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論唐代文人筆下的貓文化
The cultural phenomenon among literati that revolved around cats during the Tang Dynasty
摘要
畜養寵物貓，成為近年時下的風潮，而爬梳中國養貓史，可知，養貓風氣最盛於宋朝。然一風氣之形成絕非一蹴可幾，需要時間去醞釀該形勢，故回推前代的唐朝，理應存在蛛絲馬跡。本文聚焦於唐代文學，以《全唐詩》、《全唐文》、《唐代筆記小說敘錄》中的選文作為考察對象，透過文本記載，觀察貓在唐代文人筆下的風貌，建構出當時的貓文化。貓文化可分成信仰文化與現實生活，在信仰文化中，有迎貓祭祀、邪祟貓鬼、玄怪形象；現實生活則有勞役功能的捉鼠貓、陪伴功能的寵物貓、食用貓肉、對貓詳細的觀察書寫。藉由上述各方面的觀察，建構出唐人對於貓的印象，多半是停留在捉鼠形象，故持續傳承迎貓祭祀，以及捉鼠書寫，然而，部分文本也顯示出有越來越多人的觀念正在轉變，不僅對貓有更多的觀察，亦願意將貓視作寵物。貓偶爾有玄怪形象，但並不具代表性，至於貓鬼，相較於前朝已有銷聲匿跡之形勢。
並列摘要
Keeping pet cats has become a popular trend in recent years. However, ancient Chinese people also raised cats, and the Song Dynasty had the highest number of cat owners. Nonetheless, the custom of raising cats during the Song Dynasty did not develop overnight and gain widespread acceptance. Hence, it is reasonable to deduce that during the Tang Dynasty, there must have been a phenomenon of people coexisting with cats. This paper focuses on Tang Dynasty literature, using selected texts from "Complete Tang Poems", "Complete Tang Prose", and "Tang Dynasty' s Records of Fictional Narratives" as examples to observe the portrayal of cats in the writings of the literati. By examining these texts, it aims to construct the cultural phenomenon related to cats during that era. The cultural phenomenon related to cats can be divided into two main aspects: beliefs and daily life. In terms of beliefs, there were practices such as worshipping cat deities, avoiding or fearing cat demons, and attributing cats with a mystical image. In terms of daily life, cats played various roles, including being used as mouse hunters, being kept as pets, and being consumed as food in certain customs. Additionally, the literati of the time observed cats closely and wrote detailed descriptions about them. Based on the observations from various aspects mentioned above, it can be inferred that the impression of cats among the literati during the Tang Dynasty largely revolved around their role as mouse hunters. Consequently, the tradition of worshipping cat deities and discussions related to their mouse-catching abilities continued to be passed down through generations. Indeed, some texts also indicate a shift in people' s perceptions during the Tang Dynasty. There were increasing instances of individuals not only observing cats more closely but also willing to view them as pets. Cats occasionally have a mystical portrayal in literature, but it is not representative. As for cat demons, they appeared less frequently compared to the Sui Dynasty.