馬新民間傳說初探

An Assessment of Folk Legends in Malaysia and Singapore

相對於已然成型的馬華文學研究，馬新民間文學的收集和研究仍然是一塊有待開發的處女地。而馬新民間文學中的傳說部分就蘊含極為豐富的材料，其內容大致可分為歷史人物的傳說，如鄭和、林道乾和盛明利等；地方的傳說，如砂拉越的石隆門、沙巴的中國寡婦山和馬來半島的太平等；宗教的傳說，如大伯公和鄭和的信仰等；動植物的傳說，如老虎、鱷魚和山豬等，共四大類。這些形形色色的傳說故事無疑成為華人社會集體歷史文化記憶傳承的部分，深具社會教育的功用，並且還是南來華工精神寄託的象徵，同時還可視為官方歷史論述以外的民間歷史論述。

The study of “folk literature” in Malaysia and Singapore is still new compared to Malaysian Chinese literature. There is a rich store of materials on legend in this body of folk literature, and it can be grouped into four categories. The first deals with historical figures and legends, including figures as Cheng Ho, Ling Daoqian and Sheng Mingli etc. The second focuses on local legends concerning such places as Bau in Sarawak, Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, and Taiping in Peninsular Malaysia. The third is concerned with religious legends involving popular deities such as Tua Pek Kong and Cheng Ho. The last category is centered on the legends of man-eating animals, especially tigers, crocodiles and wild boars. These various legends have become part of the collective memories that serve as elements of the local culture and history of the Chinese. Therefore, they fulfill certain needs of the community in the area of education, in sustaining the spirit of the newly-arrived Chinese workers from south China, and in serving as part of the community history that is overlaid upon official history.