Chapter 34 Chapter VIII Oath Etiquette and Customs

In the Zhou Dynasty, when the relationship between the vassals or between the emperor of Zhou and the vassals was uncoordinated, an alliance was formed to make an oath to maintain stability.During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, countries annexed each other and competed for supremacy.Big countries want to expand their sphere of influence through alliances, and small countries also want to protect their own interests through alliances, so alliance oaths are more popular.The so-called oath of alliance means that two or more princes gather together, pass a certain ceremony, take an oath together, agree to work together, and support each other.After forming an alliance, both parties are bound by mutual obligations.During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Wen of Jin, King Zhuang of Chu, King Helu [lu donkey] of Wu, and King Goujian of Yue all claimed their supremacy through alliance oaths when they claimed supremacy.

When forming an alliance, an alliance ceremony is held.The alliance ceremony is generally held at the altar [dian shop], that is, on a high platform built with soil. "Book of Rites · Qu Lixia" says: "To [li] a sacrifice is called an alliance." Kong Yingda Shuyun: "For the alliance, the east animal will swear to God with the blood of the east animal." That is to say, the ritual of alliance must kill animals , Drinking blood.When meeting, first dig a square pit on the ground for backup.Then Rong You helped the "Simeng" who was in charge of the ceremony to kill the animals (six animals were used for the animals, and the princes of the emperor usually used cattle), cut off the left ear of the cattle, put them in a bead plate, and the leader held them , This is called "holding the bull's ear".He also took the blood of the sacrificed cattle and filled it in Yudun [Dui Dui], and dipped it in the blood to write the alliance letter.The alliance officially started, the leader, the alliance and the princes of the alliance all stood on the altar, and the alliance was first read by the alliance, and the gods were edicted.Then Rong Youduan came to Yudun, which contained the blood of the sacrifice, and opened the Dungai. The leader drank the blood first, and then drank the blood one by one according to the order of superiority and inferiority, to show his unswerving commitment. This is called drinking blood.Some congregationalists also took the blood of livestock in their mouths, or dipped their fingers in the blood of livestock and smeared it on their mouths.After drinking the blood, a copy of the alliance letter should be taken and placed on the cattle, and buried together in the square pit.The allies each took a copy of the alliance book that had been copied in advance, and kept it in the ancestral temple or the government in charge of the alliance after returning home.Since then, the content of the alliance letter has become the principle and code of conduct for all alliance members to abide by.

The most important ritual in the rites of alliance is the taking of blood.Regardless of the occasion of the oath, all alliances must perform the etiquette of blood shedding, which has been passed down to later generations.According to the eighty-seventh volume of Li Tao's "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian" in the Southern Song Dynasty, in September of the ninth year of Song Zhenzong's Dazhong Xiangfu (AD 1016), the "Fushui barbarians" who had rebelled "returned the plundered Hankou , Capital and livestock, I swore an oath on the blood of a cat, saying to myself that the Nushan Mountain will be destroyed, and the Longjiang River will flow westward, and I dare not rebel."When the various gang groups of the descendants sign the covenant, in order to show their determination, they also have to chop a rooster with a knife, sprinkle a few drops of chicken blood in each bowl of wine, swear to God, and then drink all the blood wine to show that they are like brothers and sisters. Blessings are shared, and difficulties are shared.In the Qing Dynasty, when the Tiandihui worshiped the alliance, the participants pierced their middle fingers with silver needles, let blood drip into the wine bowl, and then all the members present drank the bowl of blood wine together.At the same time, they sang poems such as "This night, the alliance will be united, the world will be united, all the people will be recruited from all over the world, and the golden needle will take blood to make an oath, and the brothers will be united in one heart" and other poems, and then burn incense and take the oath.Due to the widespread use of blood in oath activities, "blood for alliance" became a special phrase that was often used in conjunction.

In the pre-Qin period, there was a difference between an alliance and an oath.An oath is only a contract with each other through language, so the binding effect is less than that of an alliance.The oath ceremony is also relatively simple, without killing animals and drinking blood.Since an oath is necessary to form an alliance, the word oath was later used together, and the etiquette of the oath was combined into one.Later generations also often kneel down on their knees, turn their backs to the sky, and swear an oath in order to show their determination. This probably belongs to the legacy of the oath ceremony.

Since the oath is held in the public, and the oath must be made to the gods believed by the ancients, it still has a certain degree of binding force.According to "Historical Records: Biography of Assassins", in the thirteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (681 BC), Qi State and Lu State formed an alliance in Ke.When Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Zhuang of Lu were making an alliance ceremony on the altar, Lu Guoyong took Cao Mo's opportunity to kidnap Duke Huan of Qi with a dagger in his hand, and demanded to return the "land of Suiyi" of the State of Lu that Qi had invaded.Under duress, Duke Huan had no choice but to agree to Cao Mo's terms in public.When Cao Mo stepped down from the altar and took the position of the officials, Duke Huan regretted it and "wanted to double (repeat) his covenant".At this time, Guan Zhong, the chancellor of the state of Qi, said: "No." After agreeing to it, it is only a moment of pleasure to break the promise, and the result is "abandoning the trust of the princes and losing the support of the world."Therefore, Duke Huan of Qi had no choice but to return the occupied Lu State to the Lu State in accordance with the agreement of the alliance.From this example, it can be seen that the ancient alliance ceremony was not just a formality.

---

Notes: