Researching On Qiyu Articles In The Song Dynasty

In ancient China which is a typical agricultural society, the rainfall is related tothe national economy and the people’s livelihood, but the “heaven” ofen againsts thewishes of the people, floods and droughts offen occur. In an age of science is notdeveloped, when people face the natural disasters exceeded the people’s pawer, theycan only tell to and pray for the gift of heaven. So praying for rain becomes aimportant ritual activity, and Qiyu articles created in large quantities. This paperattempts to discuss this kind of articles created in ancient China through the analysisof Qiyu articles in the Song Dynasty.The text has six parts. The introduction first to make a clear definition of theobject of study, then narrate the status quo of this research and ask some questions onthis basis. The first chapter and the second chapter analyze the ritual system andrealistic background of writing Qiyu articles in the Song Dynasty. The third chapterfocus on stylistic categories of Qiyu articles in the Song Dynasty, and do someanalysis on Qiyu articles in the Song Dynasty by means of style. The fourth chapterexplores both from content characteristics and literature. Finally, discuss the culturalconnotation of the praying for rain witn the Song Dynasty people In epilogue.The object of study is defined as the papers written by literatior or local officials,reading aloud by organizer or religious people on ceremony, and praying the heavenfor rain. It also includes some articles is not used on ceremony but closely linked topraying for rain activities, such as Qiyu Zhao,Zou,Yupi,and etc. The improvement ofthe politness and system about praying for rain,such as making provision for theritual system through the book of ritual ceremony, promulgating unified law ofpraying for rain, giving titles to gods with the credit, is the ritual system backgroundof these Qiyu articles. And praying for rain has deeper practical reasons, that thedrought and the lack of rain makes a great influence on agriculture, climate, watertransport, even the war, and so an.As much as680articles are related to prays for rain in Collections of Writings ofthe Song Dynasty, mostly used on the ceremony official. These papers, whose style is numerous,from their application and function, main can be divided into threecategories: the style of the communication between people, such as Zhao, Zou, Yupiand so on; Man and god of communication style, such as Zhuwen, funeral oration,Qingci, Zhaiwen and so on; papers to record the rain-praying ceremony, such asnotes, tablets, postscript and so on. Analyzing the situation and function of prays andfor rain can help clearly find such ceremony complicated, diversified and frequentheld in the Song Dynasty. Although these articles has different styles and differentobjects to pray for, the content is still showing a certain characteristics in common,such as closing to reality, moving the heaven by sincere, blaming oneself etc. At thesame time, because these papers often written by literature or local officials, some arewonderful literary that are colourful in rhyming, rhetoric, language and other aspects,showing the ancient pray diction literary characteristics and literary value.Praying for rain in Song Dynasty has a profound cultural connotation. First itreflects the relationship of man and nature in the culture of Song Dynasty, namely“the unity of heaven and man”,“Tianxin” means “public opinion”. Secondly, prayingfor rain is not only a simple ceremony, more with strong political sense, that canreinforce the notion of the central and unifying the word potentially, can adjust socialrelations,and also can provide a chance to communicate. Study on Qiyu articleswritten in the Song Dynasty is very valuable and meaningful.