Discussing About Three Yin Rituals From The Bronze Inscriptions Of Shang Dynasty

The state of Chinese etiquette,the Chinese civilization is also known as the ritual music civilization,etiquette is the source of Chinese culture and occupies a core position in Chinese traditional culture.Yin rituals is the earliest etiquette that we can trace to today.Although the research on Yin rituals has been stagnant for a long time because of"lack of literature"(文献不足故也),this situation was resolved with the discovery of the inscriptions on Bone and Shells in 1899,especially after the founding of People’s Republic of China,the study on Yin rituals has been continuously promoted,and so far has made remarkable achievements,which makes us have a more adequate understanding about Yin rituals.In fact,in addition to the inscriptions on Bone and Shells in Shang Dynasty,the bronze wares of the Shang Dynasty as the materialized form of rituals,both the bronze wares and the inscriptions carved on them,are also important materials for Yin rituals research.This paper uses Shang bronze inscriptions as the main material to discuss the Shang dynasty’s appointment rites(册命礼),sip drinking rites(飨酒礼),and archery rites(射礼).The first part is about the study of Shang dynasty’s appointment rites(册命礼),it is use the newly inscriptions of the Tao Gong-wine vessel(陶觥)as the main object of study.According to the inscription of Tao Gong-wine vessel(陶觥),the Xiao-chen(小臣)was given"many kind of workers"(百工)by the king,that is,the Xiao-chen appointed to take charge of the duties of handicraft craftsmen,Xiao-fu(小夫)Tao who is the subordinates of historian serve in the rites,because of meritorious service and won the Shang King’s reward Gui(圭),Bi(壁)each one,Zhang(璋)five.Xiao-fu(小夫)Tao because of the reward to make a bronze Ware for sacrifice ancestral Gui(癸).At the end of the inscription,the king ordered Xiao-fu(小夫)Tao to take charge of the production of the book,that is to say,the merit of Xiao-fu(小夫)Tao was to make the book.Because the master of the Bronze Ware is Xiao-fu(小夫)Tao,so mainly recorded his personal part.Compared with the order ofthe Western Zhou bronze inscription,its chief may have participated in this rites,should be the role of the specific reading of the order.According to Tao Gong-wine vessel’s inscription(陶觥铭文),there is a simple book system and a book rites in the Shang Dynasty,but because the author is interested in personal merit and does not record the book etiquette,we can not see the whole picture of the appointment rites in the Shang Dynasty.The second part to discuss the sip drinking rites(飨酒礼)of the Shang Dynasty,mainly from the Shang Dynasty bronze Yin Guang square Ding(尹光方鼎)interpretation.According to Yin Guang square Ding(尹光方鼎)inscription,the Shang King held"餗"in the place where troops were stationed,that is,activities related to sacrifice.In the course of the Shang King’s drinking,Yin Guang(尹光)as an internal service officer,served by the side.After the king returned to the king’s capital,because of Yin Guang’s performance in the course of the Shang King’s drinking,and the reward of Bei(贝),Yin Guang(尹光)because of the reward to make a Bronze Ware for sacrifice his father Ding(父丁).At the end of the inscription"Wei Wang Zheng jing Fang"(唯王征井方)indicates that this incident occurred at the time of the Shang Dynasty’s expedition,which together with the inscription beginning"Yi Hai"(乙亥)constitutes a complete time point.Combined with the inscriptions on Bone and Shells inscriptions and bronze inscriptions the records of"drinking"in the Shang Dynasty,and comparing the contents of the History books on drinking,the Shang aristocracy usually had a higher status in the sip drinking rites(飨酒礼),accompanied by playing music,which was also inherited and developed by the Zhou Dynasty.The third part of the study about archery rites in the Shang Dynasty,mainly use the inscription on the bronze shaped like tortoise(作册般鼋)as the research object.According to the inscription on the bronze shaped like tortoise(作册般鼋),the king of Shang obtained the tortoise in the river,and with the tortoise for the target archery rites.In the course of the rites,the Shang King shot an arrow,and the auxiliary shot three arrows,all hit the target.The king ordered officials to reward historian,and said,"奏于庸,则毋宝",that is ordered as a historian Ban(作册般)to remember this incident in the bronze,do not make a ritual bronze.Because the bronze shaped liketortoise are bronze of a commemorative nature,the bronze shaped like tortoise are more peculiar and no specific reward appears in the inscription.Through the Book of Rites and contact with the Shang Dynasty the inscriptions on Bone and Shells bone inscriptions and Zhou Dynasty archery rites bronze inscriptions,Shang Dynasty archery rites exists with the object as the target and often held in Waterside,consistent with the Zhou Dynasty archery rites.Although the inscription of bronze in Shang Dynasty took the inscription of clan as the bulk,but the complete inscription of chronicle was more than 100 pieces,its historical data value is precious,it is worth digging deeply and continuing to explore.Confucius said that"Zhou rituals is born out of Yin rituals"(周因于殷礼)is not lies,through the analysis of the bronze inscriptions of Shang and Zhou dynasties,and linked with the inscriptions on Bone and Shells,the book of handed down rites and other materials can be seen,there is indeed a inheritance relationship between Yin rituals and Zhou rituals,although Yin rituals is not as strict as Zhou rituals,the core elements of etiquette system is nearly complete.