閩地敬蛇如神

中國漢字源遠流長，其象形文字的特點在古老的漢字中尤為突出。福建的簡稱“閩”字，在篆書中的形狀是一條蛇盤踞在門內。漢代許慎在《說文解字》中這樣解釋：“閩，東南越，蛇種”，揭示了福建地區古時以蛇為圖騰的文化背景。

Chinese characters have a rich and profound history， with their pictographic features particularly evident in ancient scripts. The character “Min，” an abbreviation for Fujian Province， is represented in seal script as a snake coiled inside a doorway. Xu Shen， a Han Dynasty scholar， explained in his dictionary Shuowen Jiezi that “Min”refers to the southeastern Yue people， known as the “snake tribe，” highlighting the cultural significance of snake totems in ancient Fujian.

蛇文化的淵源 Origins of snake worship

福建的自然環境為蛇類提供了理想的棲息地。那里氣候濕熱、林木茂密，適合蛇類繁衍生息。古代福建人長期與蛇打交道，將蛇視為神靈，尊為先祖，蛇崇拜成為他們獨特的 信仰。

Fujian’s natural environment provides an ideal habitat for snakes. The region’s humid， hot climate and lush forests make it a haven for these creatures. Over generations， ancient Fujianese lived closely with these creatures， coming to revere them as deities and ancestral spirits. This deep connection made snake worship a unique aspect of their faith.

福建蛇的種類豐富，武夷山還被稱為“蛇的王國”。秦漢以前，福建草木叢生，毒蛇出沒。起初，人們驚訝于蛇可以來去無蹤，脫皮蛻變，水陸兩棲，沒腳也沒翅膀卻能躥突騰越。之后，人們發現蛇不但能傷害人畜，甚至能毒死或吞食兇猛的野獸，這令他們感到恐懼，以為蛇具有某種超自然的力量。久而久之，這種恐懼逐漸演化為敬畏，人們把蛇當作圖騰加以崇拜。

Fujian is home to a remarkable variety of snake species， with the Wuyi Mountains often referred to as the “Kingdom of Snakes.” Before the Qin and Han dynasties， the area was covered in dense vegetation， where venomous snakes thrived. The mysterious habits of snakes — appearing and disappearing without warning， shedding their skins， thriving in both water and land， and moving swiftly despite having no legs or wings — fascinated people. Their ability to harm humans and livestock， or even kill and devour fierce predators， instilled fear and awe， leading people to ascribe supernatural powers to them. Over time， this fear evolved into totemic worship.

在福建省南平市樟湖鎮的寶峰山，考古發掘證實了這里是新石器時代閩人的聚居地。出土的陶片上有著類似蛇的紋理，有蛇皮紋，還有蛇頭的象形圖案，這些都是當地“蛇崇拜”文化的歷史見證。

Archaeological discoveries at Baofeng Mountain in Zhanghu Town， Nanping City， provide concrete evidence of this cultural phenomenon. Pottery fragments uncovered at this Neolithic settlement of the ancient Min people feature snake-like patterns， including snakeskin motifs and depictions of snakeheads. These artifacts confirm the region’s profound connection to snake worship.

蛇文化的習俗 Snake culture and folk traditions

福建的蛇文化不僅體現在歷史遺跡中，更活躍在民間習俗里。

Fujian’s snake culture is not only preserved in historical relics but also thrives in vibrant folk traditions.

每年農歷七月初七，樟湖會舉辦“游蛇神”的民俗活動，這一傳統已經延續了千百年。為了籌備這天的活動，當地的蛇王廟會發動村民捕蛇，能捕蛇、捕大蛇也成為當地青少年勇敢、機智的象征。村民將捕到的活蛇送到蛇王廟，由“收蛇人”喂養在陶質的“鮮龍瓶”中。七月初七一早，村民將巨大的蟒蛇和蛇神“連公”從蛇王廟請出游行，以此祈求風調雨順、五谷豐登、闔家平安。游行隊伍中每人拿著一條蛇，場面十分壯觀。各家各戶也會備好鞭炮和香火迎神，有的人家還會準備一桶水，讓蛇在游行的路上能夠清涼一下。

One of the celebrations is the “Snake Deity Parade，” held annually on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month in Zhanghu Town. This centuries-old tradition begins with the Snake King Temple organizing villagers to catch snakes， an activity celebrated as a test of the youth’s bravery and ingenuity. Once captured， the snakes are brought to the temple， cared for by designated “snake keepers，”and placed in clay jars called “fresh dragon vases.”On the morning of the festival， the townspeople take them and the revered snake deity， “Master Lian，” on a ceremonial parade through the town. This grand procession is a communal prayer for favorable weather， bountiful harvests， and family well-being. Each participant carries a snake， creating a spectacular scene. Along the route， people light firecrackers， burn incense， and even place buckets of water outside their homes to cool the snakes during the march.

最后，所捕到的蛇是要放生的。為了防止有人去捕放生后的蛇，放生地會暫時保密。游行隊伍回到蛇王廟，廟里會租一艘船，將蛇運到庫區投放水面。據老人講述，那群蛇入水后，還會“一步三回頭”：向前游一段水路，再回游到船邊，抬頭向人點頭致意后再轉身向前游，如此反復三次才依依不舍地離去。

After the parade， the focus shifts to the captured snakes’ safe return to the wild. To protect them， the release location is kept secret. The temple oversees their transport by boat to a nearby reservoir， where they are released into the water. Elders recount a poignant tradition： as the snakes are set free， they swim forward but repeatedly return to the boat， raising their heads as if to bow in gratitude before departing. This act is repeated three times， as though the snakes are bidding a reluctant farewell.

