A Study On The Original Stories About Ci In Northern Song China

Benshi is a traditional critical method with both eventful and realistic texts sothat the authenticity of a certain literature work can be proved by recording itsrelevant information such as origin, comments and spread etc. Ci Benshi is onebranch of the Benshi system after the booming prosperity of Shihua, Cihua and Ci inSong Dynasty. Being directly influenced by Shi Benshi of Tang Dynasty, Ci Benshibegins with poem in Han Dynasty and Classical Chinese literature in Weijin Dynasty,focusing on recording the production process, writing reasons and relevant facts.Benshi, which is different from Cixu and novels, enjoys the textual characteristic likenovels, textual function to add more information to history and save Ci and a textualposition affiliated to Ci. In addition, Benshi has always been put in an inappropriateposition by scholars, containing generally two psychological expectations, i.e.,historical Benshi and fictional Benshi. The thesis mainly focuses on Benshi in NorthSong Dynasty which is divided into three types including historical sagas, love storiesand supernatural tales by contents or two types including the former period and latterperiod by different social and era features. Being a traditional critical method, Benshiis supposed to be deeply studied from the angles of writers’ habits and comments onboth characters and words. This thesis also pays attention to the extension function ofCi in North Song Dynasty with Benshi as penetration: giving comments andresolutions by Ci; using critical summary, gracious names, quotation and contrast andchoice of words; elegance and harmony in Ci, pursuit of knowledge and realm,appreciation of geniuses and proverbs. As an early critical method adopted at thebeginning of Cihua, Benshi in North Song Dynasty is the origin of Cihua. After itsbirth, Cixu has become the resources of references of Ci Benshi and been graduallyinfluenced by Benshi as time goes by. There are two trends of Benshi after the NorthSong Dynasty: one is for academics and the other for novels and dramas.