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Chapter 575: Taotie Mark [2]

Thanks to the book friend 'あ感性思考あ' for rewarding 100 Qidian coins for support, thank you very much~~——
The mark of Taotie!

"Haha, that's fine too." Zhang Wufeng said with a smile. The other party really had no intention of doing anything, but under normal circumstances, it is normal for some normal people to be on guard against strangers. Zhang Wufeng still wanted to continue shopping on Taobao, so he didn't really want to run away with the people from Xuzhou.

As they were talking, they had already returned to the stall, and Zhang Wufeng temporarily held the tripod in his hand and played with it. The young man from Xuzhou who was watching the stall had already run back to get his things.

Although the thing is expensive, not many people understand its value. Moreover, this thing is not a big one, but a smaller version, so it is very convenient to carry.

"Grandpa, do you think that 'ding' is a true symbol of identity? Then why are emperors represented by 'dragons'?" A familiar voice came, causing Zhang Wufeng to look over.

In the crowd not far ahead, a girl in yellow and an old man were walking towards this side, talking and laughing.

"Hey, Zhang Wufeng, it's you! Are you setting up a stall here?" The girl was slightly startled when she saw Zhang Wufeng, and then asked with some surprise.

Although she had cursed without caring about her status in the hotel a few days ago, it was because Chen Xingbin's words were too irritating. Moreover, Ye Qi, this girl, has always been her sister. Although Wang Jinxiu also disapproved of Ye Qi's behavior, since they were sisters, it was right for her to stand up when her sister was bullied. But now that she saw Zhang Wufeng and understood that he was a real talent, her attitude became gentle.

As for the cute temperament, after all, people are people, and they all have emotions. It is impossible for a cute person to be cute all the time. A cute person can also be angry and sad, lost and confused.

"Well, Wang Jinxiu, you are here too. This must be your grandfather, right?" Zhang Wufeng said with a smile.

"Yes, hey, what are you holding in your hand?"

"That's a bronze ware with Taotie pattern." The old man replied with a smile.

"Well, this is a square tripod with Taotie pattern." Zhang Wufeng said with a smile.

"Young man, did you buy it? You have a good eye." The old man was in high spirits, and his eyes were full of appreciation.

"Grandpa, this is Zhang Wufeng I told you about. He transferred to our department a while ago. Well, he is very knowledgeable." Wang Jinxiu said cutely.

Zhang Wufeng had noticed this girl when he was in school, because she looked very ancient. How to say it, she was like the little Guo Xiang, indescribably pure and lovely, but somewhat different from Xia Xiaoyan.

She looked unique in her goose yellow velvet coat. She had a kind of sickly fragility, yet a silent and gentle temperament. With a pair of lively big eyes, she gave people a very good feeling.

At school, although Zhou Minghui was a little better looking, this girl had more suitors.

"Haha, it turns out to be Zhang Wufeng. I've heard a lot about you. There is no doubt about the strength of little brother Zhang. Xiuxiu, didn't you ask why the Taotie pattern is a symbol of status, but why the symbol of the emperor's status is the dragon? Haha, little brother Zhang, I definitely know."

The old man said with a smile.

Zhang Wufeng smiled when he heard this. At this moment, he saw many people gathered around him, some of them were attracted by Wang Jinxiu's beauty, and some were attracted by this topic. He said, "The tripod is the most important tool for the founding of the Yun Kingdom in the Bronze Age.

In the Zhou Dynasty, the "ding" in "Yi Yan Jiu Ding" was a sacred and ritual vessel that symbolized the supreme royal power, and was also a sacrificial vessel for offering sacrifices to heaven and ancestors. In the minds of the ancestors of the Yun Kingdom, the ding was in the position of a national "totem pole". Therefore, only the totem belonging to the nation was qualified to ascend to such a lofty position and be engraved and cast on the precious ding.

This phenomenon also reflects two problems: First, in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Yun people were dragon totems, and the totem worship legacy of the ancestors of the Yan and Huang emperors may still exist. Because the Zhou originated from the Western Rong, and most of the Western Rong were nomadic people who worshiped the wolf totem; second, the "dragon" at that time may not have been widely accepted and had not really become the national totem of the Yun people. Otherwise, the tripod symbolizing royal power would definitely have dragons as the main decoration. Moreover, at that time, the Zhou emperor did not sit on the dragon throne, and the nomadic legacy of the Yan and Huang emperors was still continued: sitting on the ground.

