妈祖 Mazu (Sea
Goddess)
媽祖（莆仙語：Mâ-cô；閩東語：媽祖，平話字：Mā-cū；閩南語：Má-tsóo），是中國民間信仰中的海洋女神，有關信仰主要發散中心是湄洲島，擴及於沿海之浙江、福建、广东、海南、膠東半島、天津等地區，也被隨該些地區之移民傳至於臺灣[1]、琉球、日本、新加坡等地[2]。
媽祖據傳原名林默，暱稱「默娘」，又称天上圣母、天后、天妃、天妃娘娘、湄洲娘妈（莆田话：Ná̤u-mâ）、妈祖婆、姑婆嫲（Gū pó má）等，生活於北宋時期之興化軍莆田縣，在手足中排序最後。據稱，她聰慧過人但沈默寡言，並成為一位釋道兼修的仙姑，為人占卜禍福，而終身未婚。在羽化後，傳言祂常以「著紅衣長髮素顏美麗女性」之形象在洶湧海濤中顯靈，並能使颱風轉向，而保祐船隻航行之平安。船員與漁民對祂的崇拜逐漸形成信仰。越南與朝鮮半島之水手都尊稱祂為「護國庇民」之海洋女神。閩南地區之臨濟宗禪師視祂為觀音之化身，並傳播媽祖之信仰。祂在信徒心目中之普遍形象為一位法力強大而仁慈且地位崇高的女神。
由閩南籍移民帶到臺灣的媽祖信仰，有關的宗教活動經常是備受重視的宗教活動；其中尤以大甲鎮瀾宮、彰化南瑤宮、北港朝天宮、白沙屯拱天宮等廟宇發起的媽祖進香遶進最具代表性[3]。
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. She is also known by several other names and titles. Mazu is the deified form of Lin Moniang (Chinese: 林默娘; pinyin: Lín Mòniáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Be̍k-niû / Lîm Bia̍k-niû / Lîm Be̍k-niô͘), a shamaness from Fujian who is said to have lived in the late 10th century. After her death, she became revered as a tutelary deity of Chinese seafarers, including fishermen and sailors. Her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia, where some Mazuist temples are affiliated with famous Taiwanese temples. Mazu was traditionally thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven.
Mazu worship is popular in Taiwan because many early Chinese settlers in Taiwan were Hoklo people from Fujian. Her temple festival is a major event in Taiwan, with the largest celebrations occurring in and around her temples at Dajia and Beigang.
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