臨水夫人陳靖姑信仰源自中國大陸福州、古田一帶，在清代隨著先民移墾來到臺j彎，由於臺南是移墾社會中開發最為完善之地，因此該信仰在臺南地區的發展亦相當興盛。「臺南臨水夫人媽廟」為清代所建立的地方公廟，其信仰範圍遍及全臺各地，是臺灣地區一座相當重要守護婦孺的廟宇。本文將以廟中神職人員一一和工頭仔(紅頭師〔司〕公)最常替一般民眾所做的法事，如:栽花換斗、過兒童關煞、價四柱元神、及祭改補運等等儀式的過程，藉此可看出神職人員在地方杜會所扮演的角色，以及一般信眾對該信仰的心理需求，並藉著在臺南市臨水夫人媽廟所進行的田野調查，試圖了解神職人員與地方社會之間的象{故意義及社會、文化網絡關係。

The cult of Lady Linshui £Chen Jinggu¢ originated in the Gutian
area of Fuzhou £northern Fujian province¢. When Han Chinese people came
from Fujian to settle Taiwan during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
they transmitted Lady Linshui’s cult to the island. Her cult soon
became highly popular in the Tainan area, which was Taiwan’s earliest economic
and administrative center. The Lady Linshui Temple in Tainan City is
currently her cult’s primary sacred site, and continues to attract worshippers
from all over Taiwan. It is particularly renowned for Lady Linshui’s ability to
provide protection for women and children.
This article focuses on the ritual masters £hongtou shigong¢ who perform
a wide range of rituals on behalf of people who come to worship at
Tainan’s Lady Linshui Temple. It describes a variety of rites designed to
ensure a successful pregnancy and protect the health of young children. The
data that I have collected during fieldwork at the Lady Linshui Temple
demonstrate the key role that religious specialists play in local society, especially
in terms of addressing both the physiological and psychological needs
of temple worshippers. In addition, this article attempts to assess the links
between religious specialists and local symbolic systems, as well as their
place in the formation of social and cultural networks.