A Study on the ZhanCi of the He group in YinXu Oracle bone inscriptions

A distinctive pattern emerges in the ZhanCi (divination texts) of the He group within Yin Xu's oracle bone inscriptions. Unlike other groups, these divinations omit the opening phrase 'Wang Zhan Yue' and are recorded in a highly simplified form, featuring only positive outcomes ('Ji', 'Da Ji', 'Yin Ji'). The study analyzed 600 oracle bone fragments from the 'Jia gu wen he ji' collection, focusing on formal and content-based aspects. It found that He group divinations differ significantly from those of the Bin and Huang groups, particularly in their brevity and uniformity. Divination records were categorized into five types: sacrificial rites, hunting expeditions, meteorology, military affairs, and agriculture, with notable differences in recording patterns compared to other groups.

Lee, M.-y. (2021). A Study on the ZhanCi of the He group in YinXu Oracle bone inscriptions. Korea Journal of Chinese Language and Literature, 86, 105–126. https://doi.org/10.46612/kjcll.2021.12.86.105