樟湖民間另一項關于崇拜蛇神的“游蛇燈”活動在農歷正月元宵節前后舉行。整個樟湖鎮從正月初六開始到二十一日，分村、街道、姓氏等舉辦游神活動。人們相互宴請賓客，來客越多，主人越感到光彩。游神隊伍以蛇燈為主，各村的蛇燈各不相同。蛇燈由蛇頭、蛇身和蛇尾三部分組成。蛇頭和蛇尾是用竹篾（miè）扎成一個框架，再用彩紙裝飾外表，畫上鱗甲，里面是空心的。蛇身是由一節節的燈板連起來組成的。板上有三個燈罩，里面燃著紅蠟燭，四周貼著漂亮的剪紙圖案，寫著“國泰民安”“五谷豐登”等吉祥語。每家每戶都會制作燈板。游蛇燈隊伍走街串巷，緩緩而行。蛇頭高聳著，上下擺動，蛇身蜿蜒浮動，在夜幕下猶如有一條巨大的火蛇在飛舞，十分壯觀。游蛇隊伍每到一個街口都要朝天放三響火銃（chòng），每到一戶人家門前都要停下來“享受”幾大串紅鞭炮。游行結束時，參加游行的人會撕走蛇頭蛇尾燈上的紙片帶回家，以討個吉利。

Another folk tradition in Zhanghu that honors the snake deity is the Snake Lantern Parade， held around the Lantern Festival during the first lunar month. From the sixth to the twenty-first day of the month， the town comes alive with parades organized by communities， neighborhoods or clans， each hosting grand feasts where the number of guests becomes a source of pride and honor. The centerpiece of the parade is the snake lantern， with each village contributing its own uniquely designed creation. A snake lantern consists of three parts： the head， the body， and the tail. The head and tail are crafted from bamboo strips woven into frames， covered with brightly colored paper， and painted with scales. Inside， they are left hollow. The body comprises connected “lantern panels，” each adorned with three lantern shades holding glowing red candles. The panels are decorated with intricate paper cuttings and inscribed with auspicious phrases such as “Peace and Prosperity” and “Abundant Harvests.”Every household contributes a lantern panel. As the procession winds through the streets， the snake lantern moves slowly and gracefully， its head raised high and swaying， while its body undulates like a fiery snake dancing in the night. The spectacle is mesmerizing. At every street corner， three loud firecracker salutes pierce the sky， and at each home， the parade pauses to “receive” warm welcomes with long strings of red firecrackers. When the parade concludes， participants tear small pieces of paper from the lantern’s head or tail to take home as tokens of good luck.

蛇的民間故事 Snake folktales

福建的蛇文化還體現在豐富的民間故事中。《中國民間故事集成 · 福建卷》中記載了與蛇有關的故事，如“人心不足蛇吞象”等，廣泛流傳于福建的泉州和漳州地區。

Fujian’s snake culture is also richly reflected in its folklore. Stories such as “The Greed of Man Outweighs that of the Snake，” recorded in The Collection of Chinese Folktales， Fujian Volume， remain widely told in the Quanzhou and Zhangzhou regions.

李寄斬蛇的故事也是福建地區流傳甚廣的民間傳說。相傳在東越閩中地區的山里，有一條巨蛇為害一方。當地居民為了求平安，不得不在每年八月用童女祭祀它。李寄，一位勇敢的少女，自愿成為祭品，帶著寶劍和獵犬進入蛇穴。她用蜜糖拌好的米餈（cí）引出巨蛇，然后放出獵犬攻擊，自己則趁機用劍猛砍，最終殺死了巨蛇。李寄的英勇事跡傳到越王耳中，越王聘她為王后，并封賞她的家人。從此，那里再也沒有出現過妖邪之物。李寄斬蛇的故事也成為當地的歌謠，流傳至今，它就像一面鏡子，映照出古代福建人對自然和神秘力量的敬畏，以及對抗自然災害的決心和勇氣。

Another famous legend is the tale of Li Ji slaying a giant snake. During the Eastern Yue period， in the mountainous regions of central Fujian， a monstrous snake terrorized the local villagers. To protect their community， the villagers sacrificed a young girl to it every August. Li Ji， a courageous young woman， volunteered to be the offering. Armed with a sword and accompanied by her loyal hunting dog， she ventured into the snake’s lair. Cleverly using honey and rice cakes to lure the beast out， she unleashed her dog to attack it. While the snake was distracted， Li Ji seized the moment and struck it with her sword， slaying the beast. Her heroic deeds reached the King of Yue， who， in admiration， made her his queen and rewarded her family. From that day on， the villagers were freed from the snake’s terror， and Li Ji’s bravery was immortalized in a local ballad that has been passed down through generations. This tale not only highlights the ancient Fujian people’s awe for the mysterious forces of nature， but also shows their resilience and courage in the face of natural threats.

福建人敬蛇如神，這一獨特的文化現象不僅體現了人與自然和諧共生的理念，也描繪出一幅人與自然界生物和諧共生的美好畫卷。

Fujian’s reverence for snakes embodies a unique cultural phenomenon. It illustrates a deep respect for the creatures of the natural world and serves as reminders of the enduring bond between humanity and nature.