鸡在行傩活动中的作用与文化意义

中国的巫傩活动与鸡有着紧密的联系,鸡在行傩仪程的不同阶段与不同的时间、地点中,主要有七种功用:作祭祀的牺牲;驱除鬼蜮;安定魂魄;以卜吉凶;使偶像神变成真神;起镇压瘟神鬼祟的作用;代表着艺人的魂魄。鸡之所以被民间如此重视,原因有两点:一是在初民的思维中,鸡被认为是天地的端始,一切的生命都是由它孕育而成,它有着非凡的神奇力量。二是在初民认为,鬼魅是惧怕光明的,而鸡唤来了太阳,使得光明取代了黑暗,阳气战胜了阴煞。于是,人们将鸡奉成克制鬼魅的神物。

Functions and Cultural Meanings of Chicken in Chinese Exorcism

The Chinese exorcism has close connections with chicken.In different stages,different time and different places of exorcist ceremony,there are mainly seven kinds of functions of the chicken: as the sacrifice offered to the ancestor,driving away the monster,stabilizing soul,foretelling good or bad luck,making idol's spirit turn into the real spirit,suppressing pestilence god,devil haunt and plague,representing the actors' soul.The chicken is paid so much attention among the people because: First,in ancient people's thought,chicken was considered to be the beginning of the world.The chicken conceives all lives,and it has outstanding magical strength. Secondly,ancient people thought that ghosts were fear of the bright,but the chicken called out the sun,which makes the light replace the dark,and YANG overcomes YIN (the shade).So people cherish the chicken as a fetish which restrains ghosts.