中國古典小說《水滸傳》作為中國前現代文學的奠基之作，深刻影響了中國與日本對刺青的認知與實踐。本文旨在探討此部經典作品如何影響刺青在這兩種文化中之歷史演變與社會意涵。刺青在中國與日本皆有悠久的歷史，其意涵亦隨時間演變，從原始的宗教與文化儀式，逐漸轉變為邊緣與刑罰的象徵。在中國，刺青常被視為與如滿族、彞族等邊緣群體相關；而在日本，刺青則被用作對犯罪者的羞辱標記，後來更成為黑道（如：極道組織）的象徵。
然而，《水滸傳》中對刺青英雄的描繪帶來了轉折。本文以魯智深這位兼具宗教與叛逆色彩的角色為分析核心。他的刺青身體體現了一種邊緣但又被賦予正面價值的身份認同。像魯智深這樣的英雄形象，重塑了刺青的社會觀感，使其成為力量、忠誠與榮譽的美學象徵。透過小說的廣泛流傳，以及浮世繪圖像對情節的演繹，這些視覺再現對日本傳統刺青（irezumi）的發展起了關鍵作用。
本文透過文學分析、藝術史與文化人類學的交叉視角，揭示文學、視覺藝術與社會實踐之間的複雜關係，並闡明文學作品如何深遠地塑造文化傳統，並將身體實踐轉化為個人與集體的身份標記。
The Chinese novel Water Margin (Shuǐ Hǔ Zhuàn), a foundational work of premodern Chinese literature, has had a profound influence on the representations and practices of tattooing in both China and Japan. This article explores the impact of this major literary work on the historical and social meanings of tattoos in these two cultures. While tattooing has a long-standing tradition in both China and Japan, its significance has evolved over time—from ritualistic and cultural practices to symbols of marginality and punishment. In China, tattoos were often associated with peripheral ethnic groups such as the Man and Yi peoples, while in Japan, they were commonly used as stigmatic marks for criminals, and later became associated with the yakuza underworld.
The introduction of Water Margin, with its many iconographic representations of tattooed heroes, marked a turning point. This analysis focuses on the character Lu Zhishen, a figure who embodies both spiritual and rebellious traits, and whose tattooed body reflects a marginal yet valorized identity. Heroes like Lu Zhishen helped redefine the image of tattooing, elevating it into an aesthetic and moral symbol of strength, loyalty, and honor. Through the widespread dissemination of the novel and the ukiyo-e prints that illustrated its episodes, these visual representations played a crucial role in the rehabilitation and cultural valorization of tattooing—particularly in the development of traditional Japanese tattoo art (irezumi).
By combining literary analysis, art history, and cultural anthropology, this article sheds light on the complex relationship between literature, visual art, and social practices. It illustrates how a literary work can deeply shape cultural traditions and transform bodily practices into markers of both personal and collective identity.