论唐代的冥婚及其形成的原因

本文旨在探讨唐代冥婚墓志、敦煌冥婚书仪、以及唐代小说笔记中有关冥间结婚和离婚的记载中所反映的唐代的冥婚现象及其兴盛的原因。本文认为 :第一 ,冥婚反映了佛教对唐人的死后世界观的影响 ;第二 ,唐代前期的经济繁荣为重葬提供了良好的土壤 ;第三 ,唐代社会对男女之情的开放态度为冥婚提供了精神和心理条件 ;第四 ,冥婚为死者亲属提供了增进族间交往、伸张权势以及炫耀财富和地位的机会 ;第五 ,冥婚习俗随着唐代社会的衰微而渐趋消失。

The Causes of Afterlife Marriage and Its Formation in Tang Dynasty

This paper investigates the causes of the phenomena and the rise of afterlife marriage through a close reading of Tang Dynasty, afterlife marriage epitaphs, Dunhuang lines for afterlife marriage, and stories of afterlife marriage and divorce in literary sketches. It argues that, firstly, afterlife marriage reflected the Buddhist influence on the Tang concept of afterlife; secondly, the economic prosperity of early Tang Dynasty encouraged lavish burials; thirdly, the open mind towards sexuality provided emotional and psychological ground for the practice; fouthly, afterlife marriage provided the living relatives opportunities to form family alliances, to expand their power, and to display their wealth and social status; and fifthly, along with the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the practice of afterlife marriage declined as well.