This book places Li Ji (the Book of Rites) back in the overall context of âbooks,â âritesâ and its research history, drawing on the interrelations between myth, ritual and âmaterializedâ symbols to do so. Further, it employs the double perspectives of âbooksâ and âritesâ to explore the sources and symbols of the capping ceremony (rites of passage), decode the prototypes of Miao and Ming Tang, and restore the discourse patterns of âpeople of five directions.â The book subsequently investigates the formation and function of the Yue Ling calendar and disaster ritual, so as to reveal the human cognitive encoding and metalanguage of ritual behavior involved. In the process, it demonstrates that Li Ji, its textual memories, archaeological remains and âtraditional ceremonyâ narratives are all subject to the latent myth coding mechanism in Chinaâs cultural system, while the âcompilationâ and âmaterializedâ remains are merely forms of ritual refactoring, interpretation and exhibition, used whenauthority seeks the aid of ritual civilization to strengthen its legitimacy and maintain the social order.
