明清时期的礼生与王朝礼仪

Masters of Ceremonies and Imperial Rituals in the Ming and Qing Periods

本文以正史、政书、地方志等资料为基础,对中国历史上、尤其是明清时期官僚体制中的仪式专家——礼生及其与王朝礼仪的关系进行了初步考察。文章认为,在中国古代的王朝礼仪中,礼生扮演着受人忽视但不可或缺的角色。他们从属于太常寺系统,主要职能是准备祭品、赞相礼仪、唱读祭文,是引导王朝礼仪的"导演"。他们在以王朝礼仪为核心的儒教仪式中的地位,类似于道士在道教科仪,僧侣在佛教科仪中的地位。本文详细分析了礼生与明清文庙释奠仪式之间的关系,认为礼生为整个礼仪过程,为主祭官与神明的沟通提供了一个必不可少的仪式框架,这个仪式框架是公开性的,并很容易被复制,这为王朝礼仪向乡村社会的渗透提供了很大的可能性。

This paper explores masters of ceremonies and their relationship with imperial rites in the context of bureau- cratic systems in the Ming and Qing Dynasties on the base of official histories,veritable records and local gazetteer.It is argued that masters of ceremonies played an indispensable but often neglected role in imperial rites in ancient China. They belonged to Taichangsi (Court of Imperial Sacrifices) and were mainly assigned as the'director'of leading imperi- al ceremony to prepare sacrificial offerings,help rituals and read ceremonial address.Their position in the.Confucian rites centered on imperial rites is close to that of Taoist priests in Taoist rite and Buddhist monks in Buddhist rites.The rela- tionship between masters of ceremonies and ceremony of Confucian temple is discussed in detail to show that masters of ceremonies provide an indispensable ceremonial flame channeling the chief ceremonial official with gods in process,which is open and easy to he copied and offers a great possibility for imperial rites infiltrating into rural society.