Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

本研究的主要提問是：「城隍神的角色為何﹖」並且選擇「社會角色」作為本研究的分析架構。華人的超自然世界形同一個社會，其中的神祇是社會化的，祂們並以群體的方式出現在廟宇中。而且，廟內神祇之間存在的關係，定義了祂們所處的微型社會，以及祂們的角色。就像是父子、母子、夫妻這些關係定義了存在這些關係的場域為「家庭」這個微型社會，以及父親、母親、女兒這些角色。因此，本研究以這樣的架構，去探討城隍神的角色。 根據本研究的探討，當代臺灣本島城隍神的角色有四種：1.地方官，2.陰間執法官，3.鬼王，4.地方守護神。對照歷史時期中國城隍神的角色，發現臺灣本島城隍神的角色不脫離城隍信仰的源頭――中國，清朝時期的中國城隍神就已經具有當代臺灣本島所有的城隍神角色了。然而，在一個集體概念之下的城隍神還是有屬於當代的、臺灣本島的形式表現與內涵解釋。一是城隍神因應環境而被強化的既有角色，例如鬼王。一是在既有的角色上，因應需求，使得角色的內容有新的轉向，例如同是地方守護神，卻產生針對不同需求的守護內容。 也就是說，從城隍神的角色來看，有不變，也有變的內涵。那麼，變與不變之間是斷裂的，亦或有其連續性呢？本研究發現城隍神的多元角色，不脫離其根源的概念：土、地、陰。這個概念根源，是其一切變化的源頭。而各種角色與概念根源之間展現出一種連續性，是因為城隍神或說民間信仰神祇的各種角色必須要有合理的立基基礎方能成立，而且，其基礎是建立在一套文化知識或聯想邏輯上的。 最後，筆者認為，除了文字之外，廟宇中的陪祀神也是一種描述的符號。這一類在漢人宗教研究中一種未被關注的描述符號，可以提供我們另外一種觀看漢人神祇的重要角度。 / The goal of this article is to answer “What roles does the City God play?” Concerning role is the issue, “social roles” is taken as the analyzing structure here. The supermundane world of Chinese religion is embodied in the temples. In the temples, the deities do not show up alone, and they are socialized. The relationship between the chief deity and the accompanying deities defines the society where they are and the roles they play. Through the analyzing structure of social roles, this research found that the City God in modern Taiwan island plays 4 roles: 1. Magistrate, 2. The judge in the hell, 3. Chief of ghost, and 4. Regional protector. Compared with the roles of the City God in historical era, the 4 roles are not new. Even though sharing a general and consistent image, the City God with modern interpretation incidentally have different expression and content to meet new needs. Futher, after examining the elements of roles, the core concepts of the variations: soil(土), ground(地), and yin(陰) come to light. All the roles necessarily link to the core concepts because the concepts are the logical base of the City God belief, and they provide the legitimacy. After all, this research proves that the structure of “social role” is applicable in understanding Chinese deities, and the “accompanying deities” play crucial roles in identifying the roles of the chief deity in the temple.

Divine healing has been often seen in opposition to human healing. The two spheres, have been considered as separate, both in space and in terms of elements involved. Asclepian sanctuaries have been mostly presented as domains of exclusively divine intervention, without any involvement of the human factor, possibly with the sole exception of dream interpretation. However, the written testimonies of temple cures, both those in the form of cure inscriptions dedicated in sanctuaries and the literary accounts of the incubation experience, give us reasons to suppose that the practical side of the functioning of the asklepieia could have assumed the involvement of human medicine, with the extent of this involvement differing in various epochs. Regardless of physicians' participation or its lack in the procedure, the methods applied in sanctuary healing appear to have evolved in parallel to the developments in medicine and their popular perception. Archaeological finds as well as the image of Asclepius as the god of medicine itself seem to confirm this. Nevertheless, by no means should these connections between the two spheres be treated as transforming the space of religious meaning into hospitals functioning under the auspices of a powerful god. Although acknowledging them does entail inclusion of human medicine within the space dedicated to Asclepius, it does not thereby deny the procedure of incubation its religious and metaphysical dimension. On the contrary, it shows that to the Greek mind divine and human healing were not mutually exclusive, but overlapped and coincided with each other, proving that the Greek sense of rationality was quite different from the modern and could comprise far more than what we call today "scientific thinking".

The bull was a potent symbol of power, strength, and, to a lesser degree, fertility to the peoples of the ancient Near East from the twelfth century until 330 BCE. This symbolism was manifested in several iconographic motifs. These motifs reveal the bull as a manifestation of divine characteristics and as an expression of the power of man, and particularly the authority of the king. The use of these iconographic motifs was not consistent across the entire area of the ancient Near East; some differed in appearance and use in the different areas of the region, and many changed over time even in the same area. In all areas and during all periods the basic core symbolism stayed the same, and the bull was always held in a special respect. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (Ancient Near Eastern Studies)

