商代
(?~
前1157年)
祖甲,商朝國王,姓子名載,生卒年不詳。商王武丁第三子,商王祖庚之弟,祖庚死後繼位,在位33年,病死,葬於殷。商代鼎盛時期,高宗武丁偏愛幼子
祖甲,打算廢太子祖庚而改立
祖甲。
祖甲認為這是違禮之舉,不可強行廢立,否則就可能重演“九世之亂” 的局面,因此他效法武丁當年之舉,離開王都,到平民中生活。武丁死後,由太子祖庚繼承王位。這使祖庚非常感動,使立
祖甲為王位繼承人,祖庚即位7年左右病死,
祖甲這纔回到王都繼承王位。為了報效祖先功德,商人盛行祭祀,但所祭對象和順序都很零亂,沒有一定的規矩。
祖甲即位後,創造了“周祭” 之法,具體方法是:從每年第一旬甲日開始,按照商王及其法定配偶世次、廟號的天幹順序,用羽、彡、三種主要祭法遍祀一周。周祭以旬為單位,每旬十日,都依王、妣廟號的天幹為序,致祭之日的天幹必須與廟號一致。如:第一旬甲日祭上甲、乙日祭報乙、丙日祭報丙,直至癸日祭示癸;第二旬乙日祭太乙(湯)、丁日祭太丁;第三旬甲日祭太甲、丙日祭外丙。如此逐旬祭祀,一直祭到
祖甲之兄祖庚。用一種祭祀法遍祭上甲到祖庚的先工先王,需要九旬。祭畢,再分別用另兩種祭法遍祀,直到全部祭遍為止。周祭之法,使殷人的祭祀係統更為嚴密規範,因此盛行於商代後半期,並逐漸達到最高峰。
祖甲創立的周祭之法是祖先崇拜和宗教制度的最好體現。在上古文明中,各大民族都有自己的祭祀體係,周祭之法和古巴比倫、古埃及的祭祀法各不相同,是中國古代特有的祭祀係統。
Zu Jia, Shang kings, named sub were set, date of birth unknown. Commercial Wang Wuding third son, the younger brother of Commerce Wang Zugeng, ancestral G died subsequent bit, 33-year reign, died, buried Yin. Shang Dynasty heyday, Gao Zongwu a small preference for the youngest son of the motherland, intended to repeal legislation Prince Zu Zu Jia G instead. I think this is a violation of ancestral ritual act, not to force Waste legislation, otherwise we may repeat itself, "IX Rebellion" of the situation, he follow the example of Wu Ding then move, left the king, to the civilians living. Wu Ding's death, succeeded to the throne Prince Edward G ancestors. This ancestral G is moved to a stand for the heir to the throne ancestors, ancestral G ascended the throne seven years dead, the king returned to the motherland Only a king. In order to serve the ancestors of merit, businessmen popular offerings, but the offerings are very messy objects and order, no fixed rules. Zu Jia came to the throne, created a "Sacrifice," the law, the specific method: A ten days from the first day every year, in accordance with the Shang kings and their legal spouses the world times, Temple name of the Heavenly Stems order, with the feather, San, three main Ji Act worship times a week. Sacrifice to ten days as a unit, every ten days on the 10th, all in accordance with the king, the posthumous names of the Heavenly Stems deceased mother for the order, the date of ROC posthumous names of the heavenly stems must be consistent. Such as: the first ten days festival for a day, B day festival newspaper B, C and C reported on offering up Kuei Kuei-day festival said; second-day festival in late B Taiyi (soup), Ding Festival is too small; third A late day festival Taijia, C C day festival outside. So by mid-worship, has been offering to the ancestral motherland G A brother. Method using a sacrificial offering on the A over the G's first work to the ancestral kings, need to ninety. Offering complete, then the other two offering methods were used all over the worship, until the full festival times so far. Sacrifice of the law, so that people of Yin of the sacrificial system is more rigorous standard, so popular in the latter half of the Shang Dynasty, and gradually reached a peak. Zu Jia created Sacrifice of ancestor worship and religious law is the best embodiment of the system. In ancient civilization, the major ethnic groups have their own ritual systems, Sacrifice of the law and Babylon, the ancient Egyptian ritual laws vary, is unique to the sacrificial system of ancient China.