By name: conduct-state-sacrifices description: "Use when performing state sacrificial rituals (畤) to establish religious legitimacy or mark significant occasions. Guides altar preparation, sacrificial animal selection (三牢), ritual conduct, and event documentation. Based on Qin's sacrificial traditions."
Conduct State Sacrifices
Overview
A procedure for performing official state sacrificial rituals to deities, establishing religious legitimacy. Based on Qin's various sacrificial ceremonies (畤).
Steps
Select the Occasion
- New state establishment
- Major military victory
- Regular calendrical observances
Prepare the Altar (畤)
- Construct or designate the sacrificial altar
- Choose appropriate location (e.g., western altar for western regions)
Prepare Sacrificial Animals
- Select appropriate animals (horses, cattle, sheep)
- Standard offering: three of each kind (三牢)
- Larger ceremonies may use hundreds of animals
Conduct the Ritual
- Perform sacrifice according to established rites
- Make offerings to specified deities (e.g., Supreme God/上帝, White Emperor)
Record the Event
- Document the establishment of new ritual traditions
- Note any omens or divine responses
Examples
- Duke Xiang established the Western Altar (西畤) using three each of red horses, yellow cattle, and rams
- Duke Wen established the Fu Altar (鄜畤) using three sacrificial animals
- Duke De used 300 sacrificial animals for the Fu Altar
Expected Outcomes
- Religious legitimacy for the state
- Documentation of state traditions
- Connection between rulership and divine authority
Validation
- Verify that the appropriate occasion (state establishment, military victory, or calendrical observance) justified the sacrifice
- Confirm that sacrificial animals match the required standard (三牢 or as specified for the ceremony scale)
- Check that the event was documented including altar location, deities addressed, and any omens observed