The Research Of YinSi In The Warring States Period

YinSi has deep social foundation, belonging to the category of the folk faith. The further research of YinSi in history is limited, especially as for the Warring States Period. Since then YinSi in the society had been weakened gradually. The function that sacrifices promoted the civilization and the power that the nation controlled it had been weakened gradually. The upper level themselves disordered its system, while the common people also created new spirits according to their own demands. The local faith developed and was consolidated freely. However, the phenomena hasn't gotten much more attention over a long period. Perhaps it has something to do with two kinds of prejudice. Firstly, because of the ignorance of the irrational trend of thought, the researchers are inclined to draw a conclusion that the era was full of rationalism. But they neglect the fact that rational and irrational factors can well co-exist. Secondly, influenced by the Theory of Evolution, the researchers think that the religious development in China weakened gradually from prehistoric age to the ages of civilization. However, during the Warring States Period the folk faith rose continuously. So the question is how to interpret the true features of ancient Chinese religion as a whole. It is necessary to research the YinSi in history. The author sees YinSi as a kind of cultural phenomena, uses the main cultural factors analysis method and analyzes three factors: witchcraft, myth, YinYang and WuXing. She also pays attentions to the interaction and connection among them, and try to grasp the substantial content of YinSi and its influence on the folks religion.The text is divided into five parts. The first is introduction. The writer defines what is YinSi. YinSi was vital to the society and its important function lied in civilization. It includes primarily: if the spirits were out of the ceremony or new activity occurred, we call it YinSi. Sometimes the sacrifice that accorded with the ceremony would turn into YinSi. In fact, YinSi had notable impact on the ceremony of sacrifices, the images of the spirits and people's attitude towards the spirits. The author also tells us main methodology: analyzing culture by analyzing its main factors.The second part elaborates how the witchcraft led to YinSi. The witchcraft spreads, so widely that its idea, thought and methods seeped through sacrifice and then changed its features. The witchcraft aggravated the superstitious atmosphere of the society,stimulated peoples' religious imagination, and created various spirits. The famous wizard and their tools were exaggerated and then became the objects that people offer sacrifices to. Sometimes the wizard himself still participated in making YinSi directly.The third part discusses the relation of YinSi and myth. The Warring States Period was a period when the supernatural being and alchemist made up myths. Unavoidably they would create new Yinsi. Ehuang and Nvying, as two legendary features, were deified. Xi-wangmu was a pure mythical being. Because the upper circles pursued immortality and rich, the supernatural being and alchemist made use of the mental state to mythologize something.The fourth part discusses the role of YinYang and WuXing. YinYang and WuXing was the theoretical foundation on which was used to transform religious sacrifices. It was a kind of useful practical method. That was a mythopeic era. The supernatural being and alchemist were a group of mythologists. The superstitious atmosphere flooded the society.The final part sums up the whole thesis. The writer thinks that there was complicated relation among three factors. Each of them had different impact on YinSi. As for the status of YinSi, we can find the answers from two aspects: the country and the common people. It has important meaning in the cultural history, even affected the emergence of the supernatural being and alchemist and Taoism. The above subjects are worthy of further research.