Astrology , Military, Agriculture: On "FengYu Fu” in Ancient China, Korea and Japan

Abstract

Introduction: Fengyu Fu is originally a book by Liu Qiming 劉敏明, a scholar of divination presumably lived between the Tang (618 ∼ 907) and the Song (960 ∼ 1279) Dynasties. It takes the fonn of 'rhymed-prose' ('LvFu'律願) which is commonly used during the Tang and Song period. In the Ming (1368 ∼ 1644) Dynasty, this book was added with detailed annotations by other scholars and was spread to the then Korea and Japan. It was highly valued both by the government and the common 야ople in the three countries. Being applicable to multiple fields, Fengyu Fu could serve as the basis for the court to monitor the sign of Heaven and promulgate decrees accordingly, as the guidance for the military to judge the situation and deploy forces, as the key for the farmers to forecast the weather and seek rich harvest, as well as the secret for the prophets to predict destiny and omens. All in all, it has exerted a significant influence in history. Therefore a thorough study of this book will not only help enhancing our understanding of the relationship between the folk religion and the literary mode, but also provide valuable insight to the research concerning traditional meteorology and cultural exchange among ancient China, Korea and Japan.