Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.12, 2014

 

Traditional China’s Kinship System and Charts of the Five Degrees of Mourning Attire

(Abstract)

 

Wu Fei

 

In traditional China, the system of mourning attire was closely related to the kinship system, and the charts for the five degrees of mourning attire are a necessary tool for understanding the mourning system. To gain a good grasp of the Chinese kinship system, it is necessary to carry out in-depth research on the system and principles of these charts. Our comparison of the cage-shaped chart and genealogical chart recorded by Gong Duanli of the Yuan Dynasty with the genealogical chart kept by the Zhu Xi school shows that the rhombic genealogical chart is centered on the section for senior males on the upper right. The kinship system shows a downward structure between the direct line of descent and clan branches. The cage-shaped diagram is an intuitive generalization of consanguineous relations within the clan, whereas the genealogical chart is a more abstract depiction of such relations. The method of calculating mourning dress can help us reflect more deeply on the characteristics of the Chinese kinship system. This system is important for our understanding of the basic spirit of traditional Chinese society and law.