The Social Functions Assigned to Wine in Zhou and Scythia and Their Similarities and Differences---Seen in the Shangshu·Jiugao and the Historiae

Research Article
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The Social Functions Assigned to Wine in Zhou and Scythia and Their Similarities and Differences---Seen in the Shangshu·Jiugao and the Historiae

Yiwen Dong 1*
  • 1 School of History and Culture, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China    
  • *corresponding author 3393298934@qq.com
CHR Vol.70
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-147-1
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-148-8

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the social functions ascribed to Jiugao and Historiae during the Western Zhou period in China and in the early Scythian civilisation. While regulating the conditions under which wine may be consumed, Jiugao also ascribes very important ethical attributes and functions to wine. In Jiugao, the necessary indoctrination, national laws and ideologisation are applied to the otherwise simple act of drinking alcohol. While in Herodotus: On the Scythians, wine is an integral part of the sacrifice, and is also closely associated with warfare. The act of "drinking" is directly linked to one's military prowess and social status. There are fundamental differences between the Zhou and Scythian cultures. The fact that the Zhou culture was a subsistence agricultural civilisation, while the early Scythian culture was a nomadic civilisation living on water and grass, is the main reason why the two cultures assigned different social functions to wine.

Keywords:

Western Zhou, Scythia, Wine, Social function

Dong,Y. (2025). The Social Functions Assigned to Wine in Zhou and Scythia and Their Similarities and Differences---Seen in the Shangshu·Jiugao and the Historiae. Communications in Humanities Research,70,85-88.
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References

[1]. Meiping Q. (2012). Interpreting Western Zhou Wine and Exploring Zhou Ritual Culture. Agricultural Archaeology, 6, 301-304.

[2]. Sun xingyan. (1986). Shangshugujinwenzhushu (Beijing, Zhonghua Book Company)

[3]. Mingtao R. (2011). The Wine Drinking Etiquette in the Zhou Dynasty and the Related Ritual Changes from the Shang to the Zhou Dynasty: Based upon the Jiu-gao Section of Shangshu. The Journal of Ancient Civilizations, 3, 51-58.

[4]. Zhiping Y. (2018). How wine was vested with the attribute of etiquette and the function of moral education in ancient China. Confusion Studies, 4, 67-78.

[5]. Hau Lisa Irene. (2016). Herodotus: In Moral History from Herodotus to Diodorus Siculus (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University)

Cite this article

Dong,Y. (2025). The Social Functions Assigned to Wine in Zhou and Scythia and Their Similarities and Differences---Seen in the Shangshu·Jiugao and the Historiae. Communications in Humanities Research,70,85-88.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies

ISBN：978-1-80590-147-1(Print) / 978-1-80590-148-8(Online)
Editor：Heidi Gregory-Mina
Conference website: https://2024.icihcs.org/
Conference date: 29 November 2024
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.70
ISSN：2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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References

[1]. Meiping Q. (2012). Interpreting Western Zhou Wine and Exploring Zhou Ritual Culture. Agricultural Archaeology, 6, 301-304.

[2]. Sun xingyan. (1986). Shangshugujinwenzhushu (Beijing, Zhonghua Book Company)

[3]. Mingtao R. (2011). The Wine Drinking Etiquette in the Zhou Dynasty and the Related Ritual Changes from the Shang to the Zhou Dynasty: Based upon the Jiu-gao Section of Shangshu. The Journal of Ancient Civilizations, 3, 51-58.

[4]. Zhiping Y. (2018). How wine was vested with the attribute of etiquette and the function of moral education in ancient China. Confusion Studies, 4, 67-78.

[5]. Hau Lisa Irene. (2016). Herodotus: In Moral History from Herodotus to Diodorus Siculus (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University)

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