唐詩를 통해 본 중국 蹴鞠 문화

Abstract

This article aims to analyze ancient Chinese soccer culture reproduced in Tang’s poems. Soccer game was called by cuju(蹴鞠) in the traditional China, which was selected in 2006 as a national intangible cultural heritage by a government-related organization. Here I especially focus on Tang dynasty(618-907) dealing with ancient Chinese soccer history since the beginning of ancient Chinese soccer in the Warring States period. Because I think that several important changes in ancient Chinese soccer history occurred during Tang. Soccer ball to be infused with compressed air appeared for the first time in Tang. Air-infused soccer ball, in other words, was called as qiqiu(氣球) in those days. Above all, it was very important reminding that soccer ball put with cloth was used in the previous period. Kicking skills to use various body parts was able for the invention of air-infused soccer ball. The method of soccer game in those days was different from what we imagine today. One goalpost was stood almost 10m high in the field center, two team played a game in each field without physical touch. The method of soccer game was changed from violent and opposite match to indirect match in Tang as compared with Han dynasty. I think that it reflected the phenomenon to avoid extreme competition and to observe moderation with the spread of Confucian ideology and value. I can find two important facts through analyzing ancient Chinese soccer culture in Tang’s poems. First, Soccer game was becoming more popular since Tang, especially on the Haishi Day and the Qingming Festival, which were not attached enough importance to as important and national holidays yet until Tang. Second, women could participate to play soccer game, for air-infused soccer ball is soft and light. Women’s soccer gradually had the peculiarity of an artistic performance at a banquet after Tang. In this article I expect to show how ancient Chinese soccer game was concerned with the customs of those days, and was reflected in literary works.