從《教坊記》之「香火兄弟」則探討唐代特殊的婚姻關係與性別意義

Conjugal Relations and Gender Signification in the Tang Dynasty Sworn Brothers in the Jiaofangji

《教坊記》是記載唐代教坊史料之書，雖然篇幅短小卻保存豐厚的瑣聞記事；其中尤以「香火兄弟」則所開展的性別討論空間，饒富韻味。其所描繪的「女子結拜」現象，與民間習俗「盟誓多設香火告神，以謂彼此相契相愛」模式大抵相近；不同的是，其突顯出女子情誼的重要性，女兒圈「擬血緣」關係，與「女子共夫」香火互通現象。此特殊文化現象，隱含女性朝著男性群體行為的學習與複製，尋求主體置換，與位階順序的轉變。此性別討論對於我們瞭解中國傳統婚姻制度、北方民族婚姻習俗，與貼近唐代文化的開放界域，大有助益；明瞭唐代女性如何不斷逸出常規，在壓抑和焦慮中尋求自我身份的空間。

The Jiaofangji (Record of the Royal Academy of the Fine Arts) is a historical record of the Royal Academy of the Tang dynasty. Though small in size, it is packed full of interesting scraps of information, providing space for a rich discussion of gender especially in relation to “sworn brothers.” Its depiction of “sworn sisters” is very close to the folk custom of “burning incense before the gods to form an alliance.” The main differences are the importance given by women to their sisterly companionship, pseudo-consanguinity, and the oath of loyalty between the wives of a common husband. This unusual cultural phenomenon implies that women of the time were imitating male behavior, seeking subjective displacement, and instituting change in the social hierarchy. This paper’s discussion of gender in the Jiaofangji helps to shed light on traditional Chinese views of marriage, the wedding customs of northern China, and Chinese culture during the Tang dynasty. It hopes to increase our understanding of how women of the Tang dynasty found ways to express their subjectivity and break free of constricting social conventions.