The Meaning of Marriage

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 980 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

"Hun Yi" (The Meaning of Marriage) is the forty-fourth chapter of the Book of Rites; it takes its name from its discussion of the significance of the marriage ceremony for the gentry.

Editor's review

"Hun Yi" (The Meaning of Marriage) is the forty-fourth chapter of the Book of Rites, devoted to explaining the significance of the marriage ceremony for the gentry—hence the title "Hun Yi." Beginning with the wedding rites, the chapter sets out the place of marriage in joining two surnames, continuing ancestral sacrifices, and perpetuating the lineage, then extends this to the way of husband and wife and to family ethics. It is an important text for understanding the pre-Qin Confucian view of marriage and ritual thought. This edition presents the chapter on its own in a compact, single-topic format that helps readers focus closely, and it is also suitable for reading alongside other chapters of the Book of Rites. For students of ancient ritual institutions, family ethics, and classical interpretation, it is a foundational text worth close reading and discussion; but because its classical language is terse and archaic and its arguments depend on a ritual-institutional context, beginners should use an annotated translation or a related introduction to ritual studies in order to grasp its meaning and intellectual line accurately.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of history and literature specializing in ancient ritual institutions and the Book of Rites
Researchers interested in traditional views of marriage and family ethics
Readers who wish to encounter Confucian classics through close reading of a single chapter

Not a good fit for

Readers without grounding in classical Chinese who want a plain-language popular edition
Readers interested only in the folklore and procedure of weddings and not in ritual meaning

Reading tips

First use an annotated translation to clarify words and sentences, then return to the original and savor the ritual meaning paragraph by paragraph.
Read it alongside other chapters of the Book of Rites that discuss ritual, observing the place of marriage views within the ritual system.
After reading, trace the line of reasoning from "wedding rites—husband and wife—family—political ethics" and take notes.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
昏义第四十四

FAQ

What is "Hun Yi" mainly about?

It is the forty-fourth chapter of the Book of Rites, named for its discussion of the meaning of the marriage ceremony for the gentry. Starting from the wedding rites, it explains the role of marriage in joining two surnames, continuing ancestral sacrifices, and perpetuating the lineage, and extends this to the way of husband and wife and to family ethics; it is an important text for understanding the pre-Qin Confucian view of marriage.

Do I need to read other chapters of the Book of Rites before reading "Hun Yi"?

You need not read the whole Book of Rites, but some basic background in ritual studies helps. It is advisable first to clarify the words and sentences of this chapter, then to read selected related chapters on ritual in the Book of Rites alongside it, which will give a better grasp of its intellectual line and ritual context.

Is this book suitable as supplementary course reading?

Yes. It is short and focused, and can serve as supplementary material for courses on ancient ritual institutions, marriage and family ethics, or selected readings in the classics. Teachers can arrange close reading and discussion paragraph by paragraph; students should use it together with an annotated translation.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.