一文读懂王母娘娘:中国神话里的上古女神

那些藏在诗词里的草木情意、节日里的古老仪式、器物上的匠心智慧，其实都是我们民族的文化密码 

在我们熟悉的神话故事里，王母娘娘是一位地位尊贵的女神，她的形象其实经历了漫长的演变，才变成今天我们熟知的样子，不是所有的地方都会祭拜王母娘娘，挺多人对她的认识还停留在《白蛇传》和《西游记》里。

最早《山海经》里讲到，西王母（王母娘娘的前身）住在山洞里，长得像人又像兽，还会像野兽一样长啸，是一位充满神秘气息的 “神兽天神”。到了魏晋南北朝，人们把她和周穆王、汉武帝西巡的历史故事结合起来，她的形象慢慢变得温柔又有人情味：在《穆天子传》里，她是雍容平和、会唱民谣的妇人；在《汉武帝故事》里，她又变成了三十岁左右、容貌绝世的女神。

民间传说中，王母娘娘被传为玉皇大帝的妻子，是天界所有女仙的首领，住在昆仑仙岛的瑶池。她的瑶池里种着神奇的蟠桃，这种桃子三千年才成熟一次，吃了就能长生不老，所以每次蟠桃成熟时，她都会大开寿宴，邀请各路神仙来品尝，这就是著名的 “蟠桃会”。在道教典籍中，西王母和东王公才是夫妻，王母娘娘不是玉皇大帝的妻子。明清以后，王母娘娘在民间的地位越来越高，每年农历三月初三，很多地方都会举办活动来给她祝寿，甚至连海外的华人同胞也会向她的庙宇捐款，把她的金身装饰得更加华丽。

还有传说提到，王母娘娘是元始天王与太元圣母的女儿，刚生下来就会飞翔，所以她也被称为金母、瑶池金母、西王母。人们之所以这么敬仰她，除了她尊贵的身份，更因为相信她拥有不死之药，能让人长生不老，这份对长寿的向往，让王母娘娘的故事代代流传，成为中国传统文化里一道特别的风景。

从远古的 “神兽天神” 到雍容的天界女神，王母娘娘的形象变化，就像一面镜子，照见了中国人对美好、长寿和神性的想象。她的故事不仅藏在古籍里，还活跃在《西游记》等经典作品中，陪伴着一代又一代孩子长大，让我们感受到中国神话的奇妙与温暖。

In the mythological stories we know well, the Queen Mother of the West is a respected and noble goddess. Her image actually went through a long period of change before becoming the figure we know today. Not everyone worships her, and many people's understanding of her comes from stories like The Legend of the White Snake and Journey to the West.

The earliest records of her are found in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. There, she was called the "Western Queen Mother" (the earlier form of the Queen Mother of the West). She lived in a cave, looked like both a human and an animal, and could make wild animal cries, making her a mysterious "beast-like heavenly god." By the Wei, Jin, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, people connected her with the historical stories of King Mu of Zhou and Emperor Wu of Han traveling west. Her image slowly became gentler and more human. In the Tales of King Mu, she is a graceful, peaceful woman who sings folk songs. In the Story of Emperor Wu of Han, she is a beautiful goddess who looks about thirty years old.

In folk tales, the Queen Mother of the West is said to be the wife of the Jade Emperor and the leader of all female immortals in heaven, living in the Jade Pool on the Kunlun Mountains. In her Jade Pool, she grows magical flat peaches. These peaches ripen only once every three thousand years, and eating them allows one to live forever. So, every time the peaches ripen, she holds a grand birthday banquet and invites all the gods to come and taste them. This is the famous "Flat Peach Festival." In Daoist writings, however, the Western Queen Mother is married to the Eastern King Father, not the Jade Emperor. After the Ming and Qing dynasties, her status among the people grew higher and higher. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, many places hold celebrations for her birthday. Even overseas Chinese communities donate money to decorate her statues in temples more splendidly.

Another legend says that the Queen Mother of the West is the daughter of the Primordial Heavenly King and the Primordial Holy Mother. She could fly right after she was born, so she is also called the Golden Mother, the Golden Mother of the Jade Pool, or the Western Queen Mother. People respect her not only because of her high status but also because they believe she has the elixir of immortality, which can let people live forever. This wish for a long life has made the story of the Queen Mother of the West spread through generations, becoming a special part of traditional Chinese culture.

From the ancient "beast-like heavenly god" to the graceful goddess of heaven, the change in the Queen Mother of the West's image reflects the Chinese people's imagination of beauty, long life, and the divine. Her story is not only found in old books but also lives on in classic works like Journey to the West, accompanying generations of children as they grow up and letting us feel the wonder and warmth of Chinese mythology.

2025年7月于北京