Exorcize and suppress evil spirits -Gongchen Door God
文 / 蔡子容
俗話有云：“人若衰，種匏仔生菜瓜。”不僅人會遇到時運不濟，就連神明也不是個個吉星高照。在民間五祀中，「門神」可謂是屬於我們口中那種流年不利的神祇！擔任門神這職務，需要晝夜不停地為百姓看守住所，左踢邪祟、右打鬼怪，防止四方妖魔侵門踏戶。然而，越來越少人會正正經經地祭祀他們，這種待遇真的是比不上同袍的灶神，甚至可能比不上七月時的孤魂野鬼。
There is a saying: "It never rains but it pours." Not only do individuals encounter periods of bad luck, but even deities don't always have favorable fortunes. In the realm of folk religion, among the Five Offerings, the "Door Gods" can be considered gods associated with unfavorable circumstances. Undertaking the role of Door Gods requires constant vigilance day and night, guarding the people, warding off evil spirits on the left and battling ghosts on the right, preventing malevolent forces from trespassing through the doors. However, fewer and fewer people perform solemn rituals to honor them, a treatment that might not match that of their fellow deities, like the Kitchen God, and could even be less than the spirits during the Ghost Month in July.
話雖如此，但這並不代表門神是位階很低的小神仙。相反地，東亞門神的歷史悠久，不同的朝代、宗教都有專屬於他們的司門之神。人們不僅能在自家的門聯、傳統的廟宇建築上看見他們，連城牆也囊括在他們的守備範圍內。本篇文章將帶您走訪左營舊城北門，去拜訪一下守候了這片土地百年的門神。
That being said, it doesn't imply that Door Gods hold a low status among the celestial beings. On the contrary, Door Gods have a long history in East Asia, with different dynasties and religions having their specific gods guarding the gates. Not only can people find them on their own door couplets and traditional temple structures, but even town walls fall under their protective domain. This article will take you on a visit to the North Gate of Zuoying Old Town, where Door Gods have stood watch over this land for centuries.
左營舊城的興衰與門神的到來
The Rise and Fall of Zuoying Old Town and the Arrival of the Door Gods
話說從頭，要了解舊城門神之前，必須先好好探究一下左營舊城與城牆之間的故事。左營舊城，別名鳳山縣舊城，是台灣當今第一座土城。然而，若仔細觀察，會發現在高雄的埤頭區還有另一個「鳳山」，這究竟是怎麼一回事呢？
To understand the story of the old city door gods, we must first delve into the history between Zuoying Old Town and its walls. Zuoying Old Town, also known as Fengshan County Old City, was the first earthen wall in present-day Taiwan. However, upon closer observation, one would notice another "Fengshan" in the Pitou area of Kaohsiung. What's the story behind this?
事實上，早期談到鳳山時，大多指的是左營區的這個鳳山城。然而，在清領時期，左營這裡被民兵攻破，官署遷址至埤頭。這座城的名字也一併帶了過去，一直延續至今日。為了區別，左營的鳳山便被稱為「鳳山舊城」。踏入舊城，彷彿能聽見歷史的呼喚，城牆間彌漫著時光的沉澱。而這片土地的變遷，也為舊城門神的誕生埋下了一段動人的故事。
In fact, early references to Fengshan mostly referred to the Fengshan City in Zuoying District. However, during the Qing Dynasty, Zuoying was breached by militia, and government offices were relocated to Pitou. The name of the town also moved along, continuing to the present day. To distinguish, “Fengshan” in Zuoying became known as "Zuoying Old Town". Stepping into the old town, one can almost hear the call of history, with the walls saturated with the sediment of time. And the transformation of this land also laid the groundwork for a captivating story behind the birth of the old town door gods.