The decoration on the Zhou Ding is mainly composed of Taotie patterns and cloud patterns, with Taotie as the center and cloud patterns surrounding it. Obviously, the Taotie mythical beast is in the sky, sticking its head out from the clouds and looking down at the world. Its body is hidden in the clouds. It is not known whether it has a snake body or a dragon body, but if the dragon body is added behind the Taotie's head, it will not be far from the standard dragon later. Therefore, I think there may be a transitional stage of Taotie totem between the wolf totem and the dragon totem. Taotie has both the character of the wolf and the ferocious face of the later dragon.

……

The real name and prototype of the mythical beast indicated by the beast-face pattern have long been buried in an era that cannot be reproduced. Later generations named it Taotie because of its ferocious, mysterious and terrifying appearance, and some of it has a human head in its mouth. Taotie was originally used in Zuo Zhuan to describe people who are greedy for money and food and are unkind and unjust. Modern scholars have pointed out that naming the beast-face pattern as Taotie, which eats people, is far-fetched and contrary to the social and cultural conditions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Because of its ferocious and terrifying appearance and its bad reputation as a glutton, it is almost impossible to find any trace of this beast in the evolution of Yun State culture and art. In the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the animal patterns that had been popular for hundreds of years suddenly withdrew from the field of main patterns for bronze decoration. However, several animal patterns that appeared on bronzes at the same time as the glutton patterns, such as dragons, tigers, phoenixes, and turtles, appeared in large numbers in official and folk culture in the subsequent cultural evolution, becoming the most famous mascots in Yun State culture and the theme of endless artistic expression. In particular, most dragons in the Bronze Age also had the same ferocious faces as the glutton patterns. In terms of mystery, majesty and status, the dragon was far inferior to the glutton in the Bronze Age. However, the dragon later ascended to the highest throne of Yun State culture and political symbols, and the "glutton", the supreme of the Bronze Age, was already hard to find.

......"

Zhang Wufeng cited a lot of examples and expressed his own opinions. His words enlightened everyone and made them feel convinced.

Especially Zhang Wufeng's effortless words and confident and steady attitude made Wang Jinxiu admire him.

Wang Jinxiu was also shocked by her grandfather's attitude towards Zhang Wufeng!
Wang Jinxiu’s grandfather is a doctoral supervisor in the field of culture and history at Qin University. He also holds multiple titles such as professor. It can be said that he is very famous in the country!

Take today for example, I will be giving a paper presentation on the animal face patterns on bronze ware later this evening!

But such a person actually respected Zhang Wufeng so much? Wang Jinxiu's heart could not help but feel a little uneasy and excited, and her big eyes immediately fell on Zhang Wufeng.

"Brother Zhang, your understanding of this area really makes me, an expert in research, ashamed! The culture of the Shang and Zhou dynasties is actually very broad and profound. Most of the people who study this area nowadays do not have such a deep understanding. Although the accumulation and understanding of countless materials will certainly broaden the knowledge, understanding is one thing, and being able to pick up knowledge at will is another."

The old man said with emotion.

"Professor Wang, actually speaking of this, it's just a hobby. I'm quite fascinated by the culture of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, so I know a little more about it. Plus, I have a very good memory, so I can remember everything I've seen. Therefore, it's probably not a problem for me to pick it up at will. It doesn't have much to do with being erudite." Zhang Wufeng was a little modest.

"Can you remember everything you have seen?" Wang Jinxiu's face had a strange expression on it. In Qin University, everyone knew that her memory was not the best, but it was one of the best. However, with her level, she had studied hard with her grandfather for more than ten years, but although she was familiar with the culture of Shang and Zhou dynasties, she could not quote extensively.

But what about Zhang Wufeng?

What did you say before?

"It is recorded in the Cihai that Taotie is a 'legendary evil beast that is greedy. Its head shape was often carved on ancient bells, tripods and bronze vessels as decoration.' The Cihai explains the word tao as follows: tao means "greedy. "Han Shu. Liyue Zhi" says: 'Greedy and gluttonous are dangerous.' Yan Shigu's note: 'Extreme greed is called tao.' It refers specifically to gluttony.

