夏铸九鼎与饕餮原型

夏人铸九鼎传说的主角应该是启而不是禹,这个传说源自远古夏人创世神话构成的一部分,光明天神启在最后完成了世界的创造后,率领诸神在天穆之野举行隆重盛大的创世庆典,他创制了神舞神乐《九辩》、《九歌》,铸造了九鼎,以象征自己对九州天下的所有权和主宰权。九鼎上的图案纹饰饕餮是以虎为原型的,其威严、凌厉、恐怖、神秘的特征积淀了压抑与暴力内涵。启的神性形象就是寅虎,即东方早上的光明太阳神。后世商周青铜鼎上的饕餮纹饰与夏鼎纹饰有极大的继承性,都是以虎为原型的,同时,后世青铜鼎铸造中,一些其它动物如牛、羊等也可能成为饕餮纹饰图案的原型,但这些动物形象都被＂泛虎化＂了,都带上了虎所具有的那些特征。

Nine Tripods of Xia Dynasty and the Prototype of Taotie

The hero in the legend of Xia People＇s casting of nine tripods should be Qi instead of Yu. The legend is part of ancient Xia people＇s world-creation myth, in which Qi, the God of Light, presided a splendid Creation ceremony in the vast field after completion of the Work. Qi created the sacred melodies of JIubian, Jiuge and cast nine tripods that symbol his ownership and sovereignty over the nine states in the world. The patterns of Taotie in the tripods are based on tigerJs form, whose solemnity, severity, horror and mystery signals control and violence, Qi＇s image is a Yin-tiger, the God of Light in east morning. Such tripod patterns had great influence on Shang people＇s bronze tripods which is based on the tiger prototype. Though on tripods cast in later dynasties there are images of Taotie patterned with other animals like cattle and sheep, while all those images bear tiger＇s features.