往昔社會，每逢迎神賽會或舉行大小節慶，鑼鼓喧天的氣氛中，不時可見由兩人裝扮舞弄的獅陣表演。弄獅或稱舞獅，扮演者手持紙塑再經上彩描繪的獅頭居前，披掛著彩布縫製的獅被為後，應和氣勢磅礡的鑼鼓聲響，時而模仿雄獅豪邁張口擺動身軀，時而像貓咪般的倒頭翻身，舔著雙腳還輕輕搔耳，露出動物本性般的模樣。舞獅並非臺灣原創的文化傳統，也並非中國獨有的民間技藝，從獅崇拜到模仿獅、演繹獅，獅成為傳統民間社會具代表性的文化傳統。舞獅傳入臺灣的時間至少可推到清領時期，今日仍可見威武陽剛的弄獅出陣氣勢，也反映出清領民間庄頭彼此習武守衛家園的背景。舞獅這項文化傳統再傳承到 19 世紀末葉，開始遭逢半世紀的異國統治，這項散發著濃厚漢人色彩的民間技藝，如何在這個時期裏發展存續，相關研究成果仍多以獅陣受政權打壓，是一段禁錮技藝傳承發展的黑暗時代來做理解。另一方面，亦有以日治時期臺灣人的舞獅，難以在檯面上弄獅出陣，導致當時的獅陣弟兄們轉而透過暗館來維持技藝之說。本文透過戰前相關史料文獻及傳承資料，重新檢視及探究舞獅在日治時期的發展經緯，以考察舞獅於傳統社會的存在樣態為取徑，進一步來深化這項文化傳統的傳承脈絡，藉此來補完過往看待戰前臺灣社會甚少被矚目的一項民間傳承。

In the past, during festive events for honoring deities in processions, the lively atmosphere was accompanied by the performance of lion dances. Lion dancing, or "lang-sai" in Taiwanese, involves one person holding the lion head at the front, and another draped in colorful fabric as the rear, moving energetically to the beats of drums and gongs. The performance mimics the majestic movements of a lion, at times resembling a cat rolling over, licking its paws, and scratching its ears, displaying the nature of an animal. Lion dancing did not originate in Taiwan nor was it exclusive to China. From lion worship to imitation and lion performances, the lion became a culturally representative tradition in folk culture. The introduction of lion dancing is speculated to have occurred during the Qing Dynasty. Today, the robust appearance of lion dancing reflects the historical background of martial arts practiced by the local communities during the Qing Dynasty. As lion dancing continued to be passed down until the late 19th century, it faced half a century of foreign rule. This culturally significant art, exuding a strong Chinese flavor, managed to persist during this period, and existing studies often interpret the oppression of lion processions under colonial rule. Moreover, there are also claims that lion dances by the Taiwanese during the Japanese period struggled to develop openly, leading to the practice being kept secret. Through pre-war historical records and folklore documentation, this paper revisits the development trajectory of lion dancing during the Japanese period, scrutinizing its traditional societal inheritance to shed light on this folk culture, which is slightly explored.

弄獅;舞獅;陣頭文化;日治時期;民間傳承;民俗技藝

Lion Dancing; the Leader of the Parade(Zhentou 陣頭); Japanese period; Folkfore(Minkan Denshō); Folk entertainment