Evolutionary History of Monster：A Study on Wang-xiang

• Main Authors: Yi-Lin Chen, 陳依琳
• Other Authors: 陳器文
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/50674498275484768864

碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 中國文學系所 === 105 === The term”Wang Xiàng” first appeared in Guoyu, the ancient book of early Warring States period. It says: “Monsters of wood and stone are called Kuí-Wǎngliǎng; Monsters of water are called Lóng-Wǎngxiàng; Monsters of earth are called Fěn Yáng”. According to related literatures, Wǎng Xiàng refers to monsters that exist in the nature. There are different substitution terms for Wǎng Xiàng, which could be resulted from the differences of ancient pronunciation, dialects and sound change, such as “Wǎng liǎng”, “Wú Shāng”, etc. Wang Xiàng comprises two words; however, they are interpreted as a single sound symbol in Chinese, which emphasizes the pronunciation of the term rather than the actual meaning of each word. Wang Xiàng is part of the ancient Animism. It embodies the great fear existed our ancestors when they faced the unknown. By investigating the complicate and diverse evolution of Wang Xiàng, we can peep into the complex process of psychological changes that accompanied our ancestors when they stepped into cultural society. Wang Xiàng cultural started as a simple worship of natural monsters, which gradually evolved into elements of spiritual culture, such as legend, custom, ideology, origins of poets and odes, Nuo dance Nuo ceremonies, and material culture, like Fāng xiàng shì and masks. In this article, we investigated the cultural significance of Wang Xiàng and its related cultures as they embodied the fear inside ancient humans. We first studied archaeological finds and literature references to clarify the interconnections among Wang Xiàng, its substitution terms, and different monster figures. Secondly, we focused on ritual ceremonies and human psychology. At length, we discussed how does Wang Xiàng impact human life and its remains in modern society to exploit the meaning of the culture it represents.