高雄縣王爺廟分析：兼論王爺信仰的姓氏說

Analysis of Wang-ye Temples in Kaohsiung County: Exploring the Surnames of Wang-ye

本文檢討過去有關王爺信仰之起源與發展諸說，在瘟神說、厲鬼說、功烈英靈說、鄭成功說、不同階段演變說、角頭說、庄頭說及區域說之外，特別提出姓氏說，來說明王爺信仰與姓氏的關係，不僅王爺名稱具有族姓特徵，其崇祀人群亦與姓氏群大有關係。本文最主要是提供高雄縣王爺信仰之地方公廟的調查資料，分析王爺廟之祭祀範圍的地域層次：以庄廟居多，角頭廟居次；香火緣起的類型：以分香類型及先民攜來類型居多；亦分析高雄縣王爺信仰的主要祭祀活動，及以王爺為副祀神的信仰實況。綜合而言，高雄縣91座王爺廟，主祀的王爺之姓氏有21姓，連同副祀王爺的姓氏一起計算的話，共有41姓，其中以池府王爺為數最多。王爺姓氏與庄社居民的主要姓氏相同者，亦有數例。此外，高雄縣的角頭廟中有一半左右主祀王爺，不消說，角頭大部份為同姓族人聚居。以王爺為庄廟主神的庄社，十分之七以上具有優勢姓。而先民攜來類型的王爺三分之二以上是族姓私佛。由此可見王爺與姓氏的密切關係。本文提出的王爺信仰的姓氏說，雖初見端倪於角頭說，但卻不能為角頭說所全部涵蓋。神明信仰與姓氏的關係雖未必獨於王爺為然，但王爺信仰與姓氏的關係卻特別顯著，自有其深意，期待未來另文從漢人宇宙觀的觀點加以詮釋。

Based upon a survey data, this paper first examines previous theories of the origin and development of Wang-yeh beliefs in Taiwan and then goes on to describe and analyze Wang-yeh worship at local temples in Kaohsiung County in southern Taiwan. Wang-yeh beliefs might have originated from plague gods, demons, sacrificial spirits, the spirit of Cheng Cheng-kung (Koxinga), or have developed along with the development of a ritual neighborhood, village, or larger region. Most Wang-yeh temples are village temples, though some are hamlet temples. In addition to sometimes serving as the principal deity, Wang-yeh also often serves as a secondary deity at temples with other principal deities. The origin of these local Wang-yeh are basically as copies of other famous Wang-yeh or Wang Yeh brought by early immigrants. This survey found a total of 91 local temples with Wang-yeh as the principal deity. When the principal deity, the Wang-yeh had 21 different surnames. There are a total of 41 surnames for Wang-yeh as either the principal or secondary deity at local temples in Kaohsiung County. The Wang-yeh surnamed Ch'ih (Ch'ih Wang-yeh) is the most common Wang-yeh in local temples in Kaohsiung County. It is evident that some close relationship exists between Wang-yeh and surnames. Wang-yeh who are worshipped in local temples in territorial units in Taiwan not only typically possess their own surnames, they occasionally share the same surname with their local believers. A single surname group dominates many hamlets in rural Taiwan. Over 70 percent of the rural villages in Kaohsiung County where Wang-yeh is the principal deity are dominated by a single surname group. In a few cases, villager or hamlet residents worship the Wang-yeh of their own surname. Also, more than two-thirds of the Wang-yeh brought by early immigrants were once the private deity of a surname group. This paper thus develops a surname theory of Wang-yeh to document and account for some of the above characteristics of Wang-yeh belief. This theory was anticipate in, but not fully explained by, the ritual-hamlet theory. Though not the only instance of a relationship between the surname of local temple deities and that community's dominant surname group, this feature is much more conspicuous in Wang-yeh beliefs. This relationship of an identity of a deity surname and the surname of that community's dominant surname group can be further examined from the perspective of Han Chinese cosmology. I suggest that the variety of Wang-yeh surnames indicate that, as supernatural beings, they are not far removed from a human world where everyone has a surname.