運用符號學觀點分析《山海經》神怪造形之創作研究

Abstract

《山海經》可說是中國古代的百科全書，全書約三萬多字，共分十八卷，前五卷合稱為「五藏山經」，又簡稱「山經」；後十三卷原本並沒有專名，但因其又以海外、海內各經為主，因此又被稱為「海經」。內容用字非常精簡，大多都是簡短的陳述句，但是內容所涉領域卻包羅萬象，例如：地理、地質、天文、氣象、生物、礦產、醫藥、水利、考古、人類學、海洋學、科技史、民族學、宗教、神話等，學者郭璞為其作注時曾說：「非天下之至通，難與言《山海經》之義。」可見其內容之廣大淵博。而其中記載有約377個關於各種神怪造形的敘述(不包含異國異民)，其形貌各異、習性特徵包羅萬象，甚至作為各種徵兆的象徵，可以說全書最引人注目也最有想像力的部分。

本研究以西方符號學理論為探討《山海經》神怪敘述的核心觀點，分析其符號組成的共同敘事結構，進而更客觀印證了許多學者認為《山海經》具有統一的敘事風格的說法，以及初民運用符號與創造符號的情形。《山海經》中的神怪符號系統是「虛實交雜」的，包含著初民對實物觀察的經驗及被賦予的象徵意義，同時也是初民用以敘述、解釋天地萬物，甚至傳承歷史的手法。嚴格來說，他們和一般中國神怪小說中全憑想像捏造出的神怪是有所不同的。

在本研究進行的創作方面，則嘗試藉由符號分析、重組編碼的方式，將《山海經》神怪造形與臺灣當代社會上所發生的重要事件或議題結合，成為不單純只是對其外在造形敘述重新詮釋的創作方式，而是藉由隱喻的手法賦予神怪造形符號新的象徵意義，以及創新的形體面貌，讓觀者產生情感刺激之外，也能對中國傳統文化產生興趣，吸引更多人投入研究與創作。Shan Hai Jing is an encyclopaedia of ancient China which has eighteen chapters and thirty thousand words approximately. The first five chapters name Wu Zang Shan Jing, abbreviated name Shan Jing. Formerly the last thirteen chapters has no proper nouns, both Regions Beyond seas and regions within seas are the mainly scriptures that called Hai Jing as well. The phrases of Shan Hai Jing are simple and short statement, however, the content relates inclusive of everything. The descriptions are usually of geography, astronomy, meteorology, biology, mineralogy, medicine, water conservancy, archaeology, anthropology, oceanology, the history of technology, nationality, religion, mythology, etc. Scholar Guo Pu had mentioned that it’s hard to define Shan Hai Jing if you are not the most knowledgeable person of the world. It’s thus evident that widespread knowledge of content. Furthermore, there’re about 377 descriptions of appearance for gods and monsters (without foreign country and people). The most attractive part and cause everyone’s imagination in the book is descriptions of unusual appearances and multiplex features.

The viewpoint of Shan Hai Jin is probing into the theory of western semiotics in the research, and analyze combinations of symbols for structures descriptively. As many scholars thought, it proves objectively that Shan Hai Jing has the same style of statement. Moreover, it shows the condition of symbolic application and creation. The unusual symbolism is mixing false and true, it also includes the experience of observation and the symbolic significance which used by people for description or define everything of the world, even the way of pass down the history. Strictly speaking, they are different from general Chinese myths which are made up.

During the creation of this research, combining the myths of Shan Hai Jing and currently issues of Taiwan’s society via symbolism and re-coding. It’s not only a new annotation in creation, but also a metaphor of symbols. The innovative feature stimulates viewers’ emotions, and it would attract more people doing the research and creation at traditional Chinese culture.