The name "Sheep Holding Ceremony" may seem ordinary, but there is a suffocating history behind it. The existence of this etiquette not only reflects the rise and fall of a dynasty, but also highlights the tragic fate and humble social status of women in that era. Through the clouds of history, we reflect today on this past, and the heart is complex...
It all started with the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was a rich and powerful era, with a prosperous culture, and the prosperity of Amilan can be said to have inherited the huge system of the Sui and Tang dynasties, which opened the prosperity of the Song and Yuan dynasties. But at this stage, a ritual called the "sheep holding ceremony" has become a big shame in women's lives.
The origin of the sheep ceremony can be traced back to the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, wars were frequent and social unrest was unstable. The imperial court adopted a series of laws and regulations, including this incredible etiquette, in order to seek the long-term peace and stability of the country. Specifically, all the officials who have done anything to harm the righteousness of the monarch and the ministers, their wives and daughters will be shaved heads, naked, tied up and dragged to the court to show the shame of the family. Although this etiquette is called "holding the sheep", it greatly humiliates and humiliates women.
There are many sad details in the record. On the day of the ceremony, those poor women were often beaten, abused, and even beaten and dragged until they were ragged and bloodied. Aging old women are no exception. Let them abuse and beat them. The sound of sadness shook the heavens and the earth, and it was really frustrating.
Faced with such shame, most of these women chose to commit suicide. One of the wives of the prefect of Fuzhou hanged herself shortly after the end of the gift. The wife of another internal supervisor was even more miserable. She was abused to death, with her nose and ears cut off. In the end, she ended her life in a hurry... There are many such horrific examples in the history books.
To understand the absurdity and cruelty behind this, it is not difficult to find that under the power structure of the society at that time, women were undoubtedly the biggest victims. In the shadow of masculinity, their lives and dignity are almost completely deprived and slaughtered. As vassals of men, they not only bear the price of professional shame, but also physical and mental abuse. This is undoubtedly an extremely unequal and inhuman treatment.
Over time, this ritual was later abolished during the reign of Tang Wuzong. However, those trampled lives and withered dignity do not fully heal the scars. To this day, this past still gives us an appreciation for ancient Chinese society
There is a deeper reflection on the model of "male superiority and inferiority of women"...
Although the sheep-holding ritual is gone, it warns us to look at history in a more civilized and rational way, upholding the basic human rights and dignity of every human being. Only by constantly learning lessons and making progress can this stigma truly not be repeated. Let's learn from history and strive to create a fairer and more inclusive society...