Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: La légende comme instrument d'édification : le personnage de Yi Yin 伊尹 dans les manuscrits chinois du 4 ème siècle avant notre ère.(Legend as an instrument of edification: the figure of Yi Yin 伊尹 in the Chinese manuscripts from the 4th century BCE).theses.hal.science/tel-04587346.This thesis traces the legendary narrative that formed around Yi Yin 伊尹, who served as a minister to the first king of the Shang dynasty (ca.1600-1046 BCE).Apart from the Shang rulers, Yi Yin is the only figure to be plainly identified in both oracle bone inscriptions and transmitted texts.Thus, ancient sources relating to Yi Yin span a period of over a millennium.They now also include several Warring States manuscripts (481-221 BCE) that were excavated in the old state of Chu.In the light of these new sources, this study proposes an overall analysis of the legend associated with Yi Yin, addressing the following questions: What do the Chu manuscripts reveal about the legend of Yi Yin?To what extent was this legend used for purposes of edification?How can we interpret the differences and nuances between the numerous written accounts linked to Yi Yin?To answer these questions, I have structured my research in three parts, moving from the general to the specific.The first part, which is rather descriptive in nature, comprises two chapters that constitute a prelude to the rest of the study.It focuses mainly on three topics: the historical and archaeological context surrounding the discovery of Warring States manuscripts, the methodology used to reconstruct these texts written on bamboo slips, and the deciphering of Chu script.Therefore, I aim to explain the material and technical backgrounds specific to these manuscripts, as well as the issues involved in reading Chu graphs.Drawing on case studies and concrete examples, the synthesis presented here shows that Chinese paleography is a continually evolving discipline.We can thus understand why, in the field of Chu manuscripts, several hypotheses regarding the reconstitution of texts or the interpretation of graphs are likely to coexist.The two chapters of the second part survey all the sources related to Yi Yin throughout Chinese antiquity, from the 13th century BCE to the 1st century CE.First,
Source: Early China
DOI: 10.1017/eac.2024.10
Author: Jesse J. Chapman
Institution: École Pratique des Hautes Études
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4416197692
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