The Seven Elements of the Family Tree

The middle and late Ming Dynasty was an important watershed in the evolution and content update of Chinese genealogies, and the following is an excerpt of the seven main contents of a set of genealogies:

First, the origin of the surname

The origin of the surname is the origin and change of the surname of the same family, and most of the surname origins of the Chinese are very old, if there is no record of ancient books or old genealogies, it is difficult for future generations to study clearly. From a surname to a country, you can't help but know where your roots come from, recognize the origin of your surname, and each set of "Family Trees" details the origin of your surname, so that you can inherit it from generation to generation, and you can also pass on the roots of the family for thousands of years.

Chinese surnames have evolved through history, such as: wars, migrations, dynastic changes, as well as avoidance to change surnames, refuge to change surnames, compound surnames to single surnames, etc., surnames have become more complex, and their true provenance and source need to be examined in detail, which is recorded in detail in the Genealogy. In the feudal era, many surnames used to have ties with celebrities in order to elevate their own ranks and county looks, or to trace back to an emperor as their ancestor. But they don't know that this affects the purity and certainty of blood relations, and future generations must not be careless.

There is a tradition of "shu ben lineage and shu shi feng" in the "Genealogy", and its purpose is also to "Ming Shi Ci, don't be related to each other" and to examine the origin of surnames. The Genealogy has a chapter on surnames to describe the origin of the family name, or the history of the family changing its surname for some reason. So the origin of the surname in the Family Tree becomes very important, it is the proof of your family lineage.

2. Hall number

The hall number is a special identifier of a surname, which can show the geographical relationship of the origin of the surname. In the family tree, the hall number has the significance of linking the relationship between the surname and the clan, and it is also one of the important clues for future generations to find their roots and ask for their ancestors. The name of the hall is generally taken from the name of the county or created to commemorate the ancestors or celebrities of the family.

Generally speaking, the hall number is mostly taken from the name of the county, the county is the establishment of the administrative region in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and the name of the county is also taken from the name of the county, or the name of the princely state, the name of the local government, the state, and the county. With the development and growth of the surname family, the origin of the county name of the famous family name of each surname has emerged as the origin of the county name.

When the large family is long-lived, or when there are natural disasters for many years, the clan will be scattered everywhere due to migration and displacement. Therefore, there is a way to add the name of "branch hall number" under the "general hall number". "Zongtang number" represents the birthplace of the family (surname), the descendants do not forget the origin, "Fentang number" is the clan migration to Xindi, after becoming a local famous family, with the county name of the place as the hall number, "Zongtang number" and "Fentang number" are collectively referred to as "County Wang". Because the surnames of each ethnic group are basically the county names of their own families, there is a phenomenon that several surnames are the same hall name. For example: Wang, Hu these two surnames of the county wang are "QingheTang".

Another source of the name of the hall number: the self-created hall number, which is the self-reliant hall number of the family, the name of the hall number is a branch that is different from each surname, and the second is to remember the public deeds or teachings of ancestors or celebrities. For example, Yang's "Four Knowledge Halls" imply the style of "heaven knows, earth knows, I know, and the son knows".

III. Genealogy Table

If you find a family tree about your origins, what would you most like to see? Do you want to know who your ancestors are? What celebrities and achievements have been in the family? Where are the people in the family now? Wait, all the answers are in the genealogical table.

As the most important content in the family tree, the "lineage table", in short, is to illustrate the interrelationship between a family member, such as: father and son, brothers, and write a chart that clearly writes the name of each family member of the ancestors. It has four basic narrative formats: European, Soviet, Pagoda, and Muji.

European style: also known as the horizontal body, was founded by the Northern Song Dynasty writer Ouyang Xiu. The characteristics of the European style are: generational division, from right to left, five generations and one table, which is very convenient to use. In the European style, there is a biographical account on the left side of the name of each generation, introducing the person's character, number, meritorious name, official title, birth date, spouse, Tibetan land, merits, etc.

Su style: also known as the bead, was founded by the Northern Song Dynasty literary scholar Su Xun. The characteristics of the Su-style lineage table are: generations are straight and sagging, there is no horizontal line connection between generations, all are connected by vertical lines, and the chart format is also arranged from right to left, mainly emphasizing patriarchal relations.

Pagoda type: As the name suggests, it is to arrange the names of generations like pagodas from top to bottom. Pagoda style adopts the horizontal and vertical line connection method, the vertical line is always in the middle of the horizontal line, which is for the large family with many people, because the name of the person cannot be arranged on the same page, the relationship between the brothers is unclear, which will bring a lot of inconvenience to writing and reading the score.

Memorization: Instead of connecting the relationship between generations of people's names, the relationship is expressed purely in words. Each person has a relevant profile under his name, such as: character, number, meritorious name, official title, birth date, Tibetan place, meritorious deeds, etc. The lineage form of the mucuna is fixed, the order is clear, and the paper is more economical.

The above four lineage table forms have their own characteristics, which is the more common lineage table in the general genealogy, but there are other changes, we can use it flexibly according to the number of materials we have, the number of family members, etc. When we describe the family lineage table, in short, the lineage table should be easy to read and understand, the content is true, and the order is clear, which is the most important.

