試從蛇的圖像、蛇形標誌、人與蛇合體的靈獸造型與寓意談地中海古文明蛇文化的共性與區域特性

Uraeus and the Spiritual and Beastly Profile of Man and to Discuss the Similarities and Disparities of Regional Characteristics of the Snake Culture within the Ancient Dwellers Who Bordered the Mediterranean Sea

朱蓮(Lein Chu)

《跨界：大學與社會參與》 6期 (2015/06) Pp. 95-182

摘要

蛇在世界各民族的神話傳說、民間信仰與民俗文化中一直是不可或缺的重要角色。銜尾蛇「烏羅伯洛斯」（Ouroboros）是一個自古代流傳至今的符號，近代心理學家常將其運用於心理分析上，認為銜尾蛇其實反映了人類心理的原型。心理分析釋夢學（Oneirology）、心理治療釋夢實務、神秘學（Mysticism）急救標誌、醫療標誌、順勢療法（Homeopathy），以及蛇力瑜伽（KundaliniYoga）對超心理學的心靈轉化之修煉，乃至文學藝術創作的隱喻等等，均與地中海古文明的蛇文化密切關聯。神話傳說、民間信仰與民俗文化反映了一個國家或民族內在深層的思維模式和內蘊的核心價值，是文化的精髓和根基，因此蛇文化的探討實為不可忽視的重要課題。地中海臨接歐、亞、非三洲，是古代西方世界交通的大軸心，自古以來就扮演著偉大文化傳遞者的角色（Hermann Bengtson 著、黃俊傑譯 1979：43）。透過航運之便，地中海周遭的古文明得以密切接觸與交流，並在文化交換中相互融合，創化出符合自己需求的新文化。本文試圖以人類對自然現象所產生的畏懼與崇敬的心理狀態，參酌心理學家榮格（Carl Gustav Jung）的理論與神話學家約瑟夫‧坎伯（Joseph Campbell）的觀點，以生物學、圖像學（Iconography）、神話學、心理學與民俗學的角度來說明地中海古文明蛇的圖像、蛇形標誌（Uraeus）、人與蛇合體的靈獸造型與寓意之多元發展，並探討古代地中海世界（太田秀通著、高明士譯 1979：46-61）蛇文化的共性與區域特性。

關鍵字

蛇圖像 ； 蛇形標誌 ； 符號標誌 ； 圖像學 ； 心理學 ； 民俗學

並列摘要

The Snake is considered to have always played a manifestly important role in mythic legend, folk belief and in many cultures, while the ouroboros representation has been an important symbol for many cultures and professions and has been passed down from ancient times until today. Among contemporary psychologists, many have made use of it in their psychoanalysis; many believe the ouroboros has, in reality, reflected the archetype of human psychology. In addition, with reference to the practices of oneirology and mysticism, there are in many contemporary societies multiple uses of this semiology such as those used in emergency signage, medical signage, homeopathy and also kundalini yoga used in psychological transformation of parapsychology, and in the metaphor of literary and artistic creation and so on and so forth, many are found to have close relationship to snake cultures of ancient Mediterranean. Quite noticeably the Mediterranean Sea is proximal to three continents, those of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and was reckoned as the major axis of transportation in the ancient western world, and it had since olden times, been playing a role of the great culture deliverer. Through the convenience of marine transportation, ancient civilizations along the area of the Mediterranean came to be closely connected and had developed regular contact and in time had exchanged many innovations. Moreover, they had mutually blended and intermingled through ongoing cultural exchanges thus creating such brand new cultures that met their needs. This article made reference to the theories of Carl Gustav Jung (the psychologist) and Joseph Campbell (the mythologist) with regards to the psychological conditions of fear and worship which has rendered from mankind a propensity towards natural but abstract phenomena, and attempted to explore and elaborate from the perspective of biology, iconography, mythology, psychology, and folklore.

並列關鍵字

snake image ； uraeus ； sign symbol iconography ； psychology ； folklore