Bao Ding of Shang
| Bao Ding 匚丁 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruler of Predynastic Shang | |||||||||
| Predecessor | Bao Bing[1] | ||||||||
| Successor | Shi Ren | ||||||||
| Spouse | Bi Geng (妣庚)[2] | ||||||||
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| Father | Bao Bing[1] | ||||||||
| Bao Ding of Shang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 匚丁 or 報(报)丁 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Bao IV" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Part of a series on |
| Religion of the Shang dynasty |
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Bao Ding (Chinese: 匚丁; pinyin: Bào Dīng)[a] was the twelfth ruler of Predynastic Shang. Succeeding Bao Bing, he was the fourth of the Six Spirits (六示 (lìushì)) and deified in the Religion of the Shang dynasty. After his death, he was succeeded by Shi Ren. Until oracle bones were unearthed in the 20th century, little was known about his life and status outside of lineage in Records of the Grand Historian.
Name
Bao Ding is written as 匚丁 in Oracle Bone Script,[3] where 匚 is pronounced as bào rather than fāng. This is because it describes a bao-sacrifice (e.g. 匚于河 - To perform a bao sacrifice to the river deity He).[4] The ding 丁 in Bao Ding's name was quite a common use of a Heavenly Stem, implying a sense of prestige seen in naming schemes with rulers like Wu Ding. Furthermore, as all sacrifices to Bao Ding were conducted on ding days, it may also have been used to dictate on which day rituals should be conducted towards him.[5][6][7]
In Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian writes Bao Ding as 報丁; as 匚 and 報 carry the same meaning in Shang ritual contexts, they are essentially synonyms.[1][4]
Didier (2009) disputes that the bao in the names of Bao Yi, Bao Bing, and Bao Ding could have been kou 口 with its left stroke missing.[8]
Bao Ding predates the Late Shang period; therefore, all mentions of him are in the context of ancestor veneration rituals through scapulimancy performed by Shang dynasty religious practitioners. As one of the Six Spirits, Bao Ding would have received consultation requests and sacrifices on matters important to the ruler. Additionally, his wife, Bi Geng (妣庚), would also receive sacrifices on account of being Shi Ren's mother.[2]
The "Three Baos"
In the Religion of the Shang dynasty, Bao Ding was the last of the "Three Baos" 三匚, the others being Bao Yi and Bao Bing.[9] They occasionally received sacrifices as a group entity, sometimes with the "Two Shis", Shi Ren and Shi Gui and/or Shang Jia in tow:
三匚二示暨上甲𫹉王受祐 吉[10]
If the King performs the ritual of pouring wine for the Three Baos, Two Shis, and Shang Jia, will we receive their protection? Result: Auspicious!
In Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian ordered the Three Baos incorrectly, in the order of; Bao Ding, Bao Yi, and, finally, Bao Bing. This error was noticed and corrected by Wang Guowei in 1917 upon reviewing oracle bone evidence. While this did confirm Sima Qian had the right names and thus records lost today, it cast doubt on their historical accuracy. This was one of the first cases of comparative analysis between oracular and classical evidence.[11] When the rulers are ordered correctly, they match the standard Heavenly Stem order: 报乙 (Bao 2)、报丙 (Bao 3)、报丁 (Bao 4).
Sacrifices
Unless sacrifices are made to the Three Baos as a group, every sacrifice made to Bao Ding was made on an Ding day, corresponding to his temple name.[6][5] For example:
丁卯卜貞王賓匚丁彡日無尤[12]
On the Dingmao day, a divination occurred. Test: If the King performs a bin ritual with Bao Ding and does a rong sacrifice, will there be no misfortune?
On one occasion, a sui-sacrifice made to Yi Yin was conducted on the same day in which Bao Ding was to be venerated:
甲寅貞伊歲遘匚丁日[13]
On the Jiayin day, it was charged: A sui-sacrifice for Yi will coincide with the Bao Ding's day.
Notes
- ^ Also written as simplified Chinese: 报丁; traditional Chinese: 報丁
References
- ^ a b c Sima, Qian. "殷本紀". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 史記 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project.
契卒，子昭明立。昭明卒，子相土立。相土卒，子昌若立。昌若卒，子曹圉立。曹圉卒，子冥立。冥卒，子振立。振卒，子微立。微卒，子报丁立。报丁卒，子报乙立。报乙卒，子报丙立。报丙卒，子主壬立。主壬卒，子主癸立。主癸卒，子天乙立，是为成汤。
- ^ a b 甲骨文合集 Heji 19806.1
- ^ Wang Guowei 王國維. "《殷卜辭中所見先公先王考》存". In Xi Zhe 晞輒 (ed.). 王國維集 (in Chinese). pp. 440, 441. ISBN 9787511376015.
- ^ a b HUMANUM (20 June 2017). "漢字甲骨部件分析" [Multi-function Chinese Character Database]. 漢語多功能字庫 (in Chinese). Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
甲骨文讀作「報」，是一種祭名，《合集》14522：「㞢（侑）匚（報）于河」，意謂對河神進行侑祭和報祭。[...] 又用作祖先名，《合集》32349：「三匚」，即「三報」，指三個殷朝的先公之名，是報乙、報丙、報丁的合稱。
- ^ a b Wu 吳, Junde 俊德 (2016). "商王日名來源析辨" [Analysis of the Origin of the Name of the King of Shang]. 儒學研究論叢 (in Chinese). 7. Taiwan: 83–109.
- ^ a b "先秦甲骨金文簡牘詞彙庫". inscription.asdc.sinica.edu.tw. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ Nivison, David S. (January 1999), The key to the Chronology of the Three Dynasties: The "Modern Text" Bamboo Annals (PDF)
- ^ Didier, John C. (2009). "In and Outside the Square: The Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, c. 4500 BC – AD 200". Sino-Platonic Papers (192). Victor H. Mair.
- ^ 甲骨文合集 Heji 32384
- ^ 小屯南地甲骨 2265.4
- ^ Wang, Guowei (1917). 戬寿堂所藏殷虚文字考释 [Yin Ruins characters collected from Jiashou Temple] (in Literary Chinese). Shanghai: 圣倉王氏.
- ^ 甲骨文合集 Heji 22688.2
- ^ 小屯南地甲骨 1110.3