A Study On Ritual Sacrifice Of Shang In Oracle And Born Inscriptions

In this paper, the main situation of the use of ritual sacrifice implied in oracle and born inscription has been discussed, close attention being paid to its quantity and colour in order to elucidate the ideology behind. 1. There are five common ritual sacrifice, most of which are domestic animals, in the inscriptions as cattle, sheep, hog, dog and human being, whose quantity and color has often been concerned, while seven uncommon sacrifice, most of which are quarry and tributes, as si(rhinoceros or wild ox), elk, deer, tiger, elephant, hourse and tortoise(exactly tortoise plastron), whose quantity and color hasn't been concerned. Si, elk, deer and tiger seems to serve as booties. And Fowls show not to be used as ritual sacrifice in Shang. 2. As to the quantity of ritual sacrifice used in Shang, ten and under-ten is dominant, and in the over-ten situation, concentration has been put on such numbers as fifteen, twenty, thirty, fifty, while over-hundred is rare. The number "one", "two", "three", "five" had been especially concerned, and the number "three" and "five" the most, which reveals the function of primeval thought of number that can also be found in documents. But however no clear proof has been found that a strict and complete number symbol system has been established. 3. There are six kinds of colour of ritual sacrifice had been mentioned in inscriptions, such as yellow, you(livid black), black, dark red, wu(variegated) and white. The situation of the colour of cattle mentioned are most complex, while as to hog, the white ones are especially concerned. From the inscriptions we can find that Shang people do show interests in white animals, but this interests do not show any exclusiveness. The "Shang people advocated white colour" theory should not be simply approved or not.