Archery-Moral Education (III)

Since the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou royal family began to decline, and its old system and old ruling order were destroyed; new systems and new ruling orders were established, and new class forces were growing. The root of this social change hidden in this process was the revolution of productivity characterized by iron tools. The development of productivity ultimately led to the reform movement of various countries and the establishment of the feudal system, which to a certain extent promoted the prosperity of ideology and culture. From the development of archery, with the decline of national archery games, the moral preaching in archery came to the fore; with the decline of the archery ability of the scholar class, the alienated throwing pot game became a substitute for archery; with the frequent war activities, the level of bow and arrow production has been generally improved.

3. The production and concept of bows and arrows are different from other sports. The perfect performance of archery requires not only good quality conditions of athletes, but also good equipment, that is, handy bow and arrow equipment. In the pre-Qin period, bows and arrows were not only important weapons for military struggle, but also utensils for school education, social etiquette and leisure and entertainment.

The booming archery movement has led to an increase in the demand for bows and arrows in society, and it is necessary to consider the supply guarantee from the national level. This has led to the emergence of the production of bows and arrows in the pre-Qin period, which uses the unified management of the state as a means to ensure the continuous and healthy development of archery through material guarantees. At the same time, the multifunctionality and multi-target nature of the pre-Qin archery movement has determined the diversified development path of the bow and arrow production process.

From this, we find that the production of bows and arrows in the pre-Qin period has reached a very mature level. One of the "Kaogongji" records the three types of work directly related to archery in the official handicraft production at that time: "bow man", "arrow man" and "mixing man". They not only have a clear division of labor and each has their own duties, but also have a set of strict management systems in the entire production process, such as unified component names, strict material selection, specified production processes, and product inspection. This is obviously not a private workshop for general folk handicrafts, but a technical process system with the nature of a national production enterprise.

The concept of bow and arrow production that is in harmony with nature is proposed in the General Preface of Kaogongji: "The sky has its time, the earth has its air, the materials are beautiful, and the craftsmanship is ingenious. Only when these four are combined can it be good." That is to say, to make fine utensils, one must conform to the time of the day, the air of the earth, and have the four major conditions of beautiful materials and ingenious craftsmanship. This is a kind of "harmony" thought concept, which is the creation principle and value standard of ancient Chinese handicraft industry. The bow and arrow production in the pre-Qin period adhered to this principle. First, the material selection is based on the season. The allusion of "force penetrating seven pieces" in the pre-Qin archery activities not only shows that the archer needs to have great strength, but also reflects that the production of bows has quite high quality requirements, that is, it emphasizes that the bow's bearing capacity should be one of the important criteria in the production of bows and arrows. Therefore, the material selection of the bow becomes an important prerequisite. Therefore, "Kaogong Ji" said: "There are seven ways to select bows: 柘 is the best, 植木 is the second, 仙桑 is the second, 桔 is the third, 木瓜 is the third, 荆 is the third, and bamboo is the worst." This means that when selecting bow materials, the quality standards can be divided into seven grades: the first grade is 柘, the second grade is 植木, the third grade is 仙桑, the fourth grade is 桔木, the fifth grade is 木瓜, the sixth grade is 荆木, and the seventh grade is bamboo. This historical material not only introduces the exquisite selection standards, but also condenses the great wisdom accumulated by handicraft manufacturers over a long period of practice at that time.

In the production of bows and arrows in the pre-Qin period, craftsmen not only knew that "when selecting bow materials, the color should be red and black and the sound should be clear when struck", but also knew how to select and treat materials according to the requirements of different seasons. "When making bows, in winter, the bows are separated and the corners are melted in spring, the tendons are treated in summer, the three materials are combined in autumn, the body is laid in cold, and the pan is separated in ice." But why do they do this? Because it is easier to treat the dry wood in winter; it is easier to make the horns flexible in spring; it is easier to treat the tendons in summer, so they will not be disordered; in autumn, glue, lacquer, and silk are used to combine the three materials of dry wood, horns, and tendons, so that they are strong and tight. Fix the bow body in the cold winter, and it will no longer deform when the string is stretched; it is easier to determine whether the circular lacquer pattern meets the requirements when checking the lacquer pattern in the freezing winter. For example, when choosing "horns", the horns of cattle slaughtered in autumn are thick, and the horns of cattle slaughtered in spring are thin; the horns of calves are straight and moist, and the horns of old cattle are not straight and dry; the horns of cattle with long-term illness will be concave and uneven, and the horns of thin cattle will not be moist.

