Analysis On The Deer Horn Of "Tomb-guarding Beasts" Of Chu Style And The Culture Of Witchcraft In Chu

The Eastern Zhou Chu Tomb often unearthed lacquerwares which look likemonsters with antlers inserting in their heads. Scholars often call them ChuTomb-guarding Beasts. The artifacts only unearthed in the Chu Tomb are Chu Funeralartifacts. More than400artifacts have been unearthed since1930s.They are generallycubic base connected to the mortise with dragons and other monsters on them, most ofwhich are inserted with antlers. The shape of Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts changedslightly during different periods, but the overall image is still head-plug-antlerszoomorphic animal,and a few inserted two or four true antlers.Most antlers paintedmoire.It is not accidental to find the head-plug-antlers funeral appliances.Speaking fromthe natural conditions, in the Eastern Zhou period the climate of Jianghan Plain waswarm and humid with lush vegetation,which is suitable for elk survival; speaking fromthe humanities, the Chu people had admired the deer as benevolence beast sinceancient times.Besides,the deer was considered to be the assistant of Witch in witchcraftculture. In this way, that the Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts with head plugging antlersappear is not surprising. Since the Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts were plugged withantlers, their type changed constantly from simple to complex.However, that theirheads are inserted antlers has remained the same.From the late Spring and Autumn tothe late Warring States period the Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts’ antlers had beenaccompanied by painted moire, occasionally with other ornamentations. The number ofantlers is tightly associated with the level of the Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts’s identity.Generally speaking,the owner of the unearthed Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts weremiddle or low Scholar,and other identity level also exists, but fewer. Deer acted asWitches’ assistants in Early Ancient Period.And in Northern China shaman believedthat antlers symbolize the level of shaman position. Antlers are the embodiment of people’s admiration towards the deer. Because antlers are sacred and lucky they areendowed plenty notions.And antlers represent the integration of a variety of functions.As antlers plug on the top of the Chu Tomb-guarding Beasts,their function alsoattached to it.So the divinity of the Chu tomb beast are enhanced accordingly.