Proceedings of the 2022 4th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2022)

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The Interpretation of Duke Zhuang Wu Sheng in Zuo Zhuan and the Superstition Behind It

Authors
Shuoyao Ni1, Wenting Zhao2, *
1Chinese Literature, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, 111002, China
2School of History and Civilization, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710000, Shaanxi, China
*Corresponding author. Email: wtzhao@snnu.edu.cn
Corresponding Author
Wenting Zhao
Available Online 13 February 2023.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_116How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Wu Sheng; superstition; interpretation; Zuo Zhuan; Zhengbo defeated Duan in Yan
Abstract

Because of the age and the abbreviated records, wu sheng (寤生), which first appeared in Zuo Zhuan (左传), still has unclear interpretations and different way of saying. Sheng (生) means birth or giving birth to in Chinese, while the meaning of wu (寤) is controversial. This paper compiles the main views on the interpretation of wu sheng, which include the following hypotheses: parturition in one’s sleep hypothesis, giving birth easily hypothesis, dystocia hypothesis, eye-opened or eye-closed hypothesis, and no breath or suffocation hypothesis. By considering the interpretation from the perspective of folklore and superstition, the parturition in one’s sleep hypothesis and giving birth easily hypothesis are the most reliable. In addition, taking into account the social and cultural thinking of the time, superstitious ideas influenced Wu Jiang’s (武姜) attitude towards Duke Zhuang of Zheng (郑庄公). Wu Jiang, Duke Zhuang of Zheng’s mother disliked him and attempted to suppress and limit his power to govern the country, causing the negative impact on the psychology and behavior of Duke Zhuang of Zheng and even on the politics of the country. Moreover, this paper further shows that Wu Jiang’s superstition was not a mindless irrational act, but rather a pragmatic ideology driven by interest. Thus, this paper offers new theoretical ideas about Wu Jiang’s eccentricity and the conduct of Duke Zhuang of Zheng.

Copyright
© 2023 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2022 4th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2022)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
13 February 2023
ISBN
10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_116
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_116How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2023 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Shuoyao Ni
AU  - Wenting Zhao
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/02/13
TI  - The Interpretation of Duke Zhuang Wu Sheng in Zuo Zhuan and the Superstition Behind It
BT  - Proceedings of the 2022 4th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2022)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 916
EP  - 924
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_116
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_116
ID  - Ni2023
ER  -