The horns should be bluish-white and thick at the end. This not only introduces the selection of the best materials, but also points out the reasons why other materials are not selected, explaining the professional ethics of the craftsmen who strive for excellence. "Kaogong Ji" also said that when choosing glue, it should be red and dry. The lacquer should be clear, and the silk should be the color when it is boiled in water. When selecting tendons, the tendons should be small and long, and the knots at the ends of the tendons should be large and moist. Wild beasts with such tendons must move swiftly. If bows are made from their tendons, the arrows shot out can be as swift as those of wild beasts. It is not difficult to see from this process of selecting tendons how craftsmen summarized the theory of bow and arrow making with universal guiding significance in practice through observation of things in nature. The second is the doctrine of the mean in the process of craft production. The idiom "extremes will inevitably reverse" tells people that when things develop to the limit, they will transform in the opposite direction. Therefore, Xu Heng of the Yuan Dynasty once said in his "Private Remarks on Reading the Book of Changes": "Kan and Dui are dangerous, and when they are said to be too extreme, they are all evil ways." Therefore, the doctrine of the mean has become a long-term accumulation of the psychological structure of the Chinese nation. Its guidance on health preservation is that people need to remain neutral and peaceful, and it believes that excessive joy, anger, sorrow and happiness will damage people's health. The doctrine of the mean is also reflected in the process of bow and arrow making in the pre-Qin period. For example, the Kaogong Ji says that when making bows with fire, they should be cooked but not overcooked; when making horns with fire, they should be cooked but not overcooked; when stretching tendons, they should be stretched as much as possible, without breaking the texture and damaging its strength; when boiling glue, it should be cooked, and the water and fire used should be just right. Bows made in this way will not deform when placed in a dry place; they will not deform when placed in a wet place. However, if a craftsman with poor skills, he will inevitably knead the horns when they are wet and easy to knead, just for the appearance to look good, while the factors of change are hidden inside. Even if the appearance can be good, the inside will inevitably change, and no matter how good the appearance is, it cannot be a good bow. What we see here is not only the teaching of a technical theory in the process of bow and arrow making, but also the strengthening of professional ethics. The production of bows and arrows that integrate people and tools requires going through the ancient totems to the fierce beauty of bronze in the ancient slave society, from the various concepts of primitive witchcraft and religion to the cultural and psychological structure of the Chinese nation. The general trend of thought and tendency that runs through it is rationalism. The idea of ​​humanism had already sprouted as early as the Xia Dynasty. The so-called "people are the foundation of the country, and the country will be peaceful if the foundation is solid" is the basic understanding of people during this period. After the Spring and Autumn Period, with the breaking of the authority of "heaven", the human-oriented thought has not only become clearer, but has also been widely used in sociological theory. The "people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least important" can even be said to have become a truth generally recognized by people at that time.

However, it is amazing that this people-oriented thought in the pre-Qin period not only exists in the theoretical world, but has also penetrated into many aspects of people's lives, including the bow and arrow making process in the pre-Qin period. In fact, while opening the door to the scientific and technological civilization of the pre-Qin period, "Kaogongji" also poured in "humanistic care" and injected the idea of ​​"ergonomics" from the perspective of psychology, so as to achieve the optimal design height of the objects and human body and mind in the production of bows and arrows, and it is particularly outstanding in the reasonable matching of people, bows and arrows. One is the consistency between bow and arrow making and the natural human body.

