A critical study of the representation of women in the Shang dynasty through the lens of oracle bones and other written records = 從文字材料考察商代女性文化

Abstract

Under the influence of Confucianism, “feebleness” is a keyword in discourse on the image of imperial Chinese women. They were bound by the “Three Obediences and Four Virtues” and duty to take care of a family. Surprisingly, the record shown on the Oracle Bones Inscriptions seems to illustrate a completely different image of Chinese women in the Shang dynasty – in addition to parenting, they were also part of the working force in society. Aside from agricultural production, they would also take part in important ritual performances. The most impressing phenomenon would be the women could go to battlefield to conquer against invasion at that time. These manifest a different dimension of women studies in ancient time. Hence, this study aims at a thorough investigation into women in Shang dynasty, based on different prevailing written records, including some secondary historical documents written after the Shang. This research would first examine how matriarchy played an important role to or influenced Shang reign and the society. In this section, I will try to point out the association of Shang women with Mother Goddess and Totem culture, which might serve as the reason why women could enjoy a rather special status in Shang. This section will also highlight the relationship of xuan niao (玄鳥) and Shang women to indicate the possibility that the power and rights possessed by Shang women might be originated from their bird ancestors. A discussion of the close relationship between xuan niao and Shang women contributing to the special identity of women in Shang will be included in this part. For the second section, some examples are cited from the oracle bones inscriptions to identify how Shang women actually engaged in the social activities, including agricultural production, preparation of battlefield, ritual performances, and giving birth. In this section, archaeological findings are also compiled in the studies to provide a more thorough picture of women in Shang. These records from the oracle bones inscriptions served as the powerful first hand sources to reveal women’s social responsibilities at that time. For the third section, it is a focus on the study of the structure of oracles text itself – to bring to this study a critical dimension. The use of “Woman” character in the formation of the oracle bones text implies some special cultural meanings beyond. While these words are taken into account, the main concern is to manifest how their structures correlate with their representations. This chapter is an attempt to come up with a summary of findings based on the previous chapters. Clarifications and add-ons are also made upon the existing definitions of the words.