臺灣虎姑婆故事之深層結構──以自然與文化二元對立觀之

The Research for Structural Analysis and Folk Investigation of Taiwan's Grandaunt Tiger Story

虎姑婆是臺灣流傳最廣的「關鍵民間故事」，係屬333C【老虎外婆】類型，人獸合體的虎姑婆形象，乃由大陸閩越原鄉地移植而來。然臺灣不產虎的外在地理條件，虎姑婆竟成為民眾偏好精怪之集體記憶典型，大人們習於複沓講述此一想像獸魔，俾使虎姑婆成為孩童共同懼怕的箭垛型精怪。本文借用法國人類學家李維斯陀神話學理論，從故事之深層結構，試圖尋找虎姑婆不斷傳唱之文化意蘊，發覺虎姑婆敘事底層蘊藏了人類共向心靈結構「自然∕文化」二元對立之矛盾，故事情節亦折射此一衝突與協調：表格略虎姑婆故事呈現的「自然∕文化」二元對立並非涇渭分明，而有互滲、辯證、流動傾向：在虎姑婆入侵的情節裡，野獸突破獸性，企圖破除「人獸對立」，展示「文明化」種種努力。而於孩子反擊情節，小主角爬上大樹，最後變成月亮，透露人類不能倚靠文化優勢，得漸漸往「自然化」靠攏，方得以求生。本文探查臺灣虎姑婆故事底層潛存的民俗心理，以及故事不斷傳敘的緣由，探索隱蔽於民間敘事背後的文化象徵，提供民間文學研究學界另一扇多元詮釋的補遺。

Grandaunt Tiger is the most widespread key folktale in Taiwan and it belongs to the 333C type of AT categories. The image combination of man and animal comes from the oral tales in ancient Mainland China. However, the tiger is not protozoan in Taiwan. Why did the Grandaunt Tiger story become the literary “Monster prototype” in this island? This essay aims to investigate the collective memories of Taiwan's cultural psychological structure. This essay will use mythology theory of French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss. From the deep structure of this tale, I will attempt to seek for the cultural implications, and “the nature/culture” mind structure that is unceasingly flooded in the process of conciliatory conflict and coordinated confronting. (The form abridges) In the analysis, this essay aims ardently to point out the dual opposition of nature and culture is by no means absolutely distinct, but has the tendency of mutual transition. In the plot of Grandaunt Tiger's invasion, it presents the wild animal's breakthrough of beastly nature, which exemplifies the meaning of “eradicating the absolute separation of men and beasts.” But the plot of children's counter-attacks, highlights that humanity cannot lean on the cultural superiority, but instead gradually “naturalizes.” This essay will promulgate the dialectical and mobile situation of natural and cultural process in the Grandaunt Tiger story, which can provide multi-dimensional annotation for folk literature research in Taiwan.