A Study On Taiwanese Mazu Temples’Oracle Poetry

This study explores the relationship between oracle poetry and literature from a literary perspective and seeks to define oracle poetry in literature. The study is based on the point of view that oracle poetry is embedded in the folklore religious belief and circulated within the civil society to form a cultural phenomenon. Oracle poetry is often easy to understand yet with far-reaching significance and thus attractive to both scholars and lay people. By appreciating oracle poetry as if it were a literature work, it helps to discover the intricate relationship between oracle poetry and literature in terms of the linguistic form and characteristics. The title of the present study is "A Study on Taiwanese Mazu Temples’Oracle Poetry—Centering the Tamsui River Basin". The selection of the60pieces of Mazu’s oracle poetry is meant to help with the in-depth exploration for this study.The study’s innovative research method combines historical research, literature analysis and field investigation. Data are collected, sorted, categorized, analyzed, compared and discussed systematically. This study starts with an introduction followed by six chapters in four parts. The first part encompasses Introduction and Chapter1:Origin and Transformation of Oracle Poetry." Research motive and objective, literature review, scope and methodology are covered in Introduction that helps to establish an underlying research framework. Chapter1starts with the definition of oracle poetry and explores its historical origin which can be traced back to approximately the Tang Dynasty. Chapter1points out the fact that oracle poetry is closely related to divination and attempts to find the historical development of oracle poetry.The second part of the study is Chapter2that discusses the belief in Mazu in the Tamsui River basin of Northern Taiwan. The chapter begins with an introduction of the development history of the Tamsui River basin and the eight Mazu temples (e.g. Guandu Temple in Beitou, Tianhou Temple in Taipei, Cihou Temple in Songshan, Cixian Temple in Shilin of Taipei City, and Ciyou Temple in Xinzhuang, Tianhou Temple in Bali, Fuyou Temple in Tamsui, and Cihui Temple in Banqiao) according to the historical development of the belief in Mazu since it came to Taiwan from mainland China. The diversified folklore belief development has indeed contributed to the indigenous Mazu culture in Taiwan.The third part includes Chapter3:A Look into the Structure and Content of Oracle Poetry and Chapter4:Exploration of Stories behind the60Pieces of Goddess of Heaven Oracle Poetry. Chapter3first succinctly states the origin and type of oracle poetry in Taiwanese Mazu temples followed by an exploration of the poetry structure and type using Cihui Temple in Banqiao as an example. Chapter4discusses the utilization status of the most widely circulated "60Pieces of Oracle Poetry" in Taiwanese Mazu temples and explores the background stories of these pieces. Some are in fact historical stories while others come from chapter novels, folk literature and local operas. These stories behind the poetry help followers comprehend the underlying divine prophecy.The fourth part is Chapter5:Implications and Social Value of Taiwanese Mazu Temples’Oracle Poetry. The implications of oracle poetry are explored through Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. The subsequent analysis of the linguistic form of the poetry shows that oracle poetry is easy to understand with far-reaching significance and is attractive to both scholars and lay people. In addition, the poetry is popular, ideological, simple, obscure, auspicious and artistic. Therefore, both the linguistic form and characteristics of oracle poetry are deeply literary. Last but not least, the oracle poetry from Fuyou Temple in Tamsui is used as another example to elaborate on the social value of the poetry. It shows that oracle poetry is closely related to folk believes and culture. It is also a very good example of "divinity and humanity in one." Results of this study are as follows:1. Oracle poetry is closely related to ancient divination.2. Oracle poetry is attractive to both scholars and lay people and carries the air of folk literature.3. Oracle poetry is easy to understand with far-reaching significance, realizing the traits of folk literature.4. Oracle poetry can be defined as part of folk literature.5. The findings of the study have fulfilled the "in-depth exploration" as the purpose of this study.