4. Family training

Family training is also an important part of the family tree, and it plays a great role in traditional clan education. In ancient times, human society has undergone changes in clans, families, and families, but these are the cornerstones of a nation. At a time when the country is unstable and the law of the country is not clear, family training can exert the power of stabilizing social order. Because, in order to maintain the necessary legal system, the family formulated a certain code of conduct to restrain the people in the family, which is the earliest origin of the family law and family training.

Since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, family training works have gradually become richer and more colorful with the evolution of dynasties. The genealogy has recorded many famous sayings and aphorisms for governing the family and teaching children, which have become the good strategies for people to govern the family and become a model of "self-cultivation" and "Qi family". For example, the frugal family-oriented idea of "one porridge and one meal, when thinking is not easy to come by" still seems to have positive significance today. In the family tree, there are many detailed records of family training, family rules, etc. to be followed by the descendants. Among them, the most well-known famous precepts, such as the Yan family training, Zhu Zizhi family motto, etc., are still popular among the population.

The reason why family training is valued by the world is because its main purpose is to promote loyalty and filial piety and righteousness, and to teach etiquette and shame. In addition, what to advocate and what to prohibit is also an important part of the family rules and family law, such as: "frugality should be respected", "evil witches should be forbidden" and so on.

In short, each family has a different family discipline. The more common ones in family trees generally include the following:

(1) Pay attention to family law and national law

(2) Harmonious clans and townships

(3) Filial piety to parents and respect for elders

(4) Conform to etiquette and righteousness

(5) Ancestral sacrifices and tomb sacrifice procedures

5. Family heirlooms

If you want to understand the historical merits of the clan in the lineage table, you have to look at the family tradition. Family biography, which is used to record the deeds of famous and meritorious people in the family, is a formal biography, before the Ming Dynasty, the biography and the genealogy were recorded separately.

The "biography" records the merits and virtues of a person's life, from the contribution to the country, the nation, and society, to every achievement done to the locality and the family, such as: funding the construction of the temple, ancestral tomb, etc., all recorded, in order to serve as an example for future generations to learn, and to glorify the family.

Family traditions are generally divided into: column transmission, internal transmission and external transmission. The biography is a biography of a man of meritorious service in the family; an internal biography is a biography of a woman of good character in the family; and an outer biography is a biography of a woman of good character who has married in a family.

Biographies are often accompanied by portraits of the person or picture stories about the person, so that future generations can feel vivid and vivid when reading.

The words used in the family tradition are based on the truth and simplicity, and the most taboo words are praiseworthy. This is also an important criterion for evaluating the level of a "family heirloom".

6. Artistic writings

"Genealogy is the history of a family", of course, there are indispensable works of the family's art and literature. Since the Six Dynasties, there has been a practice of recording the works of celebrities in the family into the family tree, especially in the Ming Dynasty, this style is more popular, and the content of this part is more abundant, involving many fields such as history, culture, economy, religion, etc., and is even comparable in form to "classical historical materials".

The art writings in the family tree are generally called in terms of style: art and literature, etymology, collection of literature, etc.

The "Art and Literature Writings" take the poetry and works written by celebrities in the family as the main content, and also collect letters and letters from their own people and outsiders, as well as scriptures, table strategies, inscriptions, books, etc., and some also have prints, portraits, version works, famous calligraphy, songs, etc., which are very rich in form and content.

Yiwen writings are the brainchild of the ancestors of the family, and a large number of precious historical documents have very precious reference and appreciation value. However, due to the wide variety and content of art and literature writings, and the quality is uneven, it still needs to be carefully sorted out by future generations in order to be able to circulate and use the fine works of art and literature in the family.

At the same time, when we continue to supplement the genealogy of modern art and literature, we need to carefully select, carefully enter, and pass on the most valuable and representative documents to future generations.

7. Genealogical images

The embodiment of the family tree, can be combined with books, figures, history, tables, and aspirations, its use value is greater. The family tree is mainly based on text content, and the picture data is the sub-, but a good picture and photo can still convey the spiritual outlook and characteristics of the times.

The significance of including pictures and photos in the family tree is that it provides a most direct environmental background for family inheritance, so that the family tree is not limited to written records, and the overall concept becomes clear and vivid. As long as it is an ancient map or old photo that can give people a better understanding of the family tree, it should be included in the family tree, including:

1) Old photos: The ancient black-and-white photos that exist in the home, the photos of the family, etc., all have their historical value and are also the most original materials for witnessing the family tree.

2) Ancestral pictures (relics, figure paintings, portraits): There have been a large number of figure paintings and portraits in China throughout the ages, most of which are to commemorate the ancestors or express their admiration for the relatives of the sages. There are also some genealogies that draw the appearance of the prominent people among the ancestors of the family and place them at the beginning of the volume, in order to achieve the purpose of the Guangda family and enlighten future generations, and some also publish some of the ancestors' hand-painted ink.

3) Feng Shui diagram (ancestral hall map, tomb map): The ancestral hall is a place to enshrine the ancestors, and in ancient times, it was a place where families gathered, so the general family trees have recorded and published the layout of the building, depicted the actual shape, some are attached to the tomb map, and some even record the geographical location. People believe that the rise and fall of a family has a deep relationship with the place where the ancestors lived and buried, which contains rich "feng shui" content, so it is also called "feng shui map".

4) Former Residence/Village Map: The Ming and Qing genealogies not only record the migration of residential sites, but also print their family's courtyards, pavilions, bookstores, houses, etc. in exquisite layouts in the genealogical books cultivated by many rich families.

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