中國古代の樹木思想

概要

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The worship of trees and bushes has been prevalent in China from remote antiquity. When combined with the worship of earth, it resulted in a peculiar ceremonial form called she. When tree-worship was practiced independently of the she ceremony, single trees were taken as the object of worship and belief ; large or old trees were believed to have souls, and from this belief arose the concept of sacred, or divine, trees. Many legends which have as their subject matter the spirit and magical power of trees have been transmitted from early times and have left their mark on later generations. In Shantung, where trees were abundant, interest in trees seems to have been very strong. On the semi-circular eave tiles of the Ch'i kingdom, which the author excavated in Lin-tsu-hsien in Shantung, we find various tree designs. On the basis of such archeological materials and early documents, the author describes the ideas and feelings of the ancient Chinese about trees.