Chapter 40 Section 2 Saji Festival

She is the god of earth, and Ji is the god of valley.In ancient times, agriculture was the foundation, so the activities of offering sacrifices to the country closely related to agriculture were highly valued.Sheji sacrifices have a long history. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the great uncle who was in charge of state sacrifices had the responsibility of "sacrificing blood to the country", and the little Zongbo was responsible for the establishment of the altar of the country.The Sheji Altar is a place for sacrifices. According to etiquette, the Sheji Altar of the King of Zhou should be paved with five-color soil.The color of earth depends on its orientation, blue in the east, red in the south, white in the west, black in the north, and yellow in the middle, to symbolize the five directions.The existing square Daping Altar named "Five Color Soil" in Beijing Zhongshan Park is the Sheji Altar built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty when Beijing was built.The King of Zhou used Tailao, namely cattle, sheep, and pigs, to sacrifice to the state of the country, and the bells and drums were played together, singing and dancing. The activities were very grand and enthusiastic.

In ancient literature, a country is often referred to as a country.This is because, when a country is established, a Sheji Altar is built, and when a country perishes, the Sheji Altar must be abandoned. The rise and fall of a country must reflect changes in the establishment of the Sheji Altar, so it is natural for the Sheji to refer to the country.Since Sheji has become a symbol of the country, its sacrificial significance is even more special. However, offering sacrifices to the country is not just a matter for the king. In ancient times, there were activities of offering sacrifices to the society from all walks of life. "Book of Rites·Sacrifice Law" states: "The king establishes a society for the group's surnames, called Taishe; the king himself establishes a society, which is called Wangshe; The following groups set up societies, called Zhishe." The Taishe established by the king here is the five-color soil mentioned above.It is said that when the ancient kings enshrined the feudal lords, they took a pinch of colored soil from the Taishe altar according to the location of the fiefdom, and gave it to the feudal princes, and then the princes put it in the fiefdom's Sheji altar. Naturally, this kind of Sheji altar cannot There are five colored soils.As for setting up altars at the next level, we can only use local soil.Since officials below the level set up communes in groups, the folks formed a social organization of residents centering on communal worship activities, which were also called "communities".When establishing a society, not only must the soil be sealed as an altar, but trees suitable for the local soil must also be planted, which is also the symbol of the society.There are many sayings about the size of the commune, such as 12, 25, 50 and 100, and there are also village-wide worship communes.On the day of the sacrifice, almost all the people in the society stopped working to participate in the sacrificial activities.On this day, there are also social meals, social cakes, and social cakes specially prepared for the social day.Near the various community altars in the countryside, after gathering and offering sacrifices, the fellow community members would drink and sing together, play flute and drums, and it was very lively.This kind of civil society ritual activity originated in the pre-Qin period, developed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and became popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties. In the Yuan Dynasty, due to the restraint of the ruling class on folk associations and assemblies, it gradually declined.