「爾愛其羊，我愛其禮？」： 「神豬」在芎林廣福宮之文化意涵

Abstract

近年來，動物保護意識的抬頭，使得在臺灣行之有年的「神豬祭祀」出現很大的爭議。動保團體也在臺灣具有指標性的廟宇，呼籲取消神豬重量比賽，希望改用其他的米豬、麵線豬取代之。 究竟神豬的飼養，是否誠如動保團體所描述，利用「虐養」跟「強迫灌食」的方式進行?為何芎林當地信徒們要準備這類的大神豬來祭祀?其背後的文化意涵是什麼?以及米豬、麵線豬在芎林祭祀、慶典場合所代表的意義為何?為何會有這類的取代神豬的祭品產生? 本研究為了釐清上述的問題，經過兩年在芎林及其他相關地區實際參與觀察、記錄、分析，發現其實「神豬」在芎林廣福宮的文化意涵，就是現今社會信徒們逐漸消失對神明虔誠的那份心意。早期信徒透過敬獻巨大的神豬，來表明自己對神明的敬意誠心，重點在於人神的互動而非供品本身。然而隨著祭祀慶典所具意義及參與世代的更迭，加上官方或主事者的鼓勵等因素，可能會出現適合那個時代的祭品，即便是繼續保持神豬祭祀，極有可能重點就不在神豬體型的大小。信徒們依自己的心意，不一定會用體型非常大的神豬來祭祀神明了，或許會改用其他方式，表達自己對神明崇敬的心意，但是對神明的那份虔誠的精神、文化意涵是會永遠流傳下去的。

In recent years, the rise of animal protection awareness has led to a great controversy over “using sacrificial pigs to worship the Gods”, which has been practiced for years in Taiwan. Animal protection groups have also called for the abolition of sacrificial pig weight competitions in representative temples in Taiwan, with hopes of replacing sacrificial pigs with pigs made of rice or noodles. Whether sacrificial pigs are raised by “abusive means” and “forced feed” the way animal protection groups have described them has been brought into question. Why do local believers in Qionglin prepare such large sacrificial pigs to worship the Gods? What is the cultural implication behind it? In addition, what is the significance of pigs made of rice or noodles in occasions such as worship ceremonies in Qionglin and others celebrations? Why have sacrificial items as replacements for sacrificial pigs emerged? In order to clarify the above problems, observations, records, and analysis of Qionglin and other related areas have been conducted for two years. It was found that the cultural implication of the “sacrificial pig” at the Guangfu Temple in Qionglin is the modern believers’ way of expressing their vanishing faith. Back in the day, believers offered enormous sacrificial pigs to the Gods to express respect and sincerity to the Gods. Nevertheless, the focus should be in the interaction between Man and the Gods, rather than the sacrificial item itself. However, with changes in the significance of sacrificial celebrations and the involvement of the transforming generations, even though the practice of using sacrificial pigs used for worshiping the Gods remains, as is likely the case, the “size” of sacrificial pigs no longer matters. Believers do not necessarily use very large sacrificial pigs to worship the Gods. Believers may express their respect and awe for the Gods in their own way. This being said, the reverence for the Gods and the cultural implication will pass on forever.