"Shenyijing. Southwest Wilderness" says: "There is a person in the southwest, with a hairy body and a pig on his head. He is greedy and vicious, hoards wealth but does not use it, and is good at stealing people's grain. The strong will rob the old and weak, and he is afraid of the strong and will attack the single. He is called Taotie. Taotie in "Spring and Autumn Annals" is the untalented son of Jinyun. "

"Zuo Zhuan. Duke Wen 18" says: "Jin Yun's family has an untalented son who is greedy for food and drink, and takes bribes. He is greedy and indulges in luxury, and cannot be satisfied. He accumulates wealth without knowing the limit. He does not distinguish between the orphans and the widows, and does not care about the poor and the needy. The people of the world compare him to the three evils and call him Taotie."

This is what the "Spring and Autumn Annals" mentioned in "Shenyijing" refers to.

"Lüshi Chunqiu. Xianshilan": "There is a Taotie on a tripod in Zhou Dynasty, with a head but no body. It eats people but does not kill them, which means revenge."

Luo Mi of the Song Dynasty wrote in his Lushi. Chiyou Biography: "Chiyou is a god of heavenly symbols, with unusual appearances. Many of the bronze vessels of the Three Dynasties bear images of Chiyou, which are a warning to greedy and cruel people. His images are usually in the form of animals with flesh wings." Judging from what he said, he was probably Taotie.

The Zuo Zhuan states that Taotie is the "untalented son of the Jinyun clan", and the "Records of the Grand Historian. Annals of the Five Emperors" quotes Jia Xuan as saying: "The Jinyun clan is of the Jiang surname, a descendant of the Yan Emperor, and was an official in the Jinyun clan during the Yellow Emperor's time." Chi You was of the Jiang surname, also a descendant of the Yan Emperor (Lu Shi. Biography of Chi You), so Chi You is likely to be the "untalented son" of the Jinyun clan, Taotie. According to legend, Taotie was formed by the resentment of the severed head of Chi You after his defeat by the Yan and Huang Emperors, and had the ability to devour everything. He was sealed by the Yellow Emperor with the Xuanyuan Sword (the dragon pattern on the sword), and guarded by the lion clan for generations (the stone lions guarding the gate). In addition, the "狍鸮" recorded in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas. Beici Erjing" was annotated by Guo Pu as the Taotie in the Zuo Zhuan.

"The Strange Beasts of the Gods and Demons": There is an evil beast in the extreme south of Shenzhou, with four eyes and black skin, a long neck and four legs, fierce and extremely greedy. It moves as fast as the wind and brings disaster to the area. It is a kind of Jiaolong water beast, with a pair of horns on its head, surrounded by cold air, most of them are bluish-white, dozens of feet long, sometimes gentle and sometimes violent, and it rises into the air and stirs up waves of several feet, which is extremely powerful.

"Classic of Mountains and Seas. Northern Mountains" says: "There is a lot of jade on the Gouwu Mountain, and a lot of copper below. There is a beast there, which looks like a sheep's body and a human face, with eyes under the armpits, tiger teeth and human claws, and sounds like a baby. It is called the 狍鸮, and it eats people."

"Shenyijing.Xihuangjing" says: "Taotie is the name of a beast, with a body like an ox, a human face, eyes under the armpits, and eats people."

......"

There are many more, but these, just mentioned casually, really make Wang Jinxiu feel overwhelmed.

Of course she knew that Zhang Wufeng was not showing off, because with a maid like Sun Shanshan, Zhang Wufeng's attitude was not at all exaggerated or frivolous, so why would he show anything?
A person's temperament, etc. are all very obvious. What he wants to express, what his purpose is, his words and deeds will always have some flaws or flaws. Wang Jinxiu is extremely smart and naturally has a strong ability to judge people. Although she also understands Ye Qi's matter, she has a bad impression of men, so she sided with her relatives before.

But at this moment, facing Zhang Wufeng's profound knowledge, she felt ashamed of herself.

This is a gap in knowledge that is impossible to resist or escape from.

It is obvious that Zhang Wufeng is definitely not only good at this field, because it is obvious that he just came here after finding a bargain on Taobao.

