Publication details
Wealth as interaction with Heaven: Evolution of Cosmological Offerings, Rituals and Beliefs in Inner Asia, Korea and Vietnam
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The prehistoric inhabitants of inland Inner Asia were closely dependent on the Sun, Heaven and regular rains for securing food for the whole community and even empire. The cosmological will of Heaven and vertical relation to it became the legitimizing principle of power in Inner Asian political culture spreading as far as to Korea and Vietnam. Up today, this idea is surprisingly present even in the set of individual beliefs and rituals of people trying to reach prosperity in their businesses in densely populated Vietnam and Korea. And, similarly, this cosmological relation is important for the need of harmony with nature and natural order in pastoral communities in Mongolia. In the first part, this paper focused on attestation of particular rituals related to heaven and birth of son. It was then followed by description of state and imperial offerings attested in the historical sources and on collected depictions from Korea and China. In the second part, the general background of the idea of appropriate vertical cosmological connection was further documented by Vietnamese rituals and work of female mediums. Here the provided offerings and communication with heavenly realms within the religion of the Four Palaces. Rituals related to heaven are now more important in Mongolia due to changing climatic conditions and spread of aridity in Inner Asia. |
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