解讀「巴冷公主」現象－－魯凱族「頭目之女與蛇聯姻」傳說再創作觀察

Decoding the Popularity of “Princess Baleng,” an Adaptation of Lukai Legends about “Marriage between a Chief's Daughter and a Snake ”

台灣原住民沒有文字，只有各自相異的語言，因此神話與傳說只能以口傳的方式保留，這些口傳故事多半牽涉到族群的信仰、起源和遷徙等生存要題。我們在這些故事裡可以發現許多動物的身影，「人和動物」間的關係十分密切，比較顯著的例子為排灣族和魯凱族流傳的「蛇」故事，而蛇也是兩族代表性的圖騰和祖靈崇拜的對象。特別的是近幾年，兩族皆存有的，但以魯凱族為數較多的「頭目之女與蛇聯姻」類型故事，經由有心人士結合電腦科技、流行音樂、小說與漫畫等「再創作」策略，形成青少年熟悉的「巴冷公主」流行熱潮。一則簡單無華的人獸戀愛故事為何能與流行文化順利結合，成為青少年認同、喜愛的愛情故事？「巴冷公主」傳說的再創過程，便是本文欲探討處。

Without a writing system, Taiwan's indigenous peoples have to orally transmit their myths and legends. These tales mostly involve survival issues such as tribal beliefs, origins, and migrations. Animals appear to be important in the tales as they have close relations with humans. Snakes, being the representative totems and objects for ancestral worship in both Paiwan and Lukai tribes, are conspicuous examples found in their tales. Tales surrounding the theme of “marriage between a chief's daughter and a snake” are found in both tribes, but are especially popular in Lukai. Such tales were recently adapted to be a high-tech creation entitled “Princess Baleng” by combining computer technology, popular music, and creation strategies used in novels and cartoons. “Princess Baleng” has become a hit among young people. How could a simple love story between a human and a snake merge smoothly with popular culture and be accepted and adored by teenagers? This article studies the re-creation process of “Princess Baleng” and analyzes its popularity.