How astonishing would his knowledge in other areas be?
Wang Jinxiu's heart suddenly beat like a deer, and her pretty face flushed slightly. She was not shocked at all by her grandfather's high evaluation. Instead, she felt that the evaluation was not high enough!
"Xiu Xiu, what's wrong? Are you shocked?" the old man joked with a smile.

Wang Jinxiu came back to her senses immediately, blushed, and then said coquettishly: "Grandpa, you bullied Xiuxiu again, it's so annoying!"

"Hahaha, it's rare that you feel embarrassed. Haha, even you, my little ancestor, know that—"

"Grandpa, do you still want to drink?"

"Uh, yes, yes, drink. Grandpa loves wine the most." The poor old man was so threatened that he immediately gave up the rare opportunity to tease his granddaughter.

Zhang Wufeng watched this scene with a smile and immediately felt that the scene was very warm.

Soon, the things were brought up. When the young man took the things and handed them to Zhang Wufeng, the old man was not idle either, and was also watching.

"Okay, ten million. Um, do you want to transfer it or pay by check?" Zhang Wufeng said with a smile.

"A check will be enough. Mr. Zhang, you are a learned man and a master. If you still don't believe it, then what are we talking about the descendants of Shang and Zhou dynasties, antiques and family heritage?" The man from Xuzhou said seriously.

"Well, this is ten million. Your thing is very good. I am very satisfied and like it very much." Zhang Wufeng said, taking out a check, filling it out, and handing it over directly.

"Oh, my God, my God..."

The man from Xuzhou's eyes suddenly widened. After seeing that it was a check from Tianfeng Group, he no longer had any worries.

"Little brother, you have a good vision, very good!" The old man looked at the miniature version of the large square tripod, his heart full of emotion.

"Professor Wang, if you like it, I can take you to study it in the evening. Anyway, considering our status, money is a small matter." Zhang Wufeng said with a smile.

"Well, thank you very much! Little brother, we have a paper presentation on bronze ware at 6 o'clock tonight. Do you want to listen? This presentation is given by me. Although I am not as proficient as you, little brother Zhang, there are still some aspects that can be learned from it."

Professor Wang said gratefully.

"Well, okay, I will definitely go then."

"Well, here are the business cards and invitation cards. The address is on the invitation card. Of course, the address is in the academic lecture hall not far from here..."

Professor Wang said excitedly.

In fact, he couldn't determine whether the bronze ware was real or fake, because if it was fake, it would be difficult to tell without any instruments.

But considering Zhang Wufeng's identity, he was so sure that he didn't doubt it.

If this small square tripod is real, it is not just worth tens of millions, it is worth something special.

After Zhang Wufeng and Professor Wang parted ways, he bought some rough jadeite and some special things containing spiritual imprints from Taobao. Considering the trouble of transferring the money in batches, Zhang Wufeng simply bought them all and asked seven or eight people to follow and transfer the money together.

In this way, Zhang Wufeng and his party bought more than ten items.

But among these things, only the square tripod is the most precious.

After leaving Fan Garden and arriving at the academic lecture hall, he just said his name. Immediately, no one checked Zhang Wufeng's invitation card, and they took Zhang Wufeng directly to a huge conference room that looked like a lecture hall.

Here, many elders have sat together and are discussing some issues carefully.

Zhang Wufeng, on the other hand, was playing with the square tripod in his hand. When no one was paying attention, he placed the square tripod on the inside of the conference table, and then used his internal energy and the Sky City technique to begin absorbing it.

The process is not difficult.

However, this process brought great benefits to Zhang Wufeng.

The mark of Taotie represents the emperors in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and these things are obviously things that emperors wear and own, which are equivalent to the power of dragon veins!
But there is one thing that others would never think of, and that is the cultural system of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

At that time, there were allusions such as King Wu's conquest of King Zhou, and even more mythological stories such as the Investiture of the Gods. At that time, the Supreme Emperor was truly born with the will of heaven. The potential of the symbol of the emperor at that time was so enormous!
"Chichi-"

"Chichi-"

The two Taotie marks immediately penetrated into Zhang Wufeng's body. He originally had five dragon vein powers, but because of the birth of his son Zhang Lunhui, the dragon vein power had been completely consumed. But at this moment, the two Taotie marks actually directly restored the consumed dragon vein power completely, and even went a step further!
At this moment, Zhang Wufeng used the energy of the Taotie mark to remove the outer coating of the other small square tripod, revealing the real benefits inside.

