王巡四境：臺灣迎請「代天巡狩」儀式芻論

Plague Lord Inspecting Four Borders, Preliminary Study of the Daitian Xunshou Ritual in Taiwan

臺灣王爺信仰興盛，其中又以迎請代天巡狩儀式最為特別，其儀式為想像模擬古代官府制度，在臺灣各地形成迎接由上天派出的使者（王爺）的儀式，各地區也有不同的方式與習俗，本文整理田野調查資料，為臺灣重要的迎請代天巡狩建立初步的輪廓，將各區的特色以及儀式概況進行記述，並討論其基礎意涵，作為理解臺灣代天巡狩儀式的初步討論。

The cult of the Plague Lord (Wangye) has a significant following in Taiwan. The Daitian Xunshou ritual associated with the cult is especially notable. This ritual derives from an imagining of an ancient bureaucratic system, in which local officials receive an envoy from heaven, the Plague Lord. Details and customs of the ritual vary from one locality to another. In this article, I present data from my field study to sketch an outline of the Daitian Xunshou ritual in Taiwan. I describe features of individual regions, give an account of the ritual scenario, and discuss its fundamental meanings, so as to offer a preliminary understanding of the ritual in question.