Abstract：“Stone”, Exists between the sacred and the profane, as a secular object, under the empowerment of the specific myth narration, its sanctity is continuously highlighted and evolves into a unique hierophany. This sacredness emerging from the secular renders stone worship a religious expression of objects, it not only embeds symbolic signs of stone worship myth but also implies the functional characteristics of stone worship beliefs. As vital carriers of early human culture, stone worship and its associated myths have always been intertwined in cultural inheritance and religious practice, presenting a symbiotic relationship of mutual construction. From the perspective of beliefs characteristics, an examination of archaeology and exegesis about Shen, Zu, Shi, and She, which was related to stone, could reveal the primal religious connotations and symbolic imagery of stone worship. These symbolic images are intrinsically tied to earth worship and fertility worship. In the induction myth and creation myth related to “stone”, it is portrayed as a maternal entity that nurtures life and is endowed with mysterious and mighty powers. The integration of textual imagery fundamentally reflects primitive and simple sacred symbolic thinking and maternity and power jointly constitute the dual symbolic notation of stone worship. In terms of functional expression, the myth narration of stone worship demonstrates how the stone worship myth intervenes in real life through metaphors and ritual practices, to uphold social morality and ecological balance. Whether it is the livelihood support and ecological wisdom in using stones as tools, the need for protection in sheltering with stones, the reincarnation metaphor in returning the soul with stones, or the moral constraints in using stones as rules, all demonstrate the multiple practical significance of stone worship.
蒋楠楠. 石崇拜神话叙事中的象征意象与功能表达[J]. 《深圳大学学报》（人文社科版）, 2025, 42(4): 33-40.
JIANG Nan-nan. The Symbolic Image and Functional Expression of the Myth Narration in Stone Worship. , 2025, 42(4): 33-40.
2025, Vol. 42 
粤公网安备44030502007936号