Les prêtres sont une partie indissociable de l’organisation et du fonctionnement de la société égyptienne. Parmi eux les prophètes avaient une grande importance dans le clergé égyptien. Leur étude nous permet non seulement une meilleure compréhension du sacerdoce égyptien, mais aussi une meilleure connaissance de la religion égyptienne. Concentrée sur l’époque thinite et l’Ancien Empire, notre recherche a fait l’examen exhaustif des titulaires des prêtrises divines afin de comprendre les mécanismes de l’obtention de celle-ci et les fonctions déléguées aux prophètes. L’examen de sources nous a parmi d’attester une relation entre fonction civile et prêtrise divine qui est étudiée en détail. Nous discuterons la chronologie des prêtrises, les divinités concernées et la nature de ses titulaires. Nous interrogeons sur l’obtention et la transmission de la prêtrise divine. Enfin, nous poserons la question sur les lieux d’exercice de la fonction sacerdotale, ainsi que sur ce que celle-ci devait être. / The priests were an inseparable part of the organisation and functioning of the Egyptian society. Among them the prophets were one of the most important for the Egyptian clergy. The study of them allows us not only a better comprehension ofthe Egyptian priesthood but also a better knowledge of the Egyptian religion. Focused on the Early dynastic period and the Old Kingdom our research examinedthe holders of the divine priesthoods in order to understand the ways of having andobtaining it. The study of the sources allowed us to attest a relation between the civil service and the divine priesthood. We discussed the priesthood’s chronology, the mentioned gods and its holders. We question about its obtainment and transmission. At last, we focused on finding the place of exercise of the priesthood and its significance.

The bull was a potent symbol of power, strength, and, to a lesser degree, fertility to the peoples of the ancient Near East from the twelfth century until 330 BCE. This symbolism was manifested in several iconographic motifs. These motifs reveal the bull as a manifestation of divine characteristics and as an expression of the power of man, and particularly the authority of the king. The use of these iconographic motifs was not consistent across the entire area of the ancient Near East; some differed in appearance and use in the different areas of the region, and many changed over time even in the same area. In all areas and during all periods the basic core symbolism stayed the same, and the bull was always held in a special respect. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (Ancient Near Eastern Studies)

This thesis finds out how the concepts of the divine in African Traditional Religions are similar or different, particularly in Ghana and Lesotho and in other parts of Africa in general. In doing so, the researcher combines literature review of eminent scholars who have studied the religious and socio-cultural life of the people of Ghana and Lesotho in particular and Africa in general, with personal field study through dissemination of questionnaires, interviews and personal observations. Through this approach he finds out the various religious phenomena that reveal the concept of the divine in the two countries concerned and in other African countries through comparison of their worships and socio-cultural activities in order to come out with the differences and the similarities that may call for synthesis of the concept in Africa. He also finds out how the concept of the divine in Africa has been influenced by foreign religions and culture particularly Christianity, Islam, Western culture and Education. And how their services and disservices have affected the concept of the divine in Africa. The researcher also looks at the issue of monotheism as against polytheism in African religious perspective to find out whether the African Traditional Religions are polytheistic, monotheistic or monolatry. The study reveals that the concept of the divine, in the two countries under study, ends up in one Supreme deity-God- .but that the approach to the concept is not always the same. There are some differences and similarities, which also prevail in other African Traditional Religions and in Christianity. There is also a look into whether the term "African Traditional Religions" is appropriate for the religious belief and practices found in Africa, and whether a synthesis of religious practices in Africa would be possible in future. In the final analysis the study reveals that the African concept of the divine as pertains in the two countries is not different from that of Christianity and Islam but that the approach to the concept differs due to differences in the perception of the divine through sociocultural and religious milieus. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

1 The Pyramid Complex of Djedkare-Isesi at South Saqqara and its Decorative Program Mohamed Megahed Abstract The present thesis aims to publish pyramid complex of King Djedkare and its decorative program for the first time. The rule of King Djedkare was very significant and many important changes happened in the Egyptian state during his time. He is known to have reorganized the royal mortuary cults of his predecessors in Abusir; the remains of the papyrus archives discovered in three mortuary temples in Abusir are to a great extent related to this reorganization, as most of the preserved papyrus fragments come from the time of this king. Besides the other available evidence from his reign, numerous finds were discovered in the king's pyramid complex, which have, however, not been published until now. These include fragments of relief decoration and the present study thus can help us better understand and interpret the development of royal relief at the end of the Fifth Dynasty. The thesis is divided into five chapters, the first chapter provides a guideline to the thesis and its catalogue, and presents an up to date state of research on the decoration of the royal mortuary complexes of the Old Kingdom. Another section in this chapter is devoted to the methods that the author followed during his...

This thesis finds out how the concepts of the divine in African Traditional Religions are similar or different, particularly in Ghana and Lesotho and in other parts of Africa in general. In doing so, the researcher combines literature review of eminent scholars who have studied the religious and socio-cultural life of the people of Ghana and Lesotho in particular and Africa in general, with personal field study through dissemination of questionnaires, interviews and personal observations. Through this approach he finds out the various religious phenomena that reveal the concept of the divine in the two countries concerned and in other African countries through comparison of their worships and socio-cultural activities in order to come out with the differences and the similarities that may call for synthesis of the concept in Africa. He also finds out how the concept of the divine in Africa has been influenced by foreign religions and culture particularly Christianity, Islam, Western culture and Education. And how their services and disservices have affected the concept of the divine in Africa. The researcher also looks at the issue of monotheism as against polytheism in African religious perspective to find out whether the African Traditional Religions are polytheistic, monotheistic or monolatry. The study reveals that the concept of the divine, in the two countries under study, ends up in one Supreme deity-God- .but that the approach to the concept is not always the same. There are some differences and similarities, which also prevail in other African Traditional Religions and in Christianity. There is also a look into whether the term "African Traditional Religions" is appropriate for the religious belief and practices found in Africa, and whether a synthesis of religious practices in Africa would be possible in future. In the final analysis the study reveals that the African concept of the divine as pertains in the two countries is not different from that of Christianity and Islam but that the approach to the concept differs due to differences in the perception of the divine through sociocultural and religious milieus. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)