Marriage rites in ancient China: canonical confucian postulates ("Hun yi" chapter of the "Li ji" treatise)

The article analyzes the contents of the chapter of the «Li ji» (「禮記」 «Record of rites») that deals with the significance of the marriage rite «Hun yi» (「昏義」«Significance of the marriage [rite]»). The text of «Li ji» was composed during the early Han period and contains the most crucial principles of social and religious behavior. On the grounds of the ancient text, the article describes and analyzes distinctive features of ancient marriage rites. Marriage is the most important event in the life of a particular person, a family and a society. The purpose of marriage is to bond together two families through blood, allow serving the ancestors ceaselessly. The ancestors were enthusiastic about marriage and they were informed about each and every 71天王 Тянь-ван - Небесный ван, правитель. 72斬衰 чжаньцуй - самая строгая степень траура, который длился три года (по отцу). 73資衰/齊衰 цзыцуй - следующая после чжаньцуй степень траура. Траур цзыцуй был разных видов: и по длительности, и по используемой атрибутике - все зависело от родственных связей с умершим. action that took place during the rite. They were also asked for their permission in detail through prayers and sacrifices at home shrines. The article also traces the content of several particular ceremonies of the wedding rite - 納采 nacai (sending the first present to the bride’s house as an engagement sign), 問名 wenming (inquiry for bride’s name),納吉 naji (informing the bride’s family about the positive outcome of the fortune-telling), 納微 nazheng (securing the engagement by sending a present to the bride’s house), 請期 qingqi (appointing the wedding date), 親迎 qinying (meeting between the groom and the bride). A key part of the rite was the qinying ceremony - a meeting between the groom and the bride and the departure of the bride from her father’s house. Another important part of the marriage rite was the bride’s worshipping of her new father and mother-in-law, whom she intended to serve. The article discusses the meaning of 婦順 fu shun (female obedience) concept. Alongside with 男教 nan jiao (male education), it is necessary for preservation of 盛德 sheng de (great virtue), peace and order in the state. Study of the text shows that the Confucian canon regulated a rather simple wedding ceremony: with only a few dishes at the wedding feast, without any pompous congratulations or music; there wasn’t even any kind of special garments for the newlyweds. The description of the marriage rite in «Li ji» treatise (judging by the amount of text) is not only and not so much about the order of taking actions that are supposed to bond two families together closely in order to continue generations. The actual purpose of including this abstract into the treatise is to show the importance of marriage rite in the general 禮大體 li da ti complex - great body of rite. Marriage rite - is the foundation of the great body of rite. Newlyweds must respect and strictly follow the marriage rite. «Following the ritual goes first, feelings of groom and bride go second», it is said in «Li ji». This order is what keeps both society and state stable. Study of the text of «Hun yi» enables us to specify the contents of the main category in Confucian culture - 禮 li (rite, moral and ethical standards). Characteristics of the text comes with the first Russian translation of «Hun yi» chapter.