這「三年一小反、五年一大反」的動盪時代，指的正是那些渡海來台的羅漢腳與污吏貪官之間的激烈摩擦。在清代，台灣受到政府嚴格的統治，移民過來的單身壯丁因為政府嚴禁婦女渡海，造成他們難以娶妻生子，無法成家立業。同時，由於吏治不良，官員們貪污腐敗，社會動盪，械鬥和民變屢見不鮮。這些動盪時期，台灣社會人心惶惶。
The turbulent era of "minor uprisings every three years, major uprisings every five years" refers to the intense friction between the roving monks who crossed the seas to Taiwan and the corrupt officials. During the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan was under strict government rule, and single men who immigrated here faced difficulties in getting married and starting families due to strict government regulations prohibiting women from crossing the seas. Meanwhile, due to poor governance, officials were corrupt, leading to social unrest, fights, and uprisings becoming commonplace. In these tumultuous times, fear gripped the hearts of the people in Taiwanese society.
然而，清朝政府卻禁止在台灣建立城池，因擔心高山皇帝遠，人民會倚仗城池而進行叛亂。因此，鳳山縣城成為民兵攻擊的首要目標。在朱一貴事件之後，鳳山的知縣打破禁令，與居民自發合作，開始興建土牆。為了城市的安全，他們無所不用其極，利用泥土、木頭和莿竹等資材，建造了全台第一座土城。時至今日，已成為當地歷史上一個重要的事件。
However, the Qing government prohibited the construction of walled cities in Taiwan, fearing that if the emperor was far away, people would rely on the fortifications to rebel. Therefore, Fengshan County City became the primary target of militia attacks. After the incident involving Zhu Yigui, the magistrate of Fengshan broke the ban and, with the cooperation of the residents, began building earthen walls. For the safety of the city, they did whatever they could, using materials such as soil, wood, and bamboo to construct the first earthen city in Taiwan. Today, it has become an important event in local history.
可是，這簡陋的土牆仍然抵擋不住暴徒，在林爽文事件中被盟軍莊大田攻下，民房被燒毀，土城也崩塌了。官署於是遷址至埤頭，就在這段時期，鳳山這個名字從左營區帶到了下埤頭。雖然換了新居，卻並未帶來新的福氣。民變隨即再度來襲，再加上新鳳山還遭遇由蔡牽所率領的強盜襲擊，人民這才想起了鳳山舊城的美好。於是，這次由民間集資，依靠著龜山，再次蓋起了咾咕石牆。即便皇帝下詔令，石牆也建好了，天下卻仍然動盪。人民與官署並不想放棄下埤頭這熱鬧的生活區，回到清冷的左營。再加上當時流傳出縣令杜紹祁暴斃的傳言，百姓驚駭不已，官員於是在北城城牆上請來一對門神，鎮煞驅邪，以安定人心。
However, this rudimentary earthen wall still couldn't withstand the assailants. It was breached by the allied forces led by Zhuang Datian during the Lin Shuangwen Incident, with houses burned down and the earthen wall collapsed. The government offices were then relocated to Pitou, and during this period, the name Fengshan was brought from Zuoying District to Pitou. Although they moved to a new location, it didn't bring new fortunes. Another uprising ensued, and on top of that, the new Fengshan was attacked by bandits led by Cai Qian. It was then that people remembered the beauty of Fengshan Old Town. Thus, with funds raised from the public and relying on Turtle Mountain, they once again erected rough stone walls. Even though the emperor issued decrees, the stone walls were still built, yet the world remained in turmoil. Both the people and the government were reluctant to abandon the lively neighborhood of Pitou and return to the deserted Zuoying. Moreover, rumors spread about the county magistrate Du Shaoqi's violent death, leaving the people in shock. Therefore, officials asked a pair of door gods to come on the north town wall to ward off evil and stabilize people's hearts.
誰才是門神？
Who are the Door Gods?
