试论丧服习俗的起源

丧服是丧俗的一部分,普遍存在于世界各国和各民族中.丧服作为一种特殊而久远的文化现象,反映了不同历史时期、不同人群、不同宗教信仰的特定的文化方式和内心世界.然而,生者为死者穿上特定的丧服从何时兴起?发源于何处?从中外考古发现、大量古代文献分析及采用碳14测定等依据推论,丧服习俗最早起源时期约在母系氏族社会的晚期,即新石器时代,与葬俗同期,其产生的文化根源和主要原因是先民对鬼魂的恐惧心理和对祖先崇拜的宗教行为.

The Origin of Funeral Clothing Custom

Funeral clothing, a part of funeral custom, is seen in the culture of each ethnic group and nation throughout the world. As a uypical cultural phenomenon lasting for ages, funeral clothing reflects specific cultural pattern and psyche of different people with different religious beliefs at different time. Now ,the question is when and where the funeral clothing custom began. According to the archeological findings of China and other countries, based on the analysis of ancient documents together with the references drawn from carbon 14 test, it is believed that funeral clothing custom is dated from the late period of matriarchal society or the Neolithic Age. It appeared at the same time with funeral custom. The cultural origin of the emergence of funeral clothing custom is closely related to the fear of ghost on the part of the early people and their religious activities of ancestor worship.