Marriage Etiquette And Customs In Zhou Dynasty Reflected In Marrige Poems From The Book Of Songs

The Book of Songs is the source of Chinese poetry, and has a far-reaching influence on later generations, not only because of its outstanding artistic achievements, but also because it was the reflection of the Zhou’s society and people’s thoughts and feelings. The marriage etiquette and customs in the Zhou Dynasty colorfully reflected in marriage poems from The Book of Songs included marriage forms, marriage institutions, specific of wedding etiquette in marriage customs and even a nominal cultural connotation.The wedding was held at dusk, which could date back to Pre-Zhou Dynasty. Six ceremonies of betrothal and marriage consist of ceremony of marriage proposal, placing names of the couple in front of ancestral altar, divining the harmonious degree of the couple, sending betrothal gifts, informing bride of marriage date, and personally receiving the bride. Studies show that, during the time of The Book of Songs, the six ceremonies above have been prevailing in nobles and civilians. They would give their congratulations but wouldn’t play music in the wedding ceremony. The forty marriage poems from The Book of Songs not only covered a wide area of ancient China, but also reflected a variety of the etiquette cultures and social customs. Without doubt, they are of great value on appreciation and research.New research from the love and marriage poems shows that in the Zhou Dynasty, marriages were arranged by parents and marriage brokers; however, men and women, whether noble or common, would be free to choose their mates once they passed a certain age. The study also finds that impacts of political factors towards the noble marriage had showed the tendency in The Book of Songs. In recent years, studies on the wedding season, the marriageable age and the forbidden marriage between people bearing the same surname have aroused wide public concern. Poems about divorced wives have attracted our attentions as well. Their abandonment by husbands was caused by the following reasons:women were aging, men were tired of them and fascinated by the new, or the worship of reproduction and notions of male superiority. The Zhou Dynasty was in the period of social transition. There were many forms of marriage systems, such as polygamy, pair marriage, group marriage and so on. Four poems reflected the Concubine system, the main pattern at that time, which existed only in noble marriages. In addition, The Book of Songs also showed many metaphors related to marriage, and nineteen poems involved fish and fagot separately. Fish was adored for the prolificacy, and fagot was connected with the lighting.