The ornamentation patterns of the nine bronze tripods

Chang discusses the Shang and Zhou bronze animal ornamentation, said: "the image of the dragon is so variable and diverse, epigraphy also with a lot of flexibility in the use of this name: who the real animals can not and do not use other animal (such bronze gluttonous, fat left and Kui, etc.) name to refer to the animal, is the dragon. The ornamentation patterns of the nine bronze tripods are carved behind the biology still implies a certain ideographic nature.  Shang Dragon reason why the formation of the pattern of coexistence of various types, in fact, the pattern of the Shang political unity culture of different tribes, both separation and integration of results.
Oracle and inscriptions, the large "dragon" font, consistent with the fact that the situation with the Shang and Zhou period bronzes of various dragons coexist. In view of this, we might as well make that assumption: despite providers, the same great importance to the dragon, but both the understanding of the connotation of "dragon" is not the same. Use the size, weight, and different shapes of the bronze tripod to symbolize various things and hierarchy. In other words, after the Zhou Dynasty on behalf of Yin, entirely possible to consciously raise the "Dragon" status of this tribe. "Dragon" and the ancestral god together, many recorded in the pre-Qin thought. According to the excavated literature "Bamboo Annals" contains: "Yellow Emperor Huangdi's Muyue attached, see the big power around the Compass hinge star, light country, a sense of pregnant 20 May while raw Emperor in Shou Confucius.
Born words Longyan, holiness, impeach one hundred God DPRK in making it. "on the" Yellow Emperor Huangdi's "mentioned in the literature, Guo Yin Yi graphical text," Regulus "Dynasty as" sea turtle "sound change. The bronze is not only the embodiment of both natural resources and wealth of the world. Term "sea turtle" from the "national language", the words "I Giemsa from the sea turtle". Kuok's conclusions are reliable, "dragon", "Regulus", the words "sea turtle" in the sense of the ancestral god or gods of the Zhou family unification. There is a point to be stressed: Although already in the Warring States period "Five Emperors" said, "Regulus" as the first of five emperors, only to the Western Han Dynasty in the literature. Therefore, we also should not be identified Xuan Yuan Zhou tribe a ancestor, but these documents reflect the concepts of weeks relict, to some extent, also contains some of the authenticity of the first week of history.