| Ming Tang Wei: |
In the last month of summer, the sixth month, they used the ceremonies of the great sacrifice in sacrificing to the duke of Zhou in the great ancestral temple, employing for the victim to him a white bull. The cups were those with the figure of a victim bull, of an elephant, and of hills and clouds; that for the fragrant spirits was the one with gilt eyes on it. For libations they used the cup of jade with the handle made of a long rank-symbol. The dishes with the offerings were on stands of wood, adorned with jade and carved. The cups for the personator were of jade carved in the same way. There were also the plain cups and those of horn, adorned with round pieces of jade; and for the meat-stands, they used those with four feet and the cross-binders. (The singers) went up to the hall (or stage), and sang the Qing Miao; (in the court) below, (the pantomimes) performed the Xiang dance, to the accompaniment of the wind instruments. With their red shields and jade-adorned axes, and in their caps with pendants, they danced to the music of the Da Wu; in their skin caps, and large white skirts gathered at the waist, and jacket of silk, they danced the Da Xia. There (were also) the Mei, or music of the wild tribes of the East; and the Ren, or music of those of the South. The introduction of these two in the grand temple was to signalise the distinction of Lu all over the kingdom. |
