SUMMARY
In this paper, the etiquette of “Hsian Chan, known in English as the Goddess of Agricultural Production”, “Gau Mei, known in English as the God of Marriage and Fertility” and “Hwang Hou Fu Miao, known in English as incense burner reunion ceremony held for the deceased” related to the empress and imperial concubines in Song Dynasty was the core of study. By tracing the changes of religious rites, the Book of Rites and the etiquette in various periods, the author attempted to explore how the code of etiquette, the connotation of etiquette and the book of rites were interpreted and cited in Song Dynasty for the planning and discussions of the empress and imperial concubines’ participation in the state worship ceremony. Moreover, the author examined the roles played by the females in the state ceremony and the influence on females imposed by the academic thoughts in Song Dynasty based on the academic backgrounds, social order and political factors in Song Dynasty as well as the actual situations reflected by historical data, the ideals outlined by the Confucian scholars, and the ceremonies prepared in Song Dynasty.
Key words: Song Dynasty, Hsian Chan , Gau Mei , Hwang Hou Fu Miao, Gender order
INTRODUCTION
In this paper, the etiquette of “Hsian Chan”, “Gau Mei” and “Hwang Hou Fu Miao” was discussed with emphasis on the development of etiquette in Song Dynasty. Moreover, the etiquette related to Song Dynasty empress and imperial concubines’ participation in worship ceremonies was examined. By tracing the changes of religious rites, the Book of Rites and the etiquette in various periods, the author attempted to explore how the code of etiquette, the connotation of etiquette and the book of rites were interpreted and cited in Song Dynasty for the planning and discussions of the empress and imperial concubines’ participation in the state worship ceremony. Moreover, the author examined the roles played by the females in the state ceremony and the influence on females imposed by the academic thoughts in Song Dynasty based on the academic backgrounds, social order and political factors in Song Dynasty as well as the actual situations reflected by historical data, the ideals outlined by the Confucian scholars, and the ceremonies prepared in Song Dynasty.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This paper started with the study of Confucian classics and etiquette thoughts, using historical data and archaeological literatures to analyze the difference of etiquettes in different stages as well as the surge of academic thoughts, social backgrounds and political factors manifested in different stages of Song Dynasty. Secondly, various aspects, such as politics, social order, real life and academic thoughts, were put together to analyze the implications of religious rituals of worship ceremony, space of ceremony, costumes, sacrifice laws, and sacrifice vessels so as to explore the symbolic meanings inherent in the ceremony and gender order.
Results and Discussion
The discussions came up with conclusions which are summarized into four points as follows: (1) Different academic thoughts had affected the planning and formulation of etiquette in different stages. (2) In Song Dynasty, people abided by this ethical standard “Man are breadwinners; women are homemakers to regulate social order. (3) In Song Dynasty, neo-Confucianists and emperors held different viewpoints of Hwang Hou Fu Miao, indicating the unavoidable conflicts between theory and reality, as well as the difference among human relationship, filial piety and order of etiquette laws. (4) In the worship ceremony, rituals served several purposes, such as the symbolic connection between humans and deities, signifying the exercise of etiquette, using Yin and Yang properties to create extrasensory perception for the worship ceremony, and giving expression to ethical order such as the rich vs. the poor and the senior vs. the junior.
Conclusion
Through discussions, this paper has constructed a full view of “Hsian Chan”, “Gau Mei” and “Hwang Hou Fu Miao” etiquettes in Song Dynasty, and at the same time figured out the similar issues related to gender discussions, social customs, surge of academic thoughts, etiquette thoughts, and variations of Confucian classics in Song Dynasty.