臺南地區民間無祀孤魂轉化為神明的考察

Apotheosis of Neglected Spirits in Tainan

臺南地區「無祀厲鬼」的民間信仰中，特別是在沿海區域，有許多所謂的元帥廟或將軍廟，除了供奉一般無源可考的元帥或將軍外，其餘主神的命名，大多與山、海、水、風等自然景觀或自然現象有關。與山有關者，如鎮山元帥、鎮山城隍；與海有關者，如鎮海元帥、鎮海將軍、遊海元帥、鎮海城隍；與水有關者，如游水將軍、清水將軍；與風有關者，如騰風元帥。在臺南沿海區域，民間所稱的有應公、萬善爺、大眾爺等「無主孤魂」信仰，有些早已被當地居民與信眾予以神格化，由厲鬼轉變成神明。但因係厲鬼變成神明，所以神格不能太高，稱為「元帥」、「將軍」，而不稱「千歲」（王爺）。至於大眾爺成「神」之後，民間之稱為鎮海元帥、騰風元帥或鎮山元帥，應與信眾對無祀厲鬼升格為元帥、將軍等神祇後，「騰風」元帥能馭風而行、風平浪靜；「鎮海」元帥（將軍）能鎮服海濤、海不揚波的神職（神能）訴求有關。無祀孤魂神格化的最重要表徵是神像（金身）的出現，而隨著無祀孤魂轉化為神明後產生的另一項信仰現象，就是分靈或分香廟宇的出現。分靈、分香廟宇會隨信眾移民落腳至新地點，並於每年特定期間回母廟謁祖或進香。朝向香火化，經歷了神格化與神像化的蛻變後，「無祀祠」已脫離「厲祠」陰廟形象，轉而變成地方的庄廟、角頭廟，甚至是諸多分香、分靈子廟的祖廟。

The apotheosis of neglected and malevolent ghosts is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in the folk religion of the Tainan area, especially along the coast. Numerous places of worship known as 'Marshal Temple' and 'General Temple' can be found there. In addition to the worship of various marshals and generals of unknown provenance, the main object of veneration is a deity named after some natural phenomena, such as mountains, sea, water, or wind. Deities related to mountains include Marshal Zhenshan and City God Zhenshan; those related to the sea include Marshal Zhenhai, General Zhenhai, Marshal Youhai, and City God Zhenhai; those connected with water include General Youshui and General Qingshui; and those connected with wind include Marshal Tengfeng. Deities now known as Yu-ying-kung (有應公), the lonely ghosts that ask and you shall receive), Lord Wanshan, and Lord Dazhong used to be neglected ghosts but were transformed into deities by folk religion practitioners living along the Tainan coast. These deities were promoted from malicious ghosts of relatively low status; thus, they do not occupy very high positions in the local folk religion pantheon, and are given titles such as 'marshal' or 'general' rather than 'his royal highness.' After being upgraded to the status of deity, Lord Dazhong began to be called Marshal Zhenhai, Marshal Tengfeng, or Marshal Zhenshan. Once a malicious ghost is promoted to the status of marshal or general, he gains the ability to control a particular natural phenomenon. For example, Marshal Tengfeng has the ability to pacify the wind and waves, and Marshal (General) Zhenhai has the ability to calm the ocean. The appearance of an kimsin (金身, the statue of deity) is the most important indication of the apotheosis of a neglected ghost. Following apotheosis, a deity may undergo a process of multiplication whereby his duplicates take up residence in a number of branch temples. This process is related to the emigration of the deity's followers, and at a set time every year the duplicates return to the mother temple to call on the ancestor deity and make offerings. Once the apotheosis is complete, the deity's former shrine loses its function as a place for commemorating abandoned ghosts and is transformed into a local zhuang miao(庄廟), a jiaotou miao(角頭廟), or even a mother temple in its own right.