However, the Taotie mark disappeared. For Zhang Wufeng, this thing was no longer of much use. But for ordinary people, without the spiritual pressure of the Taotie mark, this thing became even more dazzling and attractive.

This may be the difference in realm.

Zhang Wufeng was deeply moved by this, and this was a good opportunity for him to give these two things to Mr. Wang.

Professor Wang is also a true scholar, otherwise, Zhang Wufeng would not have given it to him. In fact, when Zhang Wufeng was talking about the anecdotes before, he intentionally said more. Of course, this was not a show, but just a test of Professor Wang's ability. However, after knowing his knowledge, the other party still asked him to participate in the academic lecture. From this point of view, Professor Wang must be a true cultural person.

For such people, Zhang Wufeng has only respect in his heart.

"Brother Zhang, you're here. I'm glad you're here. I was afraid you wouldn't come."

Professor Wang said enthusiastically, and at this time, the other elders who were discussing the matter also looked at Zhang Wufeng.

"Mr. Wang, take these two."

"Haha, okay, okay, I'll report this thing to the country and check its value. I'll definitely compensate you then. Don't refuse. Although I, Old Wang, love these things, they are your personal property. Once you hand them over to the country, the country will naturally not let you suffer any loss."

……

After talking with Zhang Wufeng for a while, many elders looked at the small square tripod carefully, and then, Old Wang walked onto the podium.

"...

Animal face patterns were widely used on sacrificial vessels in the Shang Dynasty and the early Western Zhou Dynasty. They are the most common and one of the most important patterns on Shang and Zhou bronzes. The animal face patterns on bronzes in the early Western Zhou Dynasty should be the imitation and inheritance of the Shang people's style. The animal face patterns mainly reflect the ideas of the Shang people. Ideas will be integrated into the production of patterns, and the patterns will become the material carrier of ideas. Because animal face patterns have an important position in the study of the social culture and ideas of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, they have constantly aroused discussions among scholars on their meanings. Combined with previous research, we believe that the animal face patterns on Shang and Zhou bronzes represent the supreme god in the minds of the Shang people - God. The extensive use of animal face patterns in the Shang Dynasty reflects that the Shang Dynasty was a society full of divinity.

Bronze ware is an important symbol of the social civilization of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Almost every bronze ware embodies the talent and creativity of the people at that time. It has not only become an outstanding work of art, but also a valuable material that cannot be ignored in the study of the history of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In the study of bronze ware, the ideas contained in the patterns and the changes in the ideas reflected by the changes in the patterns are relatively backward compared with the research on other aspects of bronze ware. And the patterns are mostly used as the basis for dating bronze ware, while ignoring the ideas contained in them. We believe that the study of patterns should not be ignored, because the ideas at that time would be integrated into the production of patterns, and the patterns would become the material carrier of ideas.

Of course, the current status of bronze research is in line with the inherent logic of academic development. Without the study of the artifacts themselves, it is impossible to deeply understand the ideas contained in the artifacts; without the accurate dating of bronze artifacts, it is impossible to understand the ideas of that era through the patterns. It is precisely on the basis of the continuous research of our predecessors that we can stand at a higher point today to explore the ideas contained in the patterns of Shang and Zhou bronze artifacts.

Among the bronze decorations of Shang and Zhou dynasties, the most controversial, attractive and influential ones are the animal face patterns. The animal face pattern, formerly known as the Taotie pattern, was first seen in "Lüshi Chunqiu". "Lüshi Chunqiu. Xianshilan IV" says: "Taotie was cast on a tripod in Zhou Dynasty. It has a head but no body. It eats people but does not swallow them. It harms its own body. It is said to be revengeful, and it is also the same for doing bad things." Later generations have continued to use it. For example, Lü Dalin of the Song Dynasty said in "Archaeological Pictures": "The pattern on the Gui Ding is a dragon and a tiger, with an animal face in the middle, which is probably the image of Taotie." Until now, some people think that it is not advisable to replace the original name with another inferred name when the functional meaning of the decoration is not clear, and still insist on using the term Taotie pattern. But the Taotie pattern was not named by the Shang people. Through in-depth research on this pattern, modern scholars have denied the scientific nature of the name "Taotie pattern". In particular, Mr. Ma Chengyuan resolutely abandoned the "Taotie pattern" and replaced it with "animal face pattern" in his article "A Review of Bronze Patterns of Shang and Zhou Dynasties". When Mr. Ma Chengyuan was in charge of the work of the Shengdu Museum, all the bronze museums of the Shengdu Museum used animal face patterns, which played a great role in promoting and popularizing the "animal face pattern". Now scholars are more inclined to use the name "animal face pattern". And in my speech this time, I will use "animal face pattern" instead of "Taotie pattern".

