Between 1950s and 1990s, Hong Kong had a frenzy for writing and re-writing materials from classical literature and myths. The myth of Madame White Snake is one of the most well known stories that survived a long period of time. The earliest known version of Madame White Snake was a supernatural story in 1550, which later became a prototype of numerous subsequent versions starting in 1624. This prototype was repeatedly re-written throughout history and was also made into different genres including plays, playlets, novels, films and television dramas. One of the latest versions was written by Li Pikwah, a popular novelist in Hong Kong, in 1993, titled, Green Snake. Green Snake is a parody of Madame White Snake written from the perspective of Little Green, the servant of Madame White and an auxiliary figure in the tradition. The novel is also an autobiography of Little Green, who satirically criticizes the story of Madame White Snake in retrospect. Little Green’s autobiography is a nostalgic reflection of the past as well as a critique of the structure of the story that has survived throughout history. These implications made in the story hint at the author’s personal yearning for traditional China as a Chinese resident in Hong Kong. Her nostalgia for traditional China is not idealistic but paradoxical, because her re-writing of the story was an avenue to understand and re-negotiate her identity. Li is also well-known for her other novels, which are parodies of classical literature, traditional myth and legend. Many of these works were also made into films in the 80’s and 90’s. These novels and films were part of a phenomenon in contemporary Hong Kong literary and popular culture that tried to grasp a cultural connection with traditional China in order to embrace the return to mainland China in 1997 after a hundred years of British colonial rule.

Between 1950s and 1990s, Hong Kong had a frenzy for writing and re-writing materials from classical literature and myths. The myth of Madame White Snake is one of the most well known stories that survived a long period of time. The earliest known version of Madame White Snake was a supernatural story in 1550, which later became a prototype of numerous subsequent versions starting in 1624. This prototype was repeatedly re-written throughout history and was also made into different genres including plays, playlets, novels, films and television dramas. One of the latest versions was written by Li Pikwah, a popular novelist in Hong Kong, in 1993, titled, Green Snake. Green Snake is a parody of Madame White Snake written from the perspective of Little Green, the servant of Madame White and an auxiliary figure in the tradition. The novel is also an autobiography of Little Green, who satirically criticizes the story of Madame White Snake in retrospect. Little Green’s autobiography is a nostalgic reflection of the past as well as a critique of the structure of the story that has survived throughout history. These implications made in the story hint at the author’s personal yearning for traditional China as a Chinese resident in Hong Kong. Her nostalgia for traditional China is not idealistic but paradoxical, because her re-writing of the story was an avenue to understand and re-negotiate her identity. Li is also well-known for her other novels, which are parodies of classical literature, traditional myth and legend. Many of these works were also made into films in the 80’s and 90’s. These novels and films were part of a phenomenon in contemporary Hong Kong literary and popular culture that tried to grasp a cultural connection with traditional China in order to embrace the return to mainland China in 1997 after a hundred years of British colonial rule.

Between 1950s and 1990s, Hong Kong had a frenzy for writing and re-writing materials from classical literature and myths. The myth of Madame White Snake is one of the most well known stories that survived a long period of time. The earliest known version of Madame White Snake was a supernatural story in 1550, which later became a prototype of numerous subsequent versions starting in 1624. This prototype was repeatedly re-written throughout history and was also made into different genres including plays, playlets, novels, films and television dramas. One of the latest versions was written by Li Pikwah, a popular novelist in Hong Kong, in 1993, titled, Green Snake. Green Snake is a parody of Madame White Snake written from the perspective of Little Green, the servant of Madame White and an auxiliary figure in the tradition. The novel is also an autobiography of Little Green, who satirically criticizes the story of Madame White Snake in retrospect. Little Green’s autobiography is a nostalgic reflection of the past as well as a critique of the structure of the story that has survived throughout history. These implications made in the story hint at the author’s personal yearning for traditional China as a Chinese resident in Hong Kong. Her nostalgia for traditional China is not idealistic but paradoxical, because her re-writing of the story was an avenue to understand and re-negotiate her identity. Li is also well-known for her other novels, which are parodies of classical literature, traditional myth and legend. Many of these works were also made into films in the 80’s and 90’s. These novels and films were part of a phenomenon in contemporary Hong Kong literary and popular culture that tried to grasp a cultural connection with traditional China in order to embrace the return to mainland China in 1997 after a hundred years of British colonial rule. / Arts, Faculty of / Asian Studies, Department of / Graduate

