Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
It seems (from this review and some follow-up reading that supported it) that it may not have