This time, thanks to Zhang Wufeng's friend for sending...

The animal-face pattern reached its peak in the late Shang Dynasty and early Western Zhou Dynasty. The animal-face pattern on bronze ware in the early Western Zhou Dynasty should be the imitation and inheritance of the Shang people's style. The animal-face pattern mainly reflects the ideas of Shang people. King Wu conquered Shang, which was the "small state Zhou" conquering the "big city Shang". The Zhou people were obviously not prepared for the sudden victory. The "Book of Shang. Dagao" described the Zhou people like this: "I only think that if you wade into the deep water, I only go to ask me for help", showing a look of fear and trepidation. The remaining people of Yin did not accept the rule of the Zhou people wholeheartedly. They were always waiting for the opportunity to rebel and restore. The victory of the Western Zhou Dynasty was that the tribe with lower culture conquered the tribe with higher culture, which led to the phenomenon of lower culture being assimilated by higher culture. Marx once said: "The barbaric conquerors, according to an eternal historical law, are conquered by the higher civilization of the subjects they conquered. 'This law is specifically manifested in the relationship between Shang and Zhou: politically, the Zhou people conquered the Yin people; culturally, the Yin people assimilated the Zhou people. In this way, the Zhou people will undoubtedly learn advanced culture from the Yin people. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the existence of a large number of Yin survivors must have a nostalgic complex for the original culture. This is reflected in the bronzes of the early Western Zhou Dynasty and even the middle Western Zhou Dynasty. At this time, many craftsmen of the Zhou royal family were Yin survivors, so the Zhou people completely imitated and inherited the style of the Shang people in the early bronzes. It was not until the middle Western Zhou Dynasty that the style of the Zhou people was truly reflected in the bronzes due to political stability and cultural maturity. Although the patterns on the bronzes in the late Shang Dynasty and the early Western Zhou Dynasty are almost the same, it cannot be concluded that the Zhou people and the Shang people had the same ideas at this time. Because there is a certain process from the formation of ideas to the formation of objects that reflect ideas, coupled with the change of dynasties and the special social background, the patterns on the bronzes in the middle Western Zhou Dynasty truly reflect the ideas of the Zhou people.

The main decoration of Shang Dynasty bronze ware is animal face pattern. Animal face pattern was widely used on the sacrificial vessels of Shang people, which undoubtedly reflects the ideas of Shang people. Although "Lüshi Chunqiu" was the first to clearly record animal face pattern, its interpretation of the meaning of animal face pattern seems to be debatable. As we all know, "Lüshi Chunqiu" was compiled by Lü Buwei and his followers. The purpose of compilation was to serve the Qin Dynasty, which was about to unify the world. It can be regarded as a book to guide political operations. Moreover, the book was still compiled after Lü Buwei's death, so the historical authenticity of the book was secondary to its political nature. Among the animal face patterns we have seen in a large number of archaeological discoveries, only a few have heads but no bodies. This can also prove that in the era when the editors of "Lüshi Chunqiu" lived, they had seen few Shang Dynasty sacrificial vessels, and animal face patterns had withdrawn from the dominant position of bronze decoration. They could no longer understand the specific meaning of this decoration. Therefore, their proposal of the educational function of animal face patterns cannot correctly reveal the ideological connotation represented by this decoration.