白蛇傳是從白蛇故事、傳說逐漸發展而成，直至馮夢龍《警世通言．白娘子永鎮雷峰塔》一出，被學者公認為白蛇傳故事的成型，自此，即成為地方戲曲熱門的表演曲目。民國以來，藝術形式發展得更多元，加上影音事業的起步，除了傳統的戲曲之外，白蛇傳在舞蹈、舞台劇、電視劇、電影皆有作品呈現。 　　關於白蛇傳的學術研究成果，多由文學、藝術等方向來分析，本文則是改以宗教學的視角來詮釋白蛇傳故事。首先，從源流探討先民如何從蛇圖騰崇拜，演進發展為龍神信仰。也因為古代民族對於蛇文化的崇拜，在傳說故事中，蛇扮演了重要的主角，其中，最著名的女蛇精，即是被鎮壓在雷峰塔下的白蛇，故知白蛇傳說是逐步推衍而成的一種民間敍事。 　　在宗教上，本文是以基督教、佛教、道教、民間信仰為例，說明蛇的形象與象徵意義。其次，由「精怪修煉」和「人的修行」二方面，來分析不同精怪、妖怪、鬼魅、魔神仔等異類的定義，並探討異類由蛇變人的緣由與目的。後以佛、道色彩的謫凡神話，和恩怨必報、宿緣說的論點，述說白蛇、青蛇、許宣、法海之間複雜的關係。 　　在白蛇傳中，白娘子在端午節喝下雄黃現出「原形」，故事背後具有豐富的端午民俗意涵，而現形後便涉及到「收妖」的部分。文中分析道士使用符、籙、咒的文化演變，和遣天兵神將的本領；次則分析法海這位高僧，運用神通及使用法器，展現高深莫測的收妖能力，以及在收伏白素貞之後，造塔（雷峰塔）鎮邪的經過。 　　如實存在的「雷峰塔」，具有歷史文化和宗教的意蘊，並呈現佛塔建築的高度藝術特色；又因塔位於西湖邊，更增添旅遊的價值。隨著時代的演變，從帝制進入民主政治初期，「雷峰塔」被投射成封建腐敗的舊禮教象徵。之後，兩岸因政治因素而無法自由往來時，「雷峰塔」旋即變成象徵政治影響的枷鎖。因此可說，「雷峰塔」不論在現實生活或是文本當中，皆具有多元豐富的意蘊。 　　綜言之，本文是以宗教學詮釋的視角來凸顯白蛇傳故事，亦旁及文化、民俗等向度的探討，期能在文學角度之外，呈現白蛇傳研究的新視域。 / The White Snake Legend was gradually evolved from the White Snake story.Until the Feng,Meng-long's "Jingshitongyan, The White Snake was kept squelching under the Leifeng Pagoda forever", the scholars considered it was the forming of the White Snake Legend. From then on, it became the popular repertoireof the local opera. Since the republic of China, the art forms developed diversifed.In aadtion to the growing up of the audio and video career, The Snake Story could be shown in the dancing, the theater, the drama and the film ways. Most of the academic research about The White Snake Legend were analyzed in literature and art ways. This thesis change the perspective of religious studies to explain the White Snake story.First of all,it explored from origins how the ancestors worshiped the snake totem , and then developed into the Dragon belief.The snake played an important leading role in the legends.Among them, the most famous female snake, that is, the white snake was suppressed under the Leifeng Pagoda.Therefore,it can be proved that The White Snake legend was a kind of narrative folk which was formed step by step. In the religion level,this thesis used the Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism,and the Chinese folk religion for example.Second,it analyzed the defention of different heterogeneous, such as the monsters, ghosts, devil-earners and the trickers, by the" Spirit practice and the "Human practice ". Then discussed the reason and the purpose of heterogeneous changed from the snake to be a human. Further, used the argument of the banishment myth of Buddhism and Taoism and the contention of grievances must be reported and the theory of the relationship predestined from a previous existence to describe the complex relationship between the White Snake, Green Snake, Xu Xuan, and Fahai. In the White Snake Legend, the White Snake drank the realgar and showed her original shape in the Dragon Boat Festival. The story implied abundant folk meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival. After showing her original shape,it related to the part of the revenue demon.In the script analyzed the cultural evolution of the priests used the symbol, the memo, and the curse and the ability of assigning the troops from heaven.Then analyzed the monks of Fahai who used the supernatural powers and the Buddhist instruments to show the enigmatic ability of closing demon and the process after subduing Bai Suzhen and then built the tower (Leifeng Pagoda) to repress the evil. The "Leifeng Pagoda" truthfully exist and has the meaning of historical and cultural and religious and shows a high degree of artistic features of the Pagoda building. Furthermore, the tower is located in the West Lake, which is added to the value of tourism.With the evolution from a monarchy into a early democratic political, the "Leifeng Pagoda" is a symbol of the projection into the old ethics of feudal corruption. After the two sides across the Taiwan Strait can’t come and go freely because of the political considerations, the "Leifeng Pagoda" immediately became a symbol of the yoke of political influence. Therefore, it can be said, the "Leifeng Pagoda" whether in our real life, or in the text has rich multi-dimensional.In conclusion, this article used the perspective of religious studies to interpretate the White Snake Story.It also probe into culture, folklore, and other dimensions.Hope to show a new point of view as well as the literature.