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Formulaic Structure of Chu Divinatory Bamboo Slips

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2015

Li Ling
Li Ling*
Affiliation:
Dept. of Chinese, Peking U. Beijing, China P.R.C.
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Abstract

In recent decades, divination records written on bamboo slips have been discovered at such sites as Wangshan, Tianxingguan and Baoshan, all in Hubei province. These slips derive from the ancient state of Chu and date between 350 and 300 B.C. In this paper, the author suggests that these divination records are of two types: an “initial divination” and a “follow-up divination.” He also demonstrates that the “initial divination” type, which is the fuller form, usually consists of five discrete portions: a Prologue, First Charge, First Prognostication, Second Charge, and Second Prognostication; and provides detailed notes on the terminology found in each portion. Finally, he considers such associated questions as whether the Second Charge is a prayer or divination, whether divination was stated in the form of a question or statement, and the nature of the “follow-up divination.”

Type
Articles
Information
Early China , Volume 15 , 1990 , pp. 71 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © Society for the Study of Early China 1990

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References

1. For the dates and other pertinent information and background in regard to these finds see gongzuodui, Hubei sheng wenhuaju wenwu 湖匕省文匕局文物工作隊, “Hubei Jiangling sanzuo Chu mu chutu da pi zhongyao wenwu” 湖北江陵三座楚基出土大批重要文物, Wenwu 1966.5, 33–55Google Scholar; Zhenyu, Chen 陳振裕, “Wangshan yihao mu de niandaiyu muzhu” 望山一號墓的年代與墓主, in Zhongguo kaogu xuehui diyici nianhui lunwenji 中國考古學會第一次會論文集 (Beijing: Wenwu, 1980), 229–236Google Scholar; bowuguan, Hubei sheng Jingzhou diqu 湖北省荆州地區博物館, “Jiangling Tianxingguan yihao Chumu” 江陵天星觀一號楚墓, Kaogu xuebao 1982.1, 71–116Google Scholar; xiaozu, Hubei sheng Jingsha tielu kaogudui Baoshan Chu mu zhengli 湖北省荆沙鐵路考古隊包山楚墓整理小組, “Jingmen shih Baoshan Chu mu fajue jianbao” 荆門市包山楚墓發掘簡報, Wenwu 1988.5, 1–14Google Scholar; xiaozu, Baoshan mudi zhujian zhengli 包山墓地竹簡整理小組, “Baoshan erhao mu zhujian gaishu” 包山二號墓竹簡概述, Wenwu 1988.5, 25–29Google Scholar.

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4. Cf. the Zhou li, “Chun gu an,” ‘Taibu“ section: yi bang shi zuo gut zhi ba ming … ba yue chou 以邦事作龜之八命…八曰瘳” [The Grand Prognosticator] is in charge of the eight invocations of the turtle in regard to the affairs of state …. the eighth is called chou 瘳 ‘cures’.”

5. See “Tianxingguan yihao Chu mu de jianbao.”

6. See the relevant photographs, facsimile reproductions, and citations in the articles given in note 1, Rao Zongi's article mentioned in note 2, and in Jiahao, Li 李家 浩, “Shi bian” 釋弁, Guwmzi yanjiu 古文字硏究 1, 391–395Google Scholar; Xiantong, Zeng 曾憲通, “Chu yueming chutan” 楚月名初探, Guwmzi yanjiu 5, 303–320Google Scholar; Rensheng, Teng 滕壬生, “Shi (you)” 釋恵, Guwenzi yanjiu 10, 46–52Google Scholar. The transcriptions given in the present article do not conform in every respect with these earlier studies; there are a few corrections in the present work. Moreover, we should point out that when Zeng Xiantong cites the sentence 智佗占之曰吉, he erroneously breaks it after the graphs 智佗, taking them to mean wu tuo 無它 ‘no other(s),“ and not recognizing that they are actually the diviner's name, to be read as Xu Tuo, and serve as the grammatical subject of 占之. In the following line of the same passage, written on another tablet, the first character is also a diviner's name, and is neither the character yin 因 nor hing 病 as has sometimes been variously suggested.

7. See “Baoshan erhao mu zhujian gaishu.”

8. See Xueqin, Li 李學勤 and Yuxin, Wang 王宇信, “Zhou yuan buci xuanshi”, 周原卜辭選釋, Gwaenzi yanjiu 4 (1980), 245–258Google Scholar; Xueqin, Li, “Xu lun Xizhou jiagu” 總論西 周甲骨, Zhongguo yuwen yanjiu 古文字硏究 7 (1985), 1–8Google Scholar, and Renwen zazhi 1986.1, 68–72Google Scholar; Shaughnessy, Edward L., “The Composition of the Zhouyi” (Ph.D. diss.: Stanford U., 1983), 57–59Google Scholar, and “Shishi Zhouyuan buci si zi — jian lun Zhoudai zhen bu zhi xingzhi” 試釋周原卜辭囟字 –— 兼論周代貞卜性質, Giwenzi yanjiu 17 (1990), 304–308Google Scholar.

9. See Lian Shaoming, “Wangshan Chujian zhong de ‘xi bu’” and Li Xueqin, “Zhujian buci yu Shang Zhou jiagu.”

10. See Qiu Xigui, Du “Anyang chutu de niujiagu ji qi keci 〈安陽出土的牛胛骨及其刻辭〉, Kaogu 1972.5, 43–45Google Scholar.

11. See Zhenhao, Song 宋鎭豪, “Yindai ‘xi bu’ he youguan zhanbu zhidu de yanjiu” 殷代“習卜”和有關占卜制度的硏究, Zhongguo shi yanjiu 中國史硏究 1987.4, 91–102Google Scholar; Houxuan, Hu 胡厚宣 and Zhenhao, Song, “Sulian guoli Aimitaji bowuguansuozang jiagu wenzi kaoshi” 蘇聯國立愛米塔什博物館所藏甲骨文字釋, Chutu wenxian yanjiu xuji 出土文獻硏究縯集 (Beijing: Wenwu, 1989), 10–50Google Scholar.

12. See “Tianxingguan yihao Chumu de jianbao.”

13. Zhu Dexi 朱徳熙 and Li Jiahao 李家浩, “Ejun chi jie kao shi (ba pian)” 鄂君啓節考釋 (八篇) (special publication).

14. Translation of James Legge, The I Ching, second edition (1899; rpt. New York: Dover, 1963), 325Google Scholar.