In the configuration of people, bows and arrows, different bow and arrow equipment are formed due to differences in the temperament, body shape and qi and blood of the archers. The requirements for making the best and worst bows and arrows: For a fat and short person, with a relaxed temperament and slow movements, a strong and fast Wei bow should be made for such an An person, and the Wei bow should be matched with a slow An Shi; for a resolute and agile person, a hot-tempered and swift Wei person, a slow An bow should be made for him, and a slow An bow should be matched with a strong and fast Wei arrow.

It is generally believed that if a person has a slow temperament, his bow is also slow, and his arrow is also slow, then the arrow shot out cannot hit the target quickly or deeply. Similarly, if a person has an impatient temperament, his bow is also fast, then the arrow shot out cannot hit the target carefully. Therefore, there are eight matching schemes for the combination of people, bows, and arrows, namely, An person, Wei bow, and An arrow, Wei person, An bow, and Wei arrow, An person, An bow, and An arrow, Wei person, Wei bow, and Wei arrow, An person, An horse, and Wei arrow, An person, Wei bow, and Wei arrow, Wei person, An bow, and An arrow, and Wei person, Wei bow, and An arrow. This combination allows us to see the optimal design in bow and arrow production that people pursued at that time. In terms of the combination of people, bows, and arrows, the first and second design options should usually be understood as the optimal design, which is also the best combination. In addition, in terms of the matching of bow and arrow production with the natural human body, the best combination of height and bow length is also considered, so that people can exert their abilities to the extreme within the scope of their physical practice. For example, "Kaogong Ji" says that a bow of six feet and six inches long is called the upper system, which is used by tall people; a bow of six feet and three inches long is called the middle system, which is used by people of medium height; a bow of six feet long is called the lower system, which is used by short people. In addition to considering different heights, in terms of the object and the bow body, the following production theory was summarized at that time: the bow body has a large curvature of curvature outward and a small curvature inward, which is a bow like Jia and Yu, which is good for shooting Xuanhou and Yi shooting flying birds; the curvature of curvature outward is small, and the curvature inward is large, which is a bow like Wang Gong, which is good for shooting leather armor and frame boards; the curvature of curvature outward and inward is the same, which is a bow like Tang Gong, which is good for deep shooting. From the above technical parameters, we can see not only people's grasp of human body knowledge, but more importantly, the emphasis on "unity of man and instrument" in bow and arrow production. The second is the consistency between bow and arrow production and social groups. The "people-oriented" thought in bow and arrow production in the pre-Qin Dynasty is not only reflected in the understanding and grasp of the natural human body, but also in the understanding and grasp of social groups, that is, it emphasizes that bow and arrow production should serve to meet the needs of different social groups, thus reflecting the social attributes in bow and arrow production. For example, the Zhouli says: "If you make a marquis of leather and a swan, you will be rewarded in spring.

If you make a marquis of five colors, you will be a distant country. If you make a marquis of beasts, the king will rest in Yan." "Marquis" is a target for archery. In the ancient society with strict social hierarchy, even when making targets for archery, it is necessary to consider that different production standards should be adopted for different groups of people, so that the awareness of people-oriented and serving people will always run through the process of making horse arrows. For example, regarding the production of arrows, the requirements are "arrowmen make arrows. Silver arrows are divided into three parts, and non-arrows are divided into three parts, one in front and two in the back. Military arrows and field arrows are divided into five parts, two in front and three in the back. Killing arrows are divided into seven parts, three in front and four in the back" (Yang Tianyu: "Zhouli Translation and Annotation", Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 2004, page 650). That is to say, when arrowmen make arrows, they divide the length of silver arrows and non-arrows into three equal parts, one in front and two in the back. Divide the length of military arrows and field arrows into five equal parts, two in front and three in the back. The length of the arrow is divided into seven equal parts, three equal parts in front and four equal parts in the back. This is to ensure that the weight of the front and back is equal. It can be seen that the production of arrows not only needs to consider the purpose and function of archery, but also has different production requirements for archers of different identities. The difference in bow and arrow production standards originated from the etiquette culture of the pre-Qin period. It is the core of Chinese traditional culture and a civilization system that contains unique values ​​and humanistic concepts. The ubiquitous etiquette system of the pre-Qin period is not only an important means to implement social management and maintain social stability, but also an ideological driving force for the continuous development of social progress. "Zuo Zhuan Yin Gong Eleventh Year" said: "Ritual is the one that governs the country, determines the country, orders the people, and benefits the descendants." Therefore, the norms and requirements of etiquette permeate all aspects of society. Therefore, a "Kaogong Ji" not only records the selection of materials and the process of craftsmanship when making bows and arrows, but also shows the world the profound connotation of "the instrument hides the etiquette". For example, when making bows and arrows, there are differences in strength and appearance, and these differences are determined by the identity of the user, which conveys a concept of "ritual" to people, that is, using bows and arrows as carriers, not only creates a sacred atmosphere in ritual activities, but also presents the identity and status of the subject of the ritual, as well as the specific feelings of the object they interact with (whether it is a person or a god).

