先秦天子大祀牺牲考

先秦时期(主要是周代)只有天子才有资格主祭的天、地、宗庙大祀及有关牺牲的礼法仪制主要有如下六项:(1)选牲,行于正祭的三个月之前,有角体、毛色、牝牡、大小四方面的要求;(2)养牲,将入选牺牲系养于特别洁净的牲牢,直至正祭,历时三个月;(3)省牲,正祭之日前一天的晚上,对牺牲再次进行全面的检查;(4)迎牲,正祭之初天子亲自将牺牲迎至祭祀场所;(5)杀牲,天子礼仪性地射牲或宰牲,以示亲杀;(6)荐牲,含有荐血、荐腥、荐熟等礼事.

A Study on Sacrifices for the Great Sacrificial Rites Administered by Pre-Qin Emperors

Sacrifices are the most important offering for sacrificial rites. During the pre-Qin period (the Zhou Dynasty in particular) it was only the emperors who were entitled to officiate at the sacrificial rites to the gods of heaven and earth or to imperial ancestors. The ritual practice of selecting animals for the sacrificial rites includes: (1) Animal selection, which is done three months before the day of the official ceremony according to the requirements for the horn and body, the color of hair, the sex and the size. (2) Animal raising, which means raising the selected animals in a very clean pen for three months. (3) Animal check-up, which is done thoroughly (again) on the eve of the day. (4) Animal greeting, which means that at the beginning of the official rites the emperor goes in person to greet and guide the animals to the site where the rites are going on. (5) Animal killing, which is done by the emperor ceremonially either shooting or slaughtering. And (6) animal sacrificing, which includes some parts of the ceremony like sacrificing the blood, the raw, and the cooked.