成書於五世紀末的《宋書．蠻傳》，是正史中第二篇蠻人史傳，也是目前研究南朝蠻人歷史最重要的史料。然而，相較於首篇記載蠻人歷史的《後漢書．南蠻傳》，《宋書．蠻傳》的敘事存在許多不同之處。《後漢書．南蠻傳》重視蠻人的起源傳說和文化，並以此對蠻人進行分類；且在東漢與蠻人的關係上，重視賦役制度的變動與起事的因果關係。《宋書．蠻傳》的敘事策略則有三：一是以空間劃分蠻人為荊、雍州蠻和豫州蠻，並將此兩種蠻人視為槃瓠與廩君的後代，但演變的記載含混不清，未以蠻人的風俗文化作為蠻人歷史變遷的線索，反以兩晉以來管理蠻人的統治機構作為主軸。二是採用空間的敘事描述蠻人與劉宋政權的關係，一方面標誌蠻人與華夏之間遙遠的距離，但也傳達宋民與蠻人間的流動對政權帶來的威脅。三是在蠻人與政權的關 係上，側重描繪蠻人的起事與政府的軍事征討，在地方官的教化和蠻人的風俗文化等方面多不置一詞。此些敘事策略的成因，或可推測因五世紀後半的南朝政權，雖仍以華夏為天下中心，貶斥四夷的文化；然囿於劉宋政權本身軍事實力的不足，不但天下的中心移至江南，承認既有華北淪沒的現實，且倚重以軍事征服、賜與官爵等方式建立起與四夷的關係，不強調改變四夷的文化。
This study centers on the ＂Biographies of Man＂ in the Book of Song (Sòng Shū) written by ShwnYueh(沈約), and analyzes historical narratives of the Man peoples. There were three features in historical narratives of the Man peoples. Firstly, Man peoples were classified by locations. The origins of the Man peoples were not familiar to historians. Secondly, the long distance between the Song Dynasty and Man peoples made the narratives of the relationship between the two more complicated. Third, since most of these narratives focused on the war issues, the education of the local officials and the custom of Man peoples were usually ignored by historians. Although the Song Dynasty attempted to conquer and control Man peoples, these historical narratives completely demonstrated the Song Dynasty was weaker than the Han Empire.
