摘要
塞壬是希腊神话中令人费解的角色,起源朦胧,争议颇多,其文学和艺术形象也并不协调。本文从文学、艺术和词源学角度追溯塞壬的起源,分析其形象和功能的演变,大致结论是:荷马讲述的塞壬故事可能源于希腊水手从海外获悉的民间传说,即海岛上的年轻女巫用魔歌诱惑水手致死的故事,后被诗人吸收到他的英雄史诗中。由于其歌声的不可抗拒性和致命性,塞壬的海仙女形象逐渐被妖魔化,与古希腊艺术中的鸟人怪物等同起来。塞壬的鸟女人形象可能源于埃及的灵魂鸟"巴",但其功能迥然有别,在希腊古风时代扮演着死亡天使和灵魂劫持者的可怕角色,类似于神话中的鸟形精灵克尔、哈尔皮和狮身人面有翼的斯芬克斯。从公元前5世纪起,塞壬的功能发生变化,逐渐从可怕的死亡精灵和辟邪怪物转变成温和的哀悼者、抚慰者和挽歌歌唱者。塞壬的女性特质源于其诱惑者的角色;其人禽混杂的特征源于其令人生畏的自然和社会属性;她们与天界缪斯的关联源于其有魔力的歌声和洞悉往事未来的能力;偶尔呈现的美人鱼形象(后成为中世纪的标准形象)则源自她们与海洋的固有联系。
In Greek mythology, Sirens are perplexing figures with obscure and disputed origin and their images differ greatly in literature and art. By analysis of the image and function evolutions of Sirens from different perspectives, this paper reaches the following conclusion. The legend of Homeric Sirens is likely introduced by the Greek sailors from abroad, which is a tale about a young witch seduced sailors to death with magic songs. Because of the fatality of Sirens’ songs, the anthropomorphic sea-maidens were gradually demonized and equated with the bird-woman bogeys in ancient Greek art. Their images perhaps originated from the soul-bird Ba of Egypt. In terms of function, Sirens were terrible death-angels or soul snatchers during the Archaic age of Greece, similar to the bird demons such as Ker, Harpies and Sphinxes. Since the fifth century B.C., the functions of Sirens gradually changed into mild mourners, soothers and chanters of funeral dirge. The femininity of Sirens is derived from their roles as seducers;their hybrid form roots in their formidable characters in nature and society;their links with the heavenly Muses spring from their magic songs and mantic power;the sporadic mermaid images, which became a normal form in the Middle age, are originated from their innate connection with the sea.
作者
王以欣
Wang Yixin(Faculty of History,Nankai University,Tianjin,300350,China)
出处
《古代文明》
CSSCI
2019年第2期10-19,125,共11页
The Journal of Ancient Civilizations
关键词
塞壬
灵魂鸟
死亡精灵
阴间缪斯
美人鱼
Sirens
Soul-Birds
Death-Spirits
Muses of the Other World
Mermaids
