元代“礼乐户”考

A Criticism on " Ritual and Recreational Families" in the Yuan Dynasty

乐户是中国传统社会中的一种贱民,专门从事吹弹歌唱以及戏曲、舞蹈等表演,多来自犯人家属、战争俘虏或贫困卖身之人,无论其身份、社会地位及所从事的职业,在封建社会里均被认定为轻贱,因而饱受社会的歧视与不公正待遇。这是乐户的一般情况。但是,在元代,出现了一类不属于贱民的庶民乐户,叫“礼乐户”。他们不仅享受着正常人的权利,可以应试、做官,甚至还有免去赋役的特权。

The recreational families were despised by the traditional Chinese society.They were exclusively engaged in singing, dancing, musical and dramatic performance, etc.Their members usually came from the relatives of the convicted men, the prisoners and the captive soldiers in war and the persons from the poor families. But, there appeared the different ' ritual and recreational families' in the Yuan Dynasty. They enjoyed the rights of ordinary people, even the privilege of get ting rid of taxes and corvee.