Historical - Social Research Methodology: Studying Funeral Orations in Relation to Historical - Social.

General comments: The largest proportion is the collection of works introducing works, followed by research on authors and works, and finally research on genres. The above works also have general research on genres, and also specific research on authors and works, but generally only to a certain extent. Regarding content, some works pay more attention to patriotic content, followed by humanitarian content; satirical content is also mentioned, but mainly only about Tran Te Xuong's Funeral Oration for Wife , Nguyen Khuyen's Funeral Oration for Crivier . Regarding art, issues of literary genre and language are often mentioned at a general level. Books when writing about funeral orations all choose to analyze familiar works by famous authors. If they mention a few other works, they only give the title.

or the text of the work without analyzing or commenting on them. Therefore, a genre containing many interesting things like funeral oration certainly still needs the attention of researchers to study and research. Our work inherits the research results of predecessors on the content and art of funeral oration, at the same time continues to research deeply and find new points on these two aspects in order to add to the research and exploitation of the funeral oration genre more systematically.

4. RESEARCH METHODS

4.1. Textual method: The thesis uses many funeral orations that have been translated, introduced, and published in previous research and translation works. For works with many translations, if the original text is available, we will compare them before deciding which version to use. With an attitude of respecting the translator's efforts, we will use the relatively good translation (with clear origin). In case we feel unsatisfied with the translation because it is wrong or too far from the original text, we will translate it ourselves.

4.2. Historical - social research method: Researching funeral orations in relation to historical - social..

4.3. We also apply other methods and operations such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematization, and interdisciplinary research to make convincing conclusions during the research.

5. NEW CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE THESIS

This thesis is completed, we hope to contribute in the following aspects:

5.1. In terms of genre origin: Funeral oration is a genre originating from China, so the thesis has a part about the genre origin. We mainly rely on some Chinese research works to summarize the origin and forms of Chinese funeral oration. Then we refer to some Vietnamese research works combined with the Han Nom sources found to find the similarities and differences between Vietnamese funeral oration and Chinese funeral oration.

5.2. In terms of documents: We have collected a large number of funeral orations from original Han Nom sources. Combined with documents on published works

Before that, we conducted a survey, classified and drew out some basic characteristics of the funeral oration genre in Vietnamese medieval literature in terms of reserves, classification, composition cases, genre characteristics, etc.

5.3. Regarding translation: After examining the above-mentioned Han Nom source, we selected a number of typical articles to translate and annotate (22 articles in both Han and Nom translated or transcribed in full; some articles translated in part) based on the criteria of diversity in content and art. These translations will contribute to the field of translation of funeral orations, making them more abundant in both quantity and quality. This is also one of the bases for us to make comments on the content and art of the funeral oration genre in our thesis.

5.4. Regarding the content of the funeral oration: Find out, systematize, state opinions and prove opinions about the main content of the funeral oration that has not been mentioned or not mentioned fully: affirming standard moral values; praising the spirit of patriotism, the spirit of respecting the king, the spirit of serving the people, the spirit of humanity; expressing profound satirical meaning... Thereby showing that Vietnamese funeral oration contains many meaningful and valuable ideological contents, both great and practical.

5.5. On the art form of funeral oration: Find, systematize, state and prove the art form of funeral oration in medieval Vietnam that has not been mentioned or not fully mentioned: the system of literary style, language, tone, content of allusions, flexible application of allusions, Kieu collection and Kieu recitation, repetition styles, antithetical sentences, sample words and syntax... Thereby showing that the art form of funeral oration has many unique features, contributing to enhancing the appeal and content value of this genre.

5.6. In some necessary places, we present our initial opinion to review the issue of the author of a funeral oration or to review a historical event related to the person performing the ceremony (author) and the object of the ceremony. This is also partly beneficial for studying the content of some specific funeral orations.

6. STRUCTURE OF THESIS

The thesis consists of 211 main pages, 100 appendix pages (3 appendixes). In addition to the Introduction (13 pages), Conclusion (5 pages), List of articles (1 page), References (12 pages, 180 topics), the main content is divided into 3 chapters (185 pages):

Chapter 1. Overview of funeral orations and funeral oration genres in Vietnamese medieval literature (34 pages). Presents the following issues: origin and role of Chinese rituals and funeral orations; main forms of Chinese funeral orations; appearance of funeral oration genres in Vietnamese medieval literature.

Chapter 2. Main content of the funeral oration genre in Vietnamese medieval literature (76 pages). Presents the main content of the funeral oration: affirming moral and ethical values; praising patriotism, the spirit of respecting the king, the spirit of serving the people; expressing the humanitarian spirit; expressing satirical meaning.

Chapter 3. Artistic characteristics of the funeral oration genre in Vietnamese medieval literature (70 pages). Presents the main artistic characteristics of funeral orations: diversity in literary form; uniqueness in language and tone; application of allusions both in traditional and flexible ways, including application of allusions from Vietnamese history and classical literature; application of some techniques to increase expressive ability.

CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW OF FUNERAL TESTS AND GENRES OF FUNERALTESTS IN MEDIEVAL VIETNAMESE LITERATURE

1.1. ORIGIN AND ROLE OF CHINESE CEREMONIES AND FUNERAL TEXT

Like many other genres, funeral orations originated in ancient China. Nowadays, people often understand funeral orations in a narrow sense as the type of writing written to be read in ceremonies to honor the deceased. In fact, the general concept of funeral orations has a much broader scope of meaning and object; funeral orations can be used to honor heaven and earth, gods, the dead, the living, historical figures, objects, animals, etc. In ancient times, the first function of funeral orations was not to worship.

Offering sacrifices to the dead, and to heaven, earth, and gods, at that time was called "chu van" (祝 文). According to the time

The time and objects of funeral orations gradually expanded with relatively distinct content, purpose, subject, and object.

The life of ancient people was both closely connected to nature and completely dependent on nature. It was from that characteristic, combined with the simple concept of nature, that supernatural figures were born in the minds of ancient people, including Heaven and the system of gods (nature gods), in which Heaven was the supreme being. Ancient people believed that these supernatural figures had the power to control all phenomena and human activities, could encourage good and punish evil, bestow blessings and inflict disasters. This concept played a positive role in making people live better, knowing how to do good and avoid evil, but on the other hand, it also made people fearful, thereby giving rise to a mentality of dependence and hope. In the face of the power of supernatural beings, in order to have a peaceful and happy life in the face of countless lurking disasters, people had to think of ways to "win their hearts" by performing sacrifices. That was the origin of sacrifices. The “Chuc Minh” records the origin of sacrifices: “When heaven and earth were in place, gods were sacrificed everywhere. After sacrificing to the Six Venerables, they were also sacrificed to the Three Desires. The rain and wind were favorable, the corn grew well, the rice was fresh, and the people were cared for, so they were wholeheartedly sacrificed.” [56; 133] People’s lives, the economy, and even the survival of the nation in ancient times relied mainly on agriculture.

Weather is a factor that directly affects the country's livelihood. To pray for favorable weather and bountiful harvests, the ruling class in ancient times performed rituals to worship heaven (the Six Gods) and earth (the Three Gods) (1) . The Shangshu - "Nghieu Dien" also said "rituals to worship Heaven must worship the Six Gods" (According to [56; 140]). When life is prosperous and as desired, rituals are performed to thank the gods. It can be seen that, in terms of national

Family and ancestral worship are important events related to the nation's livelihood. From there, it paved the way for countless sacrificial rituals later on, so the practice of sacrificial worship has never ended.

First, the ruling class performed sacrifices in the name of national interests. According to ancient concepts, sacrifices were methods and means to help people, mainly the ruling class, with their sincerity to communicate with the gods, to pray for the gods to protect the people and the country. Sacrifices could take place at many times and on many occasions during the year, such as sacrificing to heaven and earth on the winter solstice, sacrificing to the four seasons, sacrificing to the four directions, sacrificing to the five gods (2) ... When ancient kings went on inspection tours, they also performed sacrifices at the places they visited.

The Emperor's inspection of the mountains "once every five years, in the second month of the year, he would go on an inspection tour to the east, to Dai Tong mountain, burn firewood to perform a sacrifice and observe the mountains and rivers" recorded in the Book of Rites [88; 99] was also for the same purpose.

Thus, the first object of the sacrifice is the system of natural gods protecting the country, including heaven, earth, the four seasons, the sun and moon, stars, water, drought, the four directions, mountains and forests, wind and rain, etc., that is, all related phenomena that govern the daily life of people. Each object has its own sacrifice, in which there is a common ritual of reading a blessing (or a prayer) to ask the gods for protection, blessings, and to eliminate disasters. Reading a blessing is a mandatory ritual in the sacrifice ceremonies. The "Writing heart carved with a dragon" - "Wishing" also talks about this: "The chief priest prays sincerely, there must be appropriate words." [56; 137] The words are the words of the blessing . All types of sacrifices in the year have corresponding words of blessing. After the Spring and Autumn period, "the practice of sacrificing and praying to the gods has become more and more common, and there must be offerings and prayers everywhere" [56; 138]. This shows that belief in gods is increasingly ingrained in people's thinking and greatly influences all aspects of human life.

1. The Six Heavenly Gods: Six heavenly gods, including the gods of the four seasons, the gods of heat and cold, the sun, the moon, the stars, the gods of rivers and droughts; The Three Heavenly Gods: Three earthly gods, including the god of Mount Tai, the god of rivers, and the god of the sea.

2. Five characters: Five gods are worshiped. There are many theories. According to the Book of Rites - "Khuc le ha" includes the Door God, the Cilantro God, the Well God, the Kitchen God, and the Earth God.

