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- Panel 3-2 Food Symbolism and Conceptions of the Body in Ancient Rituals /林素娟
Panel 3-2 Food Symbolism and Conceptions of the Body in Ancient Rituals /林素娟
Su-Chuan Lin
Professor, Department of Chinese Literature, NCKU
Through the foods used in female education and marital and childbearing rituals during the Qin and Han periods, this article intends to explore their symbolic meanings and the conceptions of the body they reflect, as well as how foods in rituals contribute to the construction of gendered bodies.
First, the article surveys relevant texts on women’s education and marital and childbearing rituals in the Qin and Han periods and analyzes the foods employed within these contexts.
Second, given that the understanding of the properties of foods in the Qin and Han periods was closely related to the natural rhythms, seasonal qi, and the discourse of yin and yang, as well as deeply intertwined with contemporary cultural symbolism, this section situates ritual foods within the cultural discourse and local conditions of the time. It clarifies the attributes of the foods used in rituals and explains their relationship to blood and vital energy in the body.
Third, drawing upon ritual manuals, medical texts, and literature on gender education from the Qin and Han periods, the article elucidates contemporary conceptions of the female body. For instance, according to the Huangdi neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), it says “Since ancient times, those who are in harmony with Heaven are the foundation of life. Between yin and yang, within the six directions, the qi of the nine provinces, the nine orifices, the five viscera, and the twelve sections are all connected to the celestial qi.” It further explains: “Yin and yang correspond to the male and female aspects of blood and vital energy; left and right are the pathways of yin and yang; water and fire are the signs of yin and yang; yin and yang are the origin of all things.” Women, considered to belong to yin, exhibit particular bodily and mental characteristics, as well as gendered temperaments, all closely associated with this classification. Because food can influence blood and vital energy, it plays an inseparable role in the cultivation of gendered bodies.
Fourth, in accordance with the circulation of blood and qi, as well as the performance of ethical roles, women’s needs for bodily and mental nourishment vary across different stages of life. This section focuses on the symbolic use of foods in female education and marital and childbearing rituals and their relationship with the cultivation of body and mind. It demonstrates how the symbolic employment of food in rituals reflects conceptions of the body and bears significance for the education of gendered bodies and temperaments.
Key words: Food, Blood and Qi, Symbolism, Femininity, Yin and Yang, Ethics and Moral Principles
Professor, Department of Chinese Literature, NCKU
Through the foods used in female education and marital and childbearing rituals during the Qin and Han periods, this article intends to explore their symbolic meanings and the conceptions of the body they reflect, as well as how foods in rituals contribute to the construction of gendered bodies.
First, the article surveys relevant texts on women’s education and marital and childbearing rituals in the Qin and Han periods and analyzes the foods employed within these contexts.
Second, given that the understanding of the properties of foods in the Qin and Han periods was closely related to the natural rhythms, seasonal qi, and the discourse of yin and yang, as well as deeply intertwined with contemporary cultural symbolism, this section situates ritual foods within the cultural discourse and local conditions of the time. It clarifies the attributes of the foods used in rituals and explains their relationship to blood and vital energy in the body.
Third, drawing upon ritual manuals, medical texts, and literature on gender education from the Qin and Han periods, the article elucidates contemporary conceptions of the female body. For instance, according to the Huangdi neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), it says “Since ancient times, those who are in harmony with Heaven are the foundation of life. Between yin and yang, within the six directions, the qi of the nine provinces, the nine orifices, the five viscera, and the twelve sections are all connected to the celestial qi.” It further explains: “Yin and yang correspond to the male and female aspects of blood and vital energy; left and right are the pathways of yin and yang; water and fire are the signs of yin and yang; yin and yang are the origin of all things.” Women, considered to belong to yin, exhibit particular bodily and mental characteristics, as well as gendered temperaments, all closely associated with this classification. Because food can influence blood and vital energy, it plays an inseparable role in the cultivation of gendered bodies.
Fourth, in accordance with the circulation of blood and qi, as well as the performance of ethical roles, women’s needs for bodily and mental nourishment vary across different stages of life. This section focuses on the symbolic use of foods in female education and marital and childbearing rituals and their relationship with the cultivation of body and mind. It demonstrates how the symbolic employment of food in rituals reflects conceptions of the body and bears significance for the education of gendered bodies and temperaments.
Key words: Food, Blood and Qi, Symbolism, Femininity, Yin and Yang, Ethics and Moral Principles