Ode to Zhou is a sacrificial poem in the ancestral temple of the Zhou royal family.
in the early western Zhou dynasty, the royal family made great efforts in rites and music in order to consolidate and develop the prosperous situation. One of the important activities is to make sacrificial songs, which is the source of Zhou Song. These music songs have accumulated a lot during the prosperous period of Chengkang, and they continued to be supplemented and revised during the reign of Zhao Wang. Judging from the sacrifices made to the ancestors and the historical facts reflected in these poems, most of "Ode to Zhou" was made between 7 and 8 years after 158 BC.
The main content of Ode to Zhou is to praise the merits of ancestors, and to pray to God for a bumper harvest in spring and summer or to thank God for music songs in autumn and winter. These poems reflect the social characteristics of the Han nationality's founding the country by agriculture and the agricultural production in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. In Historical Records of Zhou Benji, there is a record about Zhou Song: Being a king is short of money, to serve barbarians, to promote propriety and music, and to be prudent in punishment, to sacrifice to the temple of God, to tell the princes, and to show his merits and demerits, so as to write Zhou Song.
This record shows that "Song of Zhou" is a set of sacrificial music songs made after Zhou Wuwang's business negotiation, in order to publicize the virtues and achievements of the Zhou Dynasty and worship the gods. With its beautiful melody, harmonious rhythm and profound content, Song of Zhou has become a treasure of China's ancient poetry and an important document for studying China's ancient history, culture and art. It not only has high artistic value, but also provides us with valuable historical data, which enables us to have a deeper understanding of the social features and cultural characteristics in the early Western Zhou Dynasty.
Appreciation of Zhou Song:
Zhou Song is a group of very valuable poetry works, which reflects the history and culture in the early Zhou Dynasty, and also shows the ancestral temple worship system of the royal family in the Zhou Dynasty. This group of poems has become an important legacy of China ancient culture with its beautiful melody, profound connotation and historical value. The melody of Zhou Song is very beautiful, and its rhythm is harmonious and its rhyme is sonorous, which leaves a deep impression on people. When these poems are played, they are usually accompanied by musical instruments, such as piano, harp and drum, which makes the whole playing process more solemn and infectious.
The content of Ode to Zhou is very profound. It not only reflects the historical events and social conditions in the early Zhou Dynasty, but also shows the cultural traditions and values of the royal family in the Zhou Dynasty. With the theme of offering sacrifices to ancestors, these poems eulogized the merits of ancestors and the prosperity of Zhou Dynasty, and also expressed their reverence and gratitude for the gods.
Ode to Zhou is also of great historical value. These poems provide us with valuable historical materials, enabling us to have a deeper understanding of the social features and cultural characteristics in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. Through Ode to Zhou, we can learn about the social system, religious beliefs, cultural traditions and other aspects at that time, which provides important clues and basis for us to study the ancient history of China.