，遊縣吃縣」八字，凡溫王船所到之處，百姓府官一體奉迎，均應殺豬宰羊設祭，大事奉祀，以慰溫王在天之靈。
（五）明朝末年，有360位進士，不願在清人體制下服官，皆自盡身亡，玉皇憫其烈，逐一封王，授命下凡，稽察人間善惡疾苦，民間俗稱其王爺府為「代天府」，而王爺巡境為「代天巡狩」。
（六）明朝初年，有閩粵360名進士同坐船進京殿試，遭遇船難，無一伴免，皇帝聞訊備感憐惜，便分別封為王，也當海神祭祀，以保護航海安全。
（七）相傳有朱、李、池結義三兄弟，三人個個絲竹、樂技神化，皇帝便名宮演奏，不料在場聽眾聞樂均暈眩昏迷，皇帝疑為妖怪而將其處斬，靈魂升天後，玉帝憫其無辜便封三人為王。
王爺的由來及年代版本各有不同，但無論何種傳說版本，皆是來自於民間對於忠義、悲憫之心而為其出發點；而對於王爺的崇敬與畏懼，則更顯現出早期人們困苦的環境下為求安福而變通的生存法則。不論是何種對於王耳信仰的觀念和傳說，如此的信念與自然環境的結合，是喚起居民對鄉土的情感，是王船給予生命內容的平安慾望和滿足，透過大規模的王船祭典，將人民對上蒼的祈求和崇敬完整的呈現出來，或許這就是王船祭所具有的生命力和其意義的所在。
