What is the sacrifice for?

In ancient times, "the great event of a country lies in worshipping and conquering", and offering sacrifices is as important as protecting the country.

The worship of Emperor Yan has a long history. Historical records? 6? 1 "Zen Book" cloud, Qin Linggong three years (-423), in Wuyang, "making the lower canthus, offering sacrifices to Emperor Yan". This is the earliest record of offering sacrifices to Emperor Yan, but it is not the earliest sacrifice. Sacrifice to Emperor Yan began with the Yellow Emperor. "Road history? 6? 1 Postscript says that the Yellow Emperor "worships Emperor Yan and Chen". Xuanyuan Huangdi Biography also said: Huangdi "built a temple to worship Emperor Yan."

Since the Yellow Emperor fell, the heel of the past dynasties has increased China and worshipped China. "General Code" contains: Five Houses of Yu Shun Worship Five Emperors. In the Zhou Dynasty, the suburbs were worshipped in the summer, and the Ming Hall was enjoyed in the autumn, and Mitsuki Luda was built (to worship the flood and drought). At the end of the year, he increased his past income and paid tribute to the five emperors in the spring. Or dedicated to Shennong. Qin respects the "Four Temples" gods, and Yan Di matches them. There were "Five Temples" and "Nandi Yan Di" in the early Han Dynasty. "Sacrifice for nine days", Emperor Yan represents "scorching the sun in the south". King attacked the old system and worshipped the five emperors in the suburbs. "Most of the charters of the post-Zhou Dynasty were based on the Zhou system. In the first month, I worshipped God Hao in Yuanshan, and the first emperor Shennong matched the five emperors and worshipped astronomy. " In the early Tang Dynasty, it was stipulated that the dome should be worshipped every winter solstice, and Chi Di should be accompanied by five gods. In the sixth year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty (747), "Huang San set up temples, five emperors set up temples, and ministers offered sacrifices in due course". After the Tang and Song Dynasties, Yan Di's worship of Shennong was more extensive and influential. However, most of these sacrifices were held in the seat of the kingship center.

I don't know when the tomb was provided. "Tongdian" said: "There was no tomb sacrifice three generations ago, and it was not until the Qin Dynasty that a tomb was built next to the tomb. Because there are gardens in the Qin tomb, it is called the tomb. Historical records? 6? 1 Zen Book: In the first year of Yuanfeng (-1 10), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty toured the northern part of Shuofang, "offering sacrifices to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum Bridge Mountain", but did not say that there was a garden bed. Accordingly, the sacrifice of the mausoleum should be after the Han Dynasty.

Emperor Yan's mausoleum is located in the south, far from the center of kingship, but the sacrifice of the mausoleum is not later than the Han Dynasty. "Road history? 6? 1 Postscript: Emperor Yan Shennong "buried the tail of Changsha Tea Village, which is called Chaling, the so-called emperor's tomb, ("County Records "cloud, Emperor Yan Shennong buried Changsha, the tail of Changsha ... There is a sand shrine in Wan Li, this county, so it is called Changsha." Century "Cloud, Shennong Buries Chaling." "Heng Tu Jing" cloud, Chaling people, the so-called valley tea also. The names of tombs are all based on the tombs of ancient emperors. It smells like the Tang Dynasty (with old records of the Tang Dynasty). "Mao Fuyun dreamed of the emperor, so he prayed for him, and when he got to the south, he was the phase of worship. The order of the three sacrifices was long (the temple was built on the skin of Luyuan in Le Kang Township, and it was built in five years ...).

The location of Yandiling belongs to Jingchu in ancient times and Changsha County in Han Dynasty, Guo Da 180 in Changsha. Some studies believe that the "Wan Li Shaci" named after Changsha belongs to Emperor Yan, which needs to be verified. However, in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu (-202), it is credible to set up Chaling County (Yanling County is the ancient Chaling County) after the mausoleum was named. "Road history? 6? 1 Postscript: Shennong family in Yan Di, Yanling County, with ancient tombs, temples in Han Dynasty, temples in Tang Dynasty and temples in Song Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty, the worship of Emperor Yan's mausoleum became a system, but it never stopped in the Yuan Dynasty and became more frequent in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There were 13 "imperial sacrifices" in Ming dynasty and 39 in Qing dynasty.

During the Republic of China, the county government held festivals in the Spring and Autumn Period or at the request of the county people. The Hunan Provincial Government paid a memorial service to the Mausoleum on June1940+1October 65438. Since then, it has been interrupted for more than 40 years for various reasons. Yan Di Mausoleum was restored. 1993, Hunan Provincial People's Government paid a public sacrifice to Yan Di Mausoleum. At present, a sacrificial pattern has been formed in which provinces and cities are responsible for public sacrifices and counties are responsible for Tomb-Sweeping Day people's sacrifices. Since 1986, Yandiling has held more than 60 large-scale sacrificial activities, and more than 3 million people at home and abroad have come to pay homage to the ancestral graves.

As for folk sacrifice, it has a long history, a vast territory and various forms. The time of sacrifice varies according to local customs. In the south, there is a wax festival to bless the Spring Festival; Tomb-sweeping and ancestor worship in Qingming and winter solstice: birthday sacrifice on April 26 of the lunar calendar; The worship of "tasting the new" at the beginning of new grain; In case of natural disasters, natural disaster sacrifices, etc.

Why is an ancient ancestor, a secluded tomb, so attractive?

