The oracle bones record that "Zhenwen used fragrant wine to sacrifice his ancestors since Shangjia".
□ Fan Xuejing, all-media reporter from Henan Daily
Qingming comes every year, and lovesickness comes every year.
Qingming, as a traditional Chinese festival, is associated with a special emotion. It is the remembrance of "the apricot blossoms are falling and the Qingming rain is falling, and the rolling curtains and the swallows come and go". It is also the memory of "the grass is green again in spring, and the pear blossoms are blowing in the wind. Qingming" of vitality.
On this day, people bring incense, candles and flowers to pay homage to their ancestors and sweep their tombs, expressing their longing for their ancestors and expressing their hope for spring.
Going back thousands of years, how did the ancients in Oracle Bone Inscriptions worship their ancestors, what things did they bring with them to worship their ancestors, and what did they "say" to their ancestors? Let's go to Oracle and experience it together.
How many cows should be used to worship ancestors? The ancients first asked for divination
"Wuwu Zhen: Duoning has come to Shangjia with his own merits." - On the day of Wuwu for divination, Zhenwen used fragrant wine to sacrifice his ancestors since Shangjia.
This piece of oracle bone treasured in the Palace Museum in Beijing records the divination of King Wu Yi (or Wen Ding) of Yin regarding the sacrifice of ancestors and kings. As the king of Yin, you should also ask your ancestors whether you can use fragrant wine to sacrifice.
Cao Jiandun, a professor at the School of History and Culture of Henan University, told reporters that in oracle bone inscriptions, there are many similar inscriptions related to sacrifices. From the selection of the date of sacrifice, the weather on the selected date, and the sacrifices to be sacrificed, all must be divination in advance. form to ask ancestors for their opinions.
Before preparing for the sacrifice, King Wu Yi of Yin would ask the heaven and ancestors over and over again, "I chose this day to hold the sacrifice, is it okay?" "Will it rain when I sacrifice Shang A? Will it rain when I sacrifice Day B?" Will there be rain? Will there be rain when worshiping Dading?"
What is very interesting is that the selection of sacrifices will also be inquired in great detail through divination. There are inscriptions recorded in oracle bone inscriptions, "How many cows should be used for sacrifice, three or five; whether white cows, black cows or yellow cows, large cows or small cows?"
"Every detail and repeated inquiries reflect more respect and admiration for the ancestors. It is like inviting someone to a meal. Asking them what they like to eat first is a sign of respect." Cao Jiandun said.
The oracle bone records "whether it will rain when offering sacrifices to Shangjia".
The ancients also brought wine to sacrifices, and it was good wine made from tulips and herbs.
What did the ancients bring with them when they went to offer sacrifices?
Cao Jiandun said that taking the Shang Dynasty as an example, the objects of worship by merchants included ancestors and natural gods (emperors, suns, winds, rains, societies, mountains, and rivers), with ancestor worship being the most frequent. Cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs were often used as sacrifices during sacrifices. Relics of dogs and stones were found at the Shangcheng site in Zhengzhou, and relics of horses and sheep were also found at the Yin Ruins in Anyang.
Of course, there are also some richer offerings, such as wine. Cao Jiandun told reporters that the word "鬯" that appears many times in oracle bone inscriptions refers to high-end wine brewed from millet. It can be divided into two categories: 鬬鬯 brewed from black millet and 鬬鬯 with tulip herbs, both of which are often used. Sacrifice. Strictly speaking, Langjiu was the highest-level wine during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, equivalent to today's top-notch famous wines.
In the oracle bone inscriptions, there are also examples of using textiles as sacrifices.
Ancient people also liked to use cars as sacrifices. "The ancients believed that riding a chariot and horse was comfortable, and they also wanted to offer chariots and horses to their ancestors." Cao Jiandun said that oracle bone inscriptions include examples of using chariots to worship ancestors. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the phenomenon of using chariot models to worship ancestors also appeared. "Historical Records: Book of Fengchan" records that the people of Qin worshiped four horses, "four horses, one horse, one horse, and one horse."
Sacrifices are not only held in spring, but four times a year.
"Discoveries from oracle bone inscriptions and archeology prove that people have attached great importance to ancestor worship since the Shang Dynasty. For thousands of years, Chinese people have respected heaven and ancestors, and ancestor worship has always been very popular." Cao Jiandun told reporters that there are many records in oracle bone inscriptions , during the Shang Dynasty, people spent a lot of time, energy, and property to worship their ancestors.
It is more frequent in terms of time. Sacrifice must be performed at least four times a year, one each in spring, summer, autumn and winter according to the seasons. In addition to being more frequent, the forms of sacrifices in the Shang Dynasty were also divided into two categories: tomb sacrifices and ancestral temple sacrifices.
"Tomb sacrifice is when people perform sacrifices in front of the tomb, similar to how people now go to cemeteries to sweep tombs." Cao Jiandun said that it is generally believed that with the evolution of time and history, the Spring Festival has integrated folk customs such as the Cold Food Festival and has slowly been developed and passed down to this day, becoming the Qingming Tomb Sweeping Festival. The origin of ancestor worship.
"Qingming sacrifices are not just a simple form of kowtow, but also represent the continuation of a civilization and the link between ancient and modern times. Ancestors and descendants are connected by blood and spirit." Cao Jiandun said that on this day, people pay homage to their ancestors and sweep their tombs. It is a kind of longing for the deceased relatives, and it is also hoped that the descendants will be careful to pursue the future, and use the legacy of the ancestors to spur and inspire the latter to work hard for the present and strive forever.