本文根據湘西苗人歷史研究與田野調查，試圖解釋「還儺願」這個漢族儀式及戲劇表演的意義。有關「還儺願」的主要文化意涵，可以從三個方面來探討：1）個案研究—在花垣縣葫蘆村於2011年11月15-16日所舉行的儀式活動；2）其他學者所收集到的有關湘西還儺願儀式的資料，其中包括了苗與土家聚落之案例；3）中國西南地區類似儀式展演的記載。
文章的整體目標是檢視漢族及非漢族宗教傳統的歷史發展及連續性互動，也就是本文所謂之「跨混性」（trans-hybridity）。筆者試圖區分根深蒂固的湘西苗人在地儀式，和引進且吸收自漢族神職人員的道教儀式元素。以當地歷史發展來說，在漢族較早移入、其人口密度較高的地區，還儺願儀式保留了許多原有的漢人宗教文化特徵，特別是眾多的中文科儀本。相較之下，漢族移民較晚、其人口密度較低的地區（如花垣縣），還儺願儀式則明顯混合了苗族和漢族的多元宗教傳統。
許願及還願儀式非常適合研究跨文化互動，因為向神衹許願與還願在世界各宗教文化中是一種基本元素。中國也不例外，尤其償還與報應是中國宗教文化中的一組核心。從編年式研究來看，可以發現「願」、「誓」、「盟」等詞彙的紀錄長遠而複雜。向神衹許願及還願的儀式涵蓋整個中國宗教歷史的光譜，從古老的社神（土地神）春祈秋報，到整合入中國佛教與道教的發展；此類儀式依舊活躍於現今的華人地區，包括臺灣。許願及還願儀式也長久廣存於湘西苗族文化中，例如當地祖先祭拜儀式及著名的椎牛活動。本文的重點在於思考還儺願儀式如何在過去及當代形成了苗人與漢人許願、還願儀式互動的機制。

This paper explores the significance of a set of Han Chinese ritualsand dramas known as “Repaying a Nuo Vow” (Huan Nuoyuan 還儺願),based on the study of their performance among the Miao (苗) of WesternHunan (Xiangxi 湘西). I examine the cultural significance of the Repayinga Nuo Vow rituals from three perspectives: 1) a case study of one such ritesheld at Hulu (葫蘆) Village in Huayuan (花垣) County on November 15-16, 2011; 2) additional data that other scholars have collected about theserites throughout Western Hunan, including among both Miao and Tujia土家 communities; 3) historical and ethnographic information on suchrituals performed in other parts of Southwest China.
The overall goal of this paper is to examine the development of and recurring interaction between Han Chinese and non-Han ritual traditions, as opposed to focusing exclusively on one community and its religiouslife. In doing so, I have attempted to to distinguish between deep-rootedindigenous rites and the absorption of Daoist ritual elements introducedto Western Hunan by Han Chinese ritual specialists. This paper willshow that in areas settled earlier and in great density by Han migrants,the rituals and dramas performed during Repaying a Nuo Vow retainedmany of their original features, including numerous liturgical texts writtenin Chinese that survive to the present day. In areas settled later and lessextensively (including Huayuan), Repaying a Nuo Vow blended features ofboth Miao and Han religious traditions.
Vow-making and vow-repaying rituals are particularly well-suitedfor the study of cross-cultural interaction. This is because repaying a vowmade to the gods constitutes a basic element in many religious culturesworldwide, including in China, with a central theme of Chinese religiouslife being repayment or retribution. If one relies on a chronologicalapproach based on existing sources, one can uncover a long and complexrecord of Chinese terms for rituals referred as “vows” (or “oaths”) (includingyuan 願, shi 誓, meng 盟, etc.). Rituals featuring the making and thenrepaying of vows to the gods encompass the entire spectrum of Chinesereligious history, dating back to the ancient “spring prayer and autumnrepayment” (chunqi qiubao 春祈秋報) rites for the god of the soil. They have played integral roles in the development of Chinese Buddhism andDaoism, and continue to flourish among Chinese communities today,including in Taiwan. Vow-making and vow-repaying rituals have long beenwidespread among the Western Hunan Miao as well, where they includeancestor worship rites and the renowned oxen sacrifice. In the case ofthe Repaying a Nuo Vow rituals and dramas, the data reveal that theirdevelopment was characterized not only by the deliberate transmissionof doctrine and liturgy, but also by their gradual absorption of indigenousbeliefs and practices. To do justice to these complex forms of culturalreverberation and their impact on Repaying a Nuo Vow, I have chosento combine the two key mechanisms at work into a shorthand, “transhybridity,”which will be used throughout the paper.