臺灣民眾擁有豐富多元的宗教信仰，使得宗教文化在臺灣獲得很好的發展，舉凡民間宗教活動大多結合藝陣的表演，讓活動分外熱鬧，不僅能充分表達宗教意義，還能帶動更多信徒參與，產生更佳的效果。所以在臺灣各地經常可以見到廟會活動中的許多不同藝陣表演，而信徒們除了執行宗教儀式之外，對於藝陣的展現也非常重視，總希望在儀式過程中的藝陣能有引人入勝的精彩表現。臺灣臺南市新營區土庫里土安宮「竹馬陣」是一特別的藝陣團體，在臺灣已經二百多年歷史，以十二生肖為腳色，進行宗教儀式的藝陣和戲曲的演出。筆者翻閱中國戲曲志30冊，檢視300多個劇種，沒有任何一劇種是以十二生肖為腳色進行戲曲表演，這是獨一無二的藝陣團體，因此筆者稱乎該團為「天下第一團」。本文試從三個面向探究臺灣竹馬陣團的歷史沿革。首先從生肖臉譜圖像論述該團為何有生肖臉譜之畫法，其中將臺灣竹馬陣中之竹馬戲與福建政和的四平戲進行比較，分析二者是不同系統之劇種，而卻有相似臉譜之畫法；其次從戲曲的表演內涵推論臺灣竹馬戲的歷史沿革，從小戲是多源並起的觀念，排除各地竹馬戲名同實異之脈絡關係，再從戲曲劇目與藝陣表演分析其可能形成之因素；最後從十二生肖的紀年到與民間算命和宗教結合的意義等歷史發展，探析具有宗教色彩的竹馬陣以十二生肖為腳色之緣由。期望本文透過抽絲剝繭的分析，論述臺灣竹馬陣的形成緣由，能帶動學術界重視天下第一團—臺灣竹馬陣，並為其界定歷史沿革，達到拋磚引玉之效。

Taiwan people have diverse religious beliefs which improved the development of religious cultural in Taiwan. Normally the religious activities would have Yi Zhen arts performances. Thus, the activities not only able to express the religious significance but also bring more followers participation and produce better results. As result, the religious activities in Taiwan often follow by many different Yi Zhen arts and performance shows. The believers considered the Yi Zhen performance very seriously and always expect to see Yi Zhen performance in a religious ceremony. ＂Zu Ma Zhen＂ troupe of Tuku, Hsinying City of Tainan City is a special arts group in Taiwan that has more than 200 years of history. Zu Ma Zhen is based on Zodiac characters to perform Yi Zhen and Chinese traditional opera during the religious ceremony. Based on my research, out of many Chinese traditional opera academic researches that contained more than three hundred types of opera, none of the opera is performed based on Zodiac roles. Therefore, Zu Ma Zhen is extremely unique arts group. This thesis is based on three conceptions, the reason of the Zodiac characters and their makeup masks, the origination of the Zu Ma Zhen performance, and the development of the Zu Ma Zhen performance. First, by comparing the makeup masks between Zu Ma Zhen and ＂Shi Ping＂ Opera in Fujian Province to determine the similarity and differences of the painting skills. Second, based on the Zu Ma Zhen performing styles to identify multiple possibilities of the opera history towards conclusion. Lastly, based on the Zodiac Algorithm, Divination, and religious doctrine to conclude the development history and origination. Based on the research and analysis on the origination and development of the Taiwan Zu Ma Zhen, expecting to present the significance of Zu Ma Zhen to the Academia and to clarify the history and origination of the Zu Ma Zhen.