民間傳說作為人類心靈訴求的展現，無疑具備跨越時空的張力。從《後漢書》及《搜神記》中的〈東海孝婦〉，再到關漢卿筆下的「竇娥」，孝婦蒙冤的主題在文學元素的經營下彰顯更為震撼人心的效果。在關漢卿創作《感天動地竇娥冤》約莫五百年之後，位於馬來亞的一座小島上，流傳著一則與〈東海孝婦〉及《感天動地竇娥冤》異曲同工之妙的傳說。美麗善良的瑪蘇麗被誣陷婚內出軌並被判死刑，為證其冤，她在臨死前發下誓願，詛咒該島七代荒蕪以示懲戒。東海孝婦、竇娥與瑪蘇麗的血／雪冤，在共有的母題、結構與符號之同時，並非一種純粹的再現，而是從同一原型中衍化出變異。「血／雪冤」的母題，是這三位女性共有的標誌，同中之異是她們人格特質中被彰?的孝道與貞節觀。同為民間傳說的〈東海孝婦〉與《瑪蘇麗》，則以跨時域的張力展現不謀而合之情節結構。另一方面，以東海孝婦為原型的竇娥，則在顏色符號上，以紅／白的強烈對比，回歸血／雪冤的母題，展現環環相扣之態。這種種現象，在顯現人類共有的心靈深層結構之同時，亦包含著文化之匯通與差異。 There is no doubt that folklore possesses a tension that cuts across time and space. From “Donghai Xiaofu”（The filial women in East China Sea 東海孝婦）in Hou Hanshu（Book of later Han《後漢書》）and Soushen Ji（ Search of the Sacred《搜神記》）to “Dou E”（竇娥）by Guan Hanqing （關漢卿）, the theme of the wronged filial woman has been emphasised through various literary elements. Approximately 500 years after the publication of Guan Hanqing’s “Dou E”, a similar folklore circulated amongst the villagers of an island in Malaya. According to the story, a beautiful maiden known as Mahsuri was falsely accused of adultery, and later sentenced to death. Before being stabbed, Mahsuri cursed the island. She tells the villagers that the island will suffer desolation for seven generations as a sign of her vindication. Although the injustices and exoneration of Donghai Xiaofu, Dou E and Mahsuri share similar motifs, structures and significance, it should not be seen as a method of simple reproduction. Rather, these stories reveal a mutation of the archetype. These three ladies share a same motif of injustice/exonerate, yet slightly difference on prominence of their filial piety and chastity. As a folklore, both of Donghai Xiaofu and Mahsuri reveal the similar structure cuts across time and space. Besides, with originate from Donghai Xiaofu, Dou E show a strong contrastive of red and white colour as the symbolic of injustice and exonerate. This phenomenon shows that in addition to a unity of internal themes, there is also an interflow and discrepancy of cultures.