The first is the difference in the strength of bows and arrows. In the form of bows carrying rituals, it is first reflected in the strength of bows made for people of different ranks. For example, the bow of the emperor is nine times round; the horses of the princes are seven times round; the bows of the officials are five times round; and the number of scholars is three times round. Here, the different strengths of the bows are mainly reflected by the different arcs caused by different numbers. For example, the emperor's horse is nine times round, and its arc should be 40 degrees; the bows of the princes are seven times round, and its arc should be 51 degrees; the number of officials is five times round, and its arc should be 72 degrees; the bows of the scholars are three times round, and its number arc should be 120 degrees. This shows that the more bows there are, the smaller the curvature of the bow, the greater the strength of the bow; conversely, the larger the curvature of the bow, the weaker the strength. Therefore, the emperor's bow is the strongest, and the scholar's bow is the weakest. In addition, there was also a distinction in the types and effectiveness of bows in the pre-Qin period. There were six bows: "King's bow, arc bow, clip bow, Geng bow, Tang bow, and big bow". Among them, the king's bow and the arc bow are the strongest, the clip bow and the Yu bow are the weakest, and the Tang bow and the big bow are of moderate strength. This division of bow and arrow production levels actually uses bows and arrows as a special material carrier to emphasize the personal identity and status of the society at that time, to restrict people's behavior, and to maintain the etiquette system of social rule.

The second is the difference in the appearance of bow and arrow production. "Xunzi·General" said: "The emperor has a carved bow, the princes have a red bow, and the officials have a black bow." This means that in the production of bows and arrows in the pre-Qin period, the user's rank and identity were also displayed through differences in appearance. For example, the emperor's bow is an exquisite bow with patterns; the bows of the princes and officials are just monochrome bows painted in red and black. This difference in appearance is nothing more than expressing the hierarchical concept of respect and inferiority through this intuitive effect, so that people always live in the body of the ritual system. This difference in production appearance is also reflected in the details of the bow. For example, although the lacquer patterns on the inside and outside of the bow are generally in the same texture as the two hands of a person, the lacquer patterns on the horns are like rings, the lacquer patterns on the tendons are like pockmarks, and the lacquer patterns on the tendons of elk are like crickets, but the king's bow of Jiuhe has no lacquer patterns; the tendons and horns of the princes' bows of Qihe have lacquer patterns, which are hidden deep inside; the surfaces of the tendons and horns of the bows of the officials of Wuhe have lacquer patterns, but they are sparse; the bows of the scholars of Sanhe have no lacquer patterns only in the corners. In summary, whether in terms of strength or appearance, there are strict distinctions in the production of bows and arrows.

Bows and arrows are given symbols of rank and power, and gradually become a symbol of social system. Whether it is the most perfect archery in the pre-Qin period, or the interpretation of "ritual" in bow and arrow making, it shows that "ritual" guided the mainstream ideology of the society at that time and gradually formed a set of "ritual" behavioral norms. "Rites" were used as a guide for action to emphasize the social hierarchy in order to better safeguard the core interests of the ruling class, thus pushing "ritual" to the pinnacle of the field of national political life.