Introduction

The study of Chinese ancient civilization has always been an important part of academic research. Among them, the religious beliefs and rituals of ancient China, reflected in oracle bone inscriptions, are of great significance. This paper focuses on the oracle bone inscriptions related to the worship of ancestral spirits in the Shang Dynasty, and discusses the rituals of yòujié (invitation sacrifice), bīn jié (guest sacrifice), and yù jié (imperial sacrifice) dedicated to the ancestral spirit of the queen mother Jiǎ, which were commonly used during the reign of the Shang Kings.

Oracle bone inscriptions related to the worship of ancestral spirits

Oracle bone inscriptions are an important source of information for the study of the social and cultural history of the Shang Dynasty. The worship of ancestral spirits was an important activity in Shang society, and there are many oracle bone inscriptions related to this subject. Among them, the sacrificial rituals of yòujié, bīn jié, and yù jié dedicated to the ancestral spirit of the queen mother Jiǎ were relatively common during the Shang Dynasty.

Yòu jié

Yòu jié is an invitation sacrifice, which was used to invite the ancestral spirit of the queen mother Jiǎ to attend a sacrificial ceremony. The oracle bone inscription (1) provides an example of yòu jié in which the diviner asked whether they should hold a yòu jié for the queen mother Jiǎ and use ten captives as sacrificial offerings. This indicates that the sacrificial ceremony often required a large number of sacrificial offerings.

Bīn jié

Bīn jié is a guest sacrifice, which is a form of sacrificial ritual that pays tribute to the ancestral spirit as a guest. The oracle bone inscription (2) provides an example of bīn jié in which the Shang King asked whether they should hold a sacrificial ceremony for the royal ancestors, including the queen mother Jiǎ, and the ancestral spirit of the queen mother Yiǔ too. The Shang King decided to gather the ancestors together and conduct a joint sacrificial ceremony, indicating that the spirits of the ancestors had a need for spiritual companionship.

Yù jié

Yù jié is an imperial sacrifice, which was performed by the emperor or the royal family to offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors on behalf of the entire country. The oracle bone inscription (3) provides an example of yù jié dedicated to the queen mother Jiǎ, who was requested to remove a harmful spirit from a person named Yǒu. This indicates that the queen mother Jiǎ was believed to have the power to balance the evil spirits and protect the safety of the Shang Dynasty.

Conclusion

Through the study of oracle bone inscriptions related to the worship of ancestral spirits in the Shang Dynasty, we can understand the religious beliefs and rituals of the ancient Chinese people, and the complex relationship between the emperor, royal family, and ancestral spirits. We can also see that the Shang Kings attached great importance to the rituals and sacrifices dedicated to ancestral spirits, and believed that the ancestral spirits played a significant role in the protection and prosperity of their dynasty. This paper provides a glimpse into the ancient civilization of China and underscores the importance of oracle bone inscriptions in Chinese culture.