人自有「家」的概念以來，門便被視為隔絕外面危險的一層屏障，而司門之神便負責防範那些不可視的邪祟之物，即便是單扇的戶，也有所謂的戶神在守護家園，尤其在東亞——民間的傳統信仰為最濃厚的地方——門神的發展已有千年的歷史，他們的身份也會因為文化與地區性而有所變化。
Since people have had the concept of "home", the door has been seen as a barrier separating the dangers outside, and the gods of the door are responsible for guarding against those invisible malevolent forces. Even a single door has its guardian deity protecting the household. Especially in East Asia, where traditional folk beliefs are strongest, the development of door gods has a history of thousands of years, and their identities may vary due to cultural and regional differences.
以古中國為例，相傳在最初的時候，門神是由桃木而雕刻而成的人形小像，因為古人相信桃木是仙木，以桃為刀劍可斬妖除魔，那以桃為護盾自然也可以驅逐鬼祟。經過演變，中國的門神便成了當朝當代最具代表性的英雄豪傑們，例如，漢人相信身高體壯的勇士可以保衛門戶，行刺秦王的荊軻也因為其犧牲與膽是被尊為門神；唐代吃鬼的鍾馗不僅會被懸掛於樑上抵禦病氣與病鬼，也是當時很受歡迎的門神。
Taking ancient China as an example, it is believed that in the beginning, door gods were small humanoid figures carved from peach wood. This is because ancient people believed that peach wood was a sacred wood, capable of warding off evil spirits, just as peaches could be used as swords to slay demons. Over time, door gods in China evolved into representations of the most iconic heroes of the time. For example, the Han Chinese believed that strong and brave warriors could defend the door, and Jing Ke, who attempted to assassinate the Qin king, was revered as a door god due to his sacrifice and courage. Zhong Kui from the Tang Dynasty, known for eating ghosts, was not only hung up to ward off diseases and evil spirits but also became a popular door god.
除了朝代之外，不同宗教信仰也會有獨特的門神與其傳說：佛教有韋馱與伽藍；來自龍山寺、在《封神演義》裡被特封的「哼將」與「哈將」；被清水祖師收服為四大將軍的張、黃、蘇、李鬼王們；道教的四大護法元帥馬、趙、溫、周；城隍廟裡帶著拘票、補盡壞鬼的牛頭馬面與七爺八爺。
Apart from dynasties, different religious beliefs also have unique door gods and legends. Buddhism has Weituo and Jialan; there are "Hengjiang" and "Ha Jiang" specially honored in "Investiture of the Gods" from Longshan Temple; the ghost kings Zhang, Huang, Su, and Li who were subdued by Master Qingshui as the Four Great Generals; the Daoist Four Generals Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Zhou; and the Niu Tou Ma Mian (Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced) and the Seven Lords in Chenghuang Temples, responsible for capturing and punishing evil spirits.
辟邪化煞的守護神
Guardian Deities Warding off Evil Spirits
那麼，為了壓制污穢、保護四方的北門「拱辰門」門神究竟是誰呢？有兩種說法，一是指神荼、鬱壘，兩神外貌兇惡，手持葦索將厲鬼綑綁，並交給老虎；二是說秦叔寶和尉遲恭，這兩位大將曾守護唐太宗，嚇退龍王的索命哭嚎，因而民間效仿，期望得到與皇帝同等的庇護。無論拱辰門神是誰，他們都守候在這座百年城池，日復一日，年復一年，祈望能夠為這片土地驅邪鎮惡，見證著老百姓們子孫萬代、平安吉慶。
So, who are the door gods of the North Gate, "Gongchen Gate," tasked with suppressing impurities and protecting the four directions? There are two interpretations. One suggests Shentu and Yulei, two fierce-looking deities who bind evil spirits with reed ropes and hand them over to tigers. The other theory involves Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong, two great generals who once guarded Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, scare away the dragon king's life-threatening cry. Consequently, people emulate them, hoping for equal protection as that of the emperor. Regardless of who the door gods of Gongchen Gate are, they stand guard over this century-old town, day after day, year after year, hoping to ward off evil and witness generations of peace and prosperity for the people of this land.
資料來源：
