Playing in Humans’ Sphere and Gods’ Kingdom: An Anthropological Perspective on Taiwan’s Processional Troupes (tin-thau 陣頭)

臺灣陣頭在人世與諸神靈界所扮演的角色：從人類學視角切入

艾茉莉(Fiorella Allio)

《戲劇學刊》 23期 (2016/01) Pp. 59-84

摘要

南臺灣──對本研究而言是得天獨厚的觀察區──向來以廟會遶境與陣頭聞名。「陣頭」，顧名思義即是「在香陣的前頭」。這個通稱同時標示出陣頭功能與所在位置：走在安放合境巡狩神尊的神轎之前，為隊伍開路。遶境儀式在連貫的整體行動中，顯現了象徵、信仰與再現的體系，以及臺灣民間宗教的社會組織結構。遶境儀式藉由陣頭的展演，也展露地方文化當中相當重要的言傳與身教的意涵。本文聚焦在陣頭參與的宗教特徵，依序歸納出陣頭的基本特質，羅列其活動概況，並闡釋其內涵。由人類學的觀點出發，本文意在檢視陣頭當中，那些具體可感的扮演時刻，事實上是如何依循符碼化及儀式性的原則，在「人和人」與「人和神」兩者間進行交換。此間充滿動力的互動關係不只闡明陣頭會師的諸多面向，更是超越了侷限在外在特徵與表演特質層面的表象描述。最後，則從中探索陣頭的戲劇特質，並將之視為臺灣民間宗教的構成要素之一。表演行為之所以成立，有賴獨特的身體觀及其生命能量為其底蘊，因而就本質而言，宜當成宗教行為來理解。

關鍵字

宗教遊行 ； 陣頭（宗教遊行團體） ； 戲劇特質 ； 儀式行為的交換與犧牲 ； 生命能量

並列摘要

The south of Taiwan the privileged area of observations for this study is famous for its processional troupes called tin-thau (zhentou 陣頭), literally ＂at the head of the battalion.＂ This generic name indicates both their function and their place in religious parades: they introduce the segments of a procession and precede the palanquins which seat the cult deities of participating communities. Processional rituals manifest through action and as a coherent whole the system of representations and beliefs, the symbols, as well as the social organization of Taiwanese folk religion. With the presence of tin-thau, these rituals also display significant parts of oral and gestural local cultures. After presenting tin-thau’s basic features, activities and context, this paper focuses on the religious features of the troupes’ services. From an anthropological viewpoint, it examines how tin-thau’s tangible moments of playing follow in fact the rules of a codified and ceremonial exchange, within the human sphere on the one hand and in favor of gods and spirits on the other hand. These dynamic relations explain many aspects of the troupes’ experience and go beyond depicting their external and performative traits. Finally, this paper explores tin-thau’s theatric dimensions and considers them as constitutive parts of Taiwanese folk religion. The very act of playing, supported by a specific conception of the human body and its vital energy, can equally and primarily be understood as a religious act.

並列關鍵字

processions ； tin-thau (＂processional troupes＂) ； theatric dimension ； ceremonial exchange and sacrifice ； vital energy

參考文獻

FiorellaAllio,Allio(2002).Processions and Local Identity: Ritual Staging of Local History.Sinologie française.7,376-396.

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