In addition to expressing people's simple beliefs and beliefs about nature, ancient sacrifices also expressed the extremely noble humanistic meaning of the kings of that time. Reading the Book of Songs , we see that ancient holy kings sacrificed mainly to show their respect to the gods, to cultivate their virtues, and to pray for peace in the country and prosperity for the people. All was for the country and the people, completely without any selfish interests. The Analects - "Written by Yao" recounts the story of King Thanh Thang, when there was a drought for 5 years, the people were miserable, the king felt sorry for him and prayed to Heaven, admitting his guilt: "If I am guilty, please punish me alone. If the people are guilty, please punish me alone." [25; 310] The king's love for the people and desire to benefit the people were clearly shown through his prayers, ready to accept all punishments from Heaven. But later, the sacrifices no longer had the same purpose and meaning. By the Western Zhou Dynasty at the latest, change had taken place, and the sacrificial rituals had been institutionalized by the ruling class as a tool to govern the country and ensure the stability of their class position.

Gods and sacrifices to gods play an important role in shaping people into morality, so ancient rulers and later dynasties all attached great importance to sacrifices. Sacrifices from the Western Zhou Dynasty onwards clearly demonstrated the duties and ranks of each person and each social class. The Book of Rites - “The Royal System” clearly recorded: “Sacrifices have ten ethics: practicing the religion of worshipping ghosts and gods, practicing the duty of king and subject, practicing the relationship between father and son, practicing the order of nobility and humble, practicing the elimination of kinship and distance, practicing the granting of titles and rewards, practicing the distinction between husband and wife, practicing political balance, practicing the order of seniority and juniority, and practicing the division of superiors and subordinates.” [88; 204] Of these ten ethics, the two leading ethics are “practicing the religion of worshipping ghosts and gods” and “practicing the duty of king and subject”, emphasizing the mandate of heaven, divine power and royal power, which have brought the position of the ruler to the highest height.

According to the analysis and conclusion of Vuong Biet Huyen, the sacrifices in China during the Western Zhou Dynasty reflected three views of the ruling class. First, the sacrifices played a role in promoting filial piety, comforting the people, and stabilizing the people. Through the sacrifices, the harmony within the clan could be maintained, the social order and the power and status of the ruling class could be consolidated; Second, the social class was clearly reflected through the rituals, the subjects and objects of the sacrifices were regulated, and at the same time, through the sacrifices, the distinctions between social classes were affirmed. This also aimed to maintain the social order, power, and status of the ruling class; Third, the emperor and the vassals often took the opportunity of the sacrifices to promulgate political orders. National language - "Lu

The language, "Shang" records: "Heaven offers sacrifices to the Supreme Emperor, the vassals gather to listen to orders. The vassals pay homage to the former kings and their predecessors, the Grand Mandarins come to help and listen to the teachings." (According to [169; 32]) These are the times when the ruling class is most clearly shown, with the witness of the gods, so their orders will also be absolutely obeyed and carried out by their subordinates. Through this, we can clearly see the political motives of the ruling class when issuing sacrificial rituals and promoting sacrificial practices.

In Chinese society during the Western Zhou Dynasty, the clan was also a political group. Along with the clan, ancestor worship was formed. In addition to strictly performing the rituals of the national system, the authorities also paid attention to the ancestor worship among the people. According to the ancient concept inherited by Confucianism, the souls of ancestors and those who died for righteousness are also a form of ghosts and gods, with the ability to judge and reward and punish all actions of the living, so they are often worshiped. Therefore, later on, the ritual of worshiping human gods, ancestors and the dead in general was added. Not only the king worshiped the ancestral temple, but the common people also worshiped their grandparents, parents, relatives, and those who had contributed to the country and village. They not only worshiped after death but also annually or periodically during the year. The worshiping shows the gratitude, love, and remembrance of the living for the deceased. In terms of individuals towards their ancestors and clans, sacrificial offerings are the act of “being careful to the end and remembering the past”, “death is like life”, “repaying the original”, and expressing filial piety in the spirit of Confucianism. Influenced by the ritual of reading the congratulatory text in the sacrificial ceremony, this sacrificial ceremony also often reads the eulogy. The ritual of worshiping the dead originated from the ritual of sacrificial offerings, so the eulogy at first was similar to the congratulatory text, just simple sentences to request to enjoy the ceremony. But later, the eulogy also included praising the words and actions of the deceased, so the words were expanded, and the writer also paid more attention to the form, gradually becoming a highly artistic form of eulogy. We will talk more about this form of eulogy in the next two chapters.

In terms of spiritual life, people everywhere and in every era always attach importance to their origins. Worshiping and making offerings to ancestors is a natural thing. In ancient Chinese books, there is no record of how the common people in ancient times worshiped their grandparents, parents and relatives, but it is certain that there would be sacrifices. While in terms of politics, the rulers performed sacrifices mainly for the purpose of domination, in terms of spirituality, the sacrifices to relatives were purely out of filial piety, affection and true regret.