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A Shang oracle text written by the Bīn group of diviners from period I, corresponding to the reign of King Wu Ding (c. 1250 BCE) [1]The Shang dynasty of China (c. 1600 – 1046 BCE), which adhered to a polytheistic religion centered around worshipping ancestors, structured itself into key religious roles with the king acting as head.
Texts written by Wu Ding's scribes contain the word 'learn' (學; xué), which in context could imply a course of ritual education. In addition, some attested inscriptions appear to have been used for teaching – described by Guo Moruo as possibly being example inscriptions used by teachers.
In the early Bronze Age of China, the use of wine and food vessels served a religious purpose. While ding were the most important food vessels, wine vessels were the more prominent ritual bronzes of this time, likely due to the belief in Shamanism and spirit worship. [5] Ding were used to make ritual sacrifices, both human and animal, to ancestors.
The notable example is Wen Wu Ding, Wu Ding's 5th-generation descendant (and one of his admirer, who took his regnal name to be a component of his own). His actions took place when the Shang dynasty had been experiencing sharp declines; therefore, they have been perceived as attempts to revitalize power using connecting the ruler with his most ...
The Houmuwu ding (Chinese: 后母戊鼎; pinyin: Hòumǔwù dǐng), also called Simuwu ding (司母戊鼎; Sīmǔwù dǐng), is a rectangular bronze ding (sacrificial vessel, one of the common types of Chinese ritual bronzes) of the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty. It is the heaviest piece of bronzeware to survive from anywhere in the ancient ...
David Keightley reconstructed a ritual happening during Wu Ding's reign, in which the king suffered from a toothache and attempted to receive a treatment from his uncle Pan Geng. [1] In another case, Wu Ding asked his (deceased) father Xiao Yi to cure a stomach ailment. [1] Female ancestors seem to be responsible for more negative events.
Concerning healing, a comparison of the wu and the Siberian shaman shows a big difference: in Siberia, the shaman is also in charge of cures and healing, but he does this by identifying the spirit responsible for the disease and negotiates the proper way to appease him (or her), for example by offering a sacrifice or food on a regular basis.
A gu from the middle Shang dynasty, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, China. A gu is a type of ancient Chinese ritual bronze vessel from the Shang and Zhou dynasties (1600–256 BC). It was used to drink wine or to offer ritual libations.