What kind of thoughts did the beast-faced patterns represent? When studying the beast-faced patterns on bronze wares from the Shang and Zhou dynasties in Yun State, the scholar Lin Sinaifu believed that the beast-faced patterns were the sun god of the Hemudu culture. The image of the sun god is "a pair of birds standing back to back, with a circle with light behind them, a trident extending from the circle, and a vertical thin line in it" and "a pair of birds with their necks intertwined, looking up, with a circle with concentric circles at the intersection of their necks, and a flame-like object protruding from the upper half of the circle. The circle with radial linear flames is undoubtedly a celestial body, and the trident or the object converging to one side is the light seen during a solar eclipse." Therefore, as a whole, it can be seen as an image of the sun god supported by a pair of birds. Lin's comparative study of the beast-faced patterns of the Shang and Zhou dynasties with the patterns of prehistoric society should be said to be desirable in terms of method, but there is no solid evidence in archaeological excavations and ancient documents that he believes that the beast-faced patterns are the sun god of the Hemudu culture. We should also look for answers from early literature records. "Zuo Zhuan. Xuan Gong 3rd Year" records a passage by Wang Sunman: "In the past, the Xia people were virtuous. They drew pictures from far away places, offered tribute of gold to the nine governors, cast tripods to represent things, and prepared all kinds of things to let the people know the gods and traitors. Therefore, when the people entered the rivers, lakes, mountains and forests, they would not be as good as those they did not meet; ghosts and monsters could not meet them. They could cooperate with the upper and lower to achieve the peace of heaven." This is an earlier record of the meaning of bronze decoration in the literature. Almost all scholars who study bronze decoration have quoted it, but their understanding is not the same, and even very different. The reason is that the understanding of cultural background is different. Zhang Guangzhi said in his "The Evolution of the Relationship between Man and Animals in Shang and Zhou Mythology and Art": "In the early Shang and Zhou dynasties, the function of animals in mythology played a role in the communication between the human world and the world of ancestors and gods. In the ancient Yun Kingdom, divination as a way to communicate with dead ancestors was carried out with the help of animal bones. The ritual bronze vessels were obviously used in ancestor worship at that time, and were buried with the people who went to join the ancestor's procession after death. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that these bronze vessels are engraved with mythical animal patterns as a medium for communication between the human world and the world of ancestors and gods. Later, Zhang combined it with modern shamanism and came up with the "Shaman Spiritualism Theory". The scope of influence of this theory involves various fields such as archaeology, history, and art, and there are many people who agree with it. However, its conclusion is still not satisfactory, and some scholars have discussed it. Mr. Yu Weichao believes that offering "hundreds of things" can resist the invasion of ghosts and monsters, so that "ghosts and monsters cannot meet them". Then the images on the Xia Ding should be the gods who disperse the "ghosts and monsters", and the deified animal images visible on the bronze vessels of the Three Dynasties are of course the symbols of gods. Among the above opinions, we basically agree with Mr. Yu's opinion. How should we understand Wang Sunman's words? How can the objects cast on the tripod make people know the evil spirits? How can people enter rivers, lakes, mountains and forests without encountering evil spirits? How can they coordinate with the upper and lower to achieve the peace of heaven? If we examine it in the way of primitive thinking, Wang Sunman's words will be easy to explain.

Levy-Bruhl believed that primitive thinking is fundamentally different from modern thinking. It is a mysterious, original logical thinking based on collective representations and governed by the law of interpenetration. According to the principle of the "law of interpenetration", the reason why the objects cast on the tripod can play such a large number of huge roles is that they "interpenetrate" with the people. The "interpenetration" of the objects cast and the people is also the "interpenetration" of God and the people. Due to the omnipotence of God, the objects cast can know the treachery of God and distinguish good from evil, so that people will not encounter demons and monsters when they enter rivers, lakes, mountains and forests, and the harmony between the upper and the lower is thus blessed by heaven.

After analyzing Wang Sunman's words from the perspective of primitive thinking, we believe that the animal face pattern represents the "god" in the minds of merchants. Among the numerous animal face patterns, we can see that many so-called animal face patterns are different. For example, the changes in the ears, the presence or absence of teeth, etc. But at a glance, the overall structure is very similar, so they are collectively called animal face patterns. The entire animal face pattern cannot be found in nature, but the decomposed parts are indeed parts of various animals in nature, although some are exaggerated. If these different parts are constructed in a fantasy way, will it still be an animal? We believe that the combined figures are no longer animals, and of course not people, but "gods" in the minds of merchants!
The Book of Rites. Biaoji specifically commented: "The Yin people respected gods and led the people to serve gods. They put ghosts before rituals, punished before rewards, respected but not close. The people were corrupt, unruly but not calm, victorious but shameless. "Respecting gods and leading the people to serve gods is an important feature of Shang Dynasty society. This is also reflected in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty. For example: From the above oracle inscriptions, it can be seen that in the Shang Dynasty, almost everything was done by divination. From major expeditions and sacrifices to small things like traveling, praying for rain, illness and many other things in life, people had to ask God for his will. The Shang Dynasty also had a Zhou sacrifice system with frequent sacrifices. Sacrifice, as a major national event, was very important and sacred at the time. As a sacrificial vessel, ritual vessels should have rich ideological connotations. If patterns were cast on such important objects, these patterns would definitely occupy a prominent position in the minds of the Shang people.

