Scholarly record

ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE WINE DRINKING RITUALS IN THE TRADITIONAL CULTURE OF EAST ASIA

E. Voytishek

Abstract

This study is a comparative analysis of the specific features of traditional culture in China, Korea, and Japan, which were based on literary games and included ritual wine drinking. The games and rituals of the “wine order” existed for over 2000 years in East Asia as a form of entertainment for the elite. In the East Asia region the special wine culture had played not a minor role along with intellectual game traditions and practices of the poetized attitude to wine drinking have engrained in the representations of East Asia peoples. We describe some most ancient rituals of “wine orders” in traditional cultures of East Asia countries. The adaptation of Chinese games in Korea and Japan is shown by the example of the ritual called Feast by the Meandering Stream. The analysis of the national features of this ritual helps to clarify the process of intercultural interaction. Over many centuries, the moral potential of these actions has been determined by a number of their most significant social-cultural functions related to the ceremonial activity, religious magical practices, and mundane entertainments, which allows us to speak about the stability of these ethnic cultures against negative consequences of current globalization and westernization processes. The revival of the ancient ritual illustrates the consolidation of efforts of Asian societies directed on the strengthening of national intellectual values and the development of the positive image of a modern intellectual – “a man of culture” 文人 (Chinese: wenren, Korean: munin, Japanese: bunjin). Over the period of almost 2000 years, the rituals and ceremonies of “wine / table orders” entrenched themselves in the ethic culture of East Asia and became its fully legitimate part, having penetrated into arts and everyday life. In a comparative analysis of historical artifacts of the wine culture the great culture-forming significance of the above described game practices that still have the ritual character seem to be very important. During the development of the “wine order” culture in East Asia countries, the religious ceremonial content of seasonal celebrations of the annual cycle has been replaced by now by ritualized actions having the character of theatrical shows with elements of the traditional culture. Moreover, it is also possible to speak here about the tradition of an exquisite intellectual competition in the belles-lettres field that has always been worshiped in the East, and also about the game behavior consciously produced in East Asia cultures.

Publication Impact Profile

• Captures
• Mendeley - Readers: 4

PLUMX see details

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2015/b31/s8.002

Publication details

Back to publication list