从狞厉神秘到屈曲宛转——委蛇的齐文化特征及文学内涵

委蛇本指蛇精 ,是泽神、雷神 ,与齐文化的关联尤为密切。先民对委蛇恐惧而又崇拜的心理 ,在蛇的甲骨文字形结构、语词意义和神话传说三个方面都有体现。随着时间的推移 ,古代先民对蛇的关注焦点有所转移 ,蛇的屈曲形态受到高度重视 ,蛇字的构形变化提供了这方面的信息 ;与此相应 ,委蛇成为表现动态屈曲之美的重要审美范畴。《诗经》用于表现合乎规矩方圆的威仪 ,《庄子》用于展示与物宛转推移的处世哲学、生存状态。到了后来 ,委蛇作为重要的审美范畴 ,应用范围进一步扩大 ,并抽象为美的代称。

On the Serpent of Qi State Culture and Its Literature Connotation

Originally referring to the serpent spirit, serpent is considered as god of water or thunder and closely connected with Qi state culture. The dread and worship cherished by the ancestors get distinctly represented in serpent's meaning, relevant myths or legends and its grapheme on Jiagu Wen. With time going, people of ancient times have transferred their focus to serpent's flexible shape, which gets illustrated from the grapheme change of the character. Subsequently serpent becomes a significant aesthetic category reflecting the beauty of flexibility. Serpent symbolizes the grace fitting social etiquette in The Book of Songs and is used to expound the flexible philosophy of life in Zhuang Zi. As an important aesthetic category, the application of serpent becomes so wide that it even symbolizes beauty.