春秋时期,祭祀是国家的头等大事,《左传·成公十三年》记:“国之大事在祀与戎”。以往学者对与“五礼”密切相关的祭礼作了许多研究,但对祭祀规格的研究不甚重视,至于诸神尊卑,人间等级与祭祀规格的关系,更是鲜有论及。笔者不揣鄙陋,试就“人间等级·神界尊卑,祭祀规格”作一番探索,以就正于方家。 原始社会中人人都可与诸神交往、同天神交通,其时,人与人之间是平等的,不存在垄断祭祀权的特权阶层。原始社会末期,部落首领渐渐享有某些政治经济特权,与此相应,他们也要享有某些宗教特权,他们要绝地天通,即韦注所云“绝地民与天神相通之道”,氏族 Spring and Autumn Period, sacrifice is the country’s top priority, “Zuo Cheng Kung thirteen years” in mind: “The great event in worship and Rong.” In the past, scholars made many researches on the sacrificial rituals closely related to “Five Etiquets”, but they did not pay much attention to the study of sacrificial rituals. As for the relationship between the gods, the hierarchy and sacrificial rituals, they were seldom discussed. I do not guess humble, try on the “world level Shenzheng respect, sacrificial specifications” for some exploration, just to Fang. In the primitive society, everyone could make contact with the gods and communicate with the gods. At that time, the people were equal and there was no privileged class that monopolized the sacrificial rights. At the end of Primitive Society, the tribal chiefs gradually enjoyed certain political and economic privileges. Correspondingly, they also enjoyed certain religious privileges. They wanted to achieve the ultimate goal of independence, that is,