"The Yin people respected gods", and the position of the supreme god in the minds of the Yin people was undoubtedly the most important. How to understand the supreme god of the Shang people? Mr. Wang Hui said: "The god of the Yin people is the supreme god of the Yin people, and is the main god of the Yin people who combined the ancestral gods and natural gods. As an ancestral god, the god of the Yin people is Emperor Ku, that is, the great ancestor of the Yin people; as a natural god, the imperial power is combined with the worship of the sun and moon gods, and the god rules over the gods of wind, rain, clouds and thunder. The combination of ancestral gods and natural gods is the characteristic of the imperial power of the Yin Dynasty. "The combination of ancestral gods and natural gods itself brings great ambiguity, mystery and uncertainty to the image of the supreme god God, which also provides great freedom for the casting of its materialized image, so that the animal face pattern shows an overall similarity in casting, but its local depiction is varied. As for the detailed changes of the animal face pattern, such as the changes in the ears, it may be related to the totem worship of various tribes. Therefore, we believe that the animal face pattern on Zhou bronze ware represents the supreme god God of the Yin people.

Combined with the religious beliefs of the merchants, it seems reasonable to interpret the animal-face pattern as the supreme god in the minds of the merchants. The animal-face pattern in the early Western Zhou Dynasty was an imitation and inheritance of the merchants by the Zhou people, and its significance in the history of thought was not very significant. The decoration in the middle Western Zhou Dynasty reflected the ideas of the Zhou people. In the middle Western Zhou Dynasty, the decoration of bronze ware was mainly abstract decoration such as the pierced curved pattern and the ring belt pattern, as well as realistic decoration. Compared with the animal-face pattern, the realistic decoration is no longer so mysterious and inaccessible, but has more breath from life, giving people a fresh feeling. The biggest difference between the realistic decoration and the animal-face pattern is that it is a specific animal existing in nature, which is either realistic, exaggerated or abstract, rather than a fantasy combination of multiple animals. This is a key change. The fantasy combination of multiple animals highlights not reality, but fantasy; while the realism or abstraction of a specific animal highlights reality, not fantasy. This huge change is certainly not groundless. It is the change of the real social conditions at that time, which led to the change of ideas and concepts, and further materialized on the objects.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, bronze ware underwent an inherent alienation in terms of shape, decorative design, and decorative content. Bronze ritual instruments gradually transformed from artifacts used to worship gods and ancestors to luxury goods used by wealthy nobles in ceremonial occasions and family banquets. Humanization and life became their new characteristics, and a large number of human statues emerged at this time. These phenomena strongly indicate that human nature revived in this era, and society also turned from an era of divinity to an era of highlighting human nature. From the initial animal face pattern that expressed respect for gods and ghosts, the society filled with divinity moved towards paying attention to reality and focusing on reality, and then developed to highlighting human nature, completing the return from divinity to humanity. This ultimate return from divinity to humanity laid the foundation for the future development model of Yunguo culture, and made Yunguo embark on a completely different development path from Xizhou, that is, paying attention to the world on this shore and paying less attention to the world on the other shore.

Combining the research results of predecessors, we have explored the meaning of the animal face patterns in the Shang and Zhou dynasties from the perspective of thinking and religious beliefs, and therefore believe that the animal face patterns on Shang and Zhou bronzes represent the supreme god in the minds of the Shang people. By comparing the patterns on Shang and Zhou bronzes, we can see that compared with the bronze patterns from the middle Western Zhou Dynasty to the Warring States Period that express humanity, the animal face patterns mainly express divinity. Its extensive use on Shang Dynasty bronzes reflects that the Shang Dynasty was a society filled with divinity.

......"

(End of this chapter)