Book of rites? 6? 1 Sacrifice law says: "The system of the holy king is also a sacrifice. If the law applies to the people, it will be sacrificed. If the country is determined by labor, it will be sacrificed. If it can bear great suffering, it will be sacrificed. " The general idea of this passage is that the principle of ancient sacrifices is that only those who have contributed to the country and the people can enjoy sacrifices. Sacrificing to Emperor Yan Shennong has a deeper meaning besides "rewarding", with the different times and cultural images.

(a) as one of the five emperors.

Zhou Li, written in the early Eastern Zhou Dynasty, said that "the five emperors worshipped" and "the five emperors were summoned to the suburbs", which was actually unlucky. Historical records? 6? Zen 1 The book says that Qin Xianggong is a western monk and a temple emperor; Qin Gongxuan made a secret ceremony to worship Di Qing; Qin Linggong served as a sacrifice to the Yellow Emperor in the upper canthus and a shrine to Emperor Yan in the lower canthus. In the second year of Emperor Gaozu's reign (-205), he "journeyed to Ji Xiang and returned home. When he entered the customs, he asked,' So what emperor was the shrine when Qin died?' "Yes:' The four emperors have shrines in white, blue, yellow and Chi Di.' Gaozu said:' I heard that there are five emperors in the sky, but there are actually four. "Why?" I don't know what it says. So Gaozu said,' I know what I know, but I have five things for me. Hei Di Temple was established, which is called North Temple. "Tongdian" also said: "Tang Yu worships five emperors in five houses, which are called pale, red, yellow, white and black." The above-mentioned Qing (Cang) Emperor, Red (Yan) Emperor, Yellow Emperor, Bai Di Emperor and Hei Di were originally the five elites of Qiu, that is, the location of the five emperors in the wall of Qiu, and they were the stars in the sky, also known as the five emperors. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the theory of "Five Elements" prevailed. In festivals, the "five emperors", that is, the five emperors on earth, are often used to worship the five emperors, forming a series of five emperors and their sacrificial systems. In this system, Yandi is one of the five emperors, and is used to worship Chi Di, Nandi or Xia Shen. By the end of the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties, the five emperors were sacrificed as a symbol of the dynasty replacement cycle. Emperor Yan has the virtue of fire, which is the foundation of wood, south, summer and red.

In addition to the five temples, there are suburban days, big enjoyment halls and memorial ceremonies. The largest and highest specifications are in the suburbs. The so-called suburb is to set up an altar to worship heaven in the suburb. Book of rites? 6? 1 Gift: "Jiao Di Zun." "Tongdian" says: "In the weekly system, you must greet people at five o'clock to show that they are flattering the sky and training people at the right time. Therefore, on the fourth day of this month, that is, the king's day in the last month of summer, each of them greeted the king's soul in the suburbs and offered sacrifices to the five emperors ... Yan Di is in summer. " Book of rites? 6? 1 month preface includes: Summer Dream Month, "its emperor Yan Di, its god Zhu Rong", "On the long summer day, the son of heaven personally counseled Sangong, Jiuqing and the doctor to welcome the summer in the southern suburbs". At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the Qin system was attacked, and there were five temples in the suburbs. In the second year of Jianwu (26), Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty made eight domes in Qili, south of Luoyang, with heavy altar in the middle and heaven in the middle. The outer altar is in the west, with five emperors on it, and Chi Di is in the third position. At the beginning of Tang Wude, he ordered to worship the God Hao in the suburbs and vaults every winter, and there were five gods. After the Song Dynasty, the worship of the Five Emperors in suburban worship gradually disappeared.

Suburban days are "Sunday is the big news" and "worship in the hall, so teach the ministers filial piety" ("Book of Rites? 6? 1 sacrificial meaning "). In these festivals, the Five Emperors match heaven, expressing the ancient people's awe and gratitude for heaven and earth, gods and ancestors.

(B) as the ancestor of farming civilization

Yandi Shennong system laid the foundation of agriculture and industry; It is not easy to taste the original medicine of Baicao, and its position as the ancestor of pesticides has never been easy. Learning from the past, enjoying the first agriculture and worshiping the first doctor are special sacrifices for him.

"Dawan yesterday" is also called wax (wax) sacrifice. Book of rites? 6? 1 The suburban special sacrifice "Yun Tianzi" is a large wax figure. Eosin is wax at first. Wax also, cable also; /kloc-in October/February, I collected all the things and looked for them. The wax sacrifice was also added by the Lord and the priests, offering sacrifices to God to repay the increase. "Tongdian" says: "The meaning of wax is replaced by its own ceremony. The ancient gentleman, who must report it, is also a field of offering sacrifices to the newspaper. His Shennong started out as a farmer, so he signed up. "

Wax sacrifice is one of the most primitive sacrifices, which started from Shennong and later became a sacrifice to oneself. First named Wax, Xia renamed Jiaping, Yin renamed Qingsi, and Zhou renamed Dawa yesterday. At the beginning of Qin dynasty, it was called the past, and later it was called Jiaping. The Han Dynasty restored the past name, which remained in use until the Qing Dynasty.

As an important etiquette, wax sacrifice lasted less than three generations. Although the past dynasties have considered gains and losses, they have remained largely unchanged. Book of rites? 6? 1 Monthly order "Cloud: the Moon of Meng Dong", the ancestors worship five times, and the workers rest. "Kong Ying Da said," According to miscellaneous records, people in a country are crazy if they watch wax clouds. "."Used to be "? 6? 1 etiquette record also says: "In winter, the stars return at the end of the year, and the yin and yang meet, and farmers enjoy wax. "Thus, the later wax sacrifice not only retained the original meaning of the original wax sacrifice, but also had the significance of celebrating the harvest.