漢字에 투사된 고대 중국의 生育崇拜 문화

Abstract

This study examined ancient China's raising worship culture by selecting some Chinese characters related with raising worship and analyzing the shapes of the characters. As women were the principal subjects of raising in matriarchy, female genitalia and childbirth activity were worshiped. In line with change of society from matriarchy to patriarchy, the object of worship was also shifted to phallus symbolic of men. Shape of ‘也’ embodied female genitalia, and its original meaning reflects perception of worship of women's raising in matriarchy longing for fecundity. The character ‘帝’ originally means a female progenitor of clans in matriarchy, probably reflecting worship of women's raising. Ancient people worshiped flower buds before bearing fruits, flowers in full blossom and fruits in connection with women's raising, which was reflected in ‘蒂’. The initial character of 蒂 is 帝 that may reflect female genitalia worship culture in matriarchy. ‘姓’ is a character combining ‘女’ and ‘生’. This can be interpreted to represent worship of women's raising in matriarchy. Characters of ‘后’ and ‘毓’ showing the shape of childbirth represent raising worship culture related with women's authority in matriarchy. It's because women, who were the principal subject of raising in matriarchy, were able to wield authority accordingly and they could rise to the head of the clans representing certain families. The fact that 后 later meant a monarch or feudal lord representing a group implies that the character has the original meaning of 后 referring to a woman who was positioned in the highest level of clans related with raising. The original meaning of ‘好’- embodying the shape of a woman holding her baby - is woman's 'giving birth to a baby' or a 'woman with babies'. Longing for proper raising for the prosperity and survival of clans in matriarchy may have been continued to worship of women's raising and worship for women. And this cultural phenomena could be represented in 好. Genital organs were often a sign to distinguish a man or woman in ancient times and so worship of men's raising was conducted centered on phallicism and this cultural phenomena are fully represented in ‘且’ - the initial character of ‘祖’. In patriarchy where families were succeeded to the father's family, ancestral rites meant rites to male ancestors and so 祖 is made by combining 且 symbolic of phallus with 示 meaning rites to god or ancestors. Given shape of men from ancient people's pictures of procreation worship and the shape of women as represented in 母, it can be said that the character of 父 holding phallus represents culture of worship of men's raising. It's because the character 父 contains the meaning of 父 at the time when it meant father's generation or men in general. Symbolizing phallus using the arrows comes from worship of men's procreation and this perception may be represented in 族 showing family groups. It's because 族 - adding 矢 on 㫃 - means that the group is mainly made from families.