On The Witch And The Tang Dynasty Social Life

This article mainly dissertates the witches and the daily life in Tang Dynasty. The full text has four parts.The first part demonstrate the groups that associate with the witches in Tang Dynasty .People in Tang Dynasty believed in the existence of ghosts and divinities, which provided ample chances for witches. As a result, not only the upper-class society but also commoners associated with witches closely. So the part emphasizes in demonstrating the groups that associate with the witches, which consist of emperors, imperial concubines, nobles and commoners.The second part dissertates the methods and functional authority of the witches related to ghosts and divinities. As a professional group, witches had special methods to contact with ghosts and divinities, eg. singing, dancing and worship etc. People believed in witches were able to drive out ghosts, treat diseases, foretell future, pray for good luck and raining etc through these methods.The third part dissertates the challenge for existence that witches faced and the effect that witches brought about on society, witches were often welcome among the people very much, but sometimes their activities were confined by government, and their association with official were restricted too, because the Tang government couldn't accept the fanatical belief on ghosts and divinities. In the other hand, the effect of witches activities was wide, so the chapter presents a detailed analysis on it, including inhabitance, marriage, funeral of people in daily-life. At the same time, the part researchs into fork-belief that witches brought about.Finally, In a word, the article thinks the important reason to wide existence of witches was people's belief on ghosts and divinities, which ensured and maintained the frequent activities of witches in Tang dynasty.