摘要
殷墟卜辞所见上帝观念之研究,历经120余年,成果丰硕,如郭沫若提出上帝为至上神,胡厚宣认为帝五臣指四方与社,等等。目前,学界对上帝是否为至上神等问题及殷代神灵体系,认识上仍存在分歧。李学勤认为,研究甲骨文反映的思想文化可借鉴周代礼制知识。我们循此思路与方法,结合西周金文“上帝百神”“先王在帝廷陟降”“先王在帝左右”等材料,再分析卜辞内证可知,殷代上帝也是百神的君主,四方(包括四方风)、社、河、岳,以及高祖、先王、旧臣均被上帝驱使,执行上帝的意志与命令。卜辞“大甲宾于咸”,可联系《左传》诸侯死后“在先王左右”来理解,即大甲辅助大乙,共同实施帝命。孙诒让提出的“天神、地示、人鬼”说,并不能客观阐释殷代神灵体系,在殷商王朝的自然宗宙观中,上帝是百神之君,控制着天地万物运转与人间社会发展,决定了农业丰歉,都邑兴衰,其意志不可捉摸,也无法改变。四方(包括四方风)、社、河、岳,与高祖、先王、旧臣作为上帝臣僚,具体落实帝令或天命,故受殷人祭祀,以求趋福避祸。
Research into the concept of“Lord Above”(上帝)in the oracle bone inscriptions from the Yin Ruins has a history of over 120 years,yielding various interpretations.Pioneering scholars such as Guo Moruo(郭沫若)identified Lord Above as the supreme deity,while Hu Houxuan(胡厚宣)proposed that the five ministers of Lord Above represented the four cardinal directions and the land.However,there remains considerable debate regarding whether Lord Above was the highest deity in the Shang Dynasty’s pantheon and the precise structure of the Shang deity system.Li Xueqin(李学勤),for example,suggests that understanding the etiquette system of the Zhou Dynasty can offer insights into the Shang’s ideological and cultural framework.Building on this approach,the present study examines later Western Zhou inscriptions on bronze objects,such as those referring to“Lord Above and deities,”“The late king ascended to the court of Lord Above,”and“The late king was around the Lord Above,”to shed light on the deity’s role in Shang religious thought.Analysis of the oracle bone inscriptions reveals that the Lord Above was not only the supreme deity but also the monarch of the divine realm.He exercised sovereign control over the four directions(including winds from four directions),the land,rivers,mountains,ancestors,deceased kings,and former ministers,all of whom acted as instruments of His will.Furthermore,the oracle inscription“Da Jia Bin Yu Xian”(大甲宾于咸)is interpreted in conjunction with Zuo Zhuan’s portrayal of the vassals“surrounding the late king”after their death,suggesting that Da Jia assisted Da Yi to jointly carry out the will of Lord Above.In contrast,Sun Yirang’s(孙诒让)theory of“heavenly beings,earth gods,and ancestors”fails to adequately account for the complexity of the Shang deity system.The Shang Dynasty’s religious worldview,rooted in natural worship,positioned Lord Above as the sovereign deity who governed the forces of nature and human affairs,determining the prosperity of agriculture,and the fate of cities.His will is unpredictable and cannot be changed.As the divine ruler,Lord Above’s decrees or mandate of Heaven,executed through His ministers and servants,such as the four directions(including winds from four directions),land,rivers,and mountains,together with the high forefather,the late king,and the former ministers,were central to Shang ritual practice,with sacrifices performed to secure favor and avert calamity.
作者
刘源
LIU Yuan(Research Center for the History of Shang Dynasty and Oracle Bone Inscriptions,Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,Beijing 100101,China;Collaborative Research and Innovation Platform of“Ancient Chinese Characters and Chinese Civilization Inheritance and Development Project,”Beijing 100101,China)
出处
《河北师范大学学报(哲学社会科学版)》
2025年第1期61-68,共8页
Journal of Hebei Normal University(Philosophy and Social Sciences)
基金
“古文字与中华文明传承发展工程”规划项目“殷墟甲骨文史料解读西周金文史料解读”(项目编号:G1603)
中国社会科学院学科建设“登峰战略”资助计划资助(项目编号:DF2023YS15)。
关键词
甲骨卜辞
上帝
金文
天命
oracle bone inscriptions
Lord Above
inscriptions on bronze objects
mandate of Heaven
