衝突、競爭與合作－－南台灣神靈鬥法傳說中的敘述結構、信仰關係與地方互動

在台灣豐富多元的民間信仰傳說裡，神靈（鬼）交鋒、鬥法及調停的傳說即是相當特殊的一類。傳說中的神靈雙方常因各種因素導致激烈的衝突，當兩方相持不下，甚至導致更大的傷亡災害時，便有更高位階靈力的神明出面調停。而在雙方神靈激烈衝突的背後，除了反映人們對於生存空間和諧與秩序的期待之外，也隱含著地方聚落與族群為爭奪環境資源與經濟利益的衝突關係，以及廟宇之間彼此結盟競合的複雜狀態。因此，本文試從南台灣神靈鬥法傳說之相關內容與敘事結構，來思考傳說背後追求秩序與和諧的庶民思維，並分析征戰隱喻之下的族群衝突與互動，以及地方族群與廟宇形成認同和凝聚力的過程，這也將是觀察神、人、地方三者之互動關係很有意思的切入點。 Legends of battle and mediation between gods and ghosts are unique in the richly diverse folktales in Taiwan. In the legends, two sides often end up in fierce conflict. When neither side can prevail, a higher spiritual power will intervene. In addition to reflecting contemporary ideas about conflict and the restoration of harmony, the legends also reflect local history. The conflicts in the legends recall struggles by different ethnic groups in local settlements for limited resources and economic benefits as well as the complex alliances and competitive relations between temples, which played an important role in local identity formation and maintenance. In summary, this research treats the legends as allegories of the complex interactive relationships between gods, humans, and settlements.