Propitiating the ancestors

In Shang cosmology, the royal ancestors occupied a position of special importance. Upon their death, the spirits of the kings were believed to live alongside Di, the high god, and so provided a way for the incumbent Shang king to communicate with the divine, the ancestors carrying his message to Di. Therefore, it was essential to properly propitiate the ancestors, lest they bring about disaster for the Shang. The ancestors were understood to retain very human concerns and temperaments and not to have become different entities upon their deaths, despite their proximity to Di. As such, offerings of food and drink were central to Shang ancestor worship (human sacrifices were also offered). These offerings seem to have taken the form of a ritual banquet, with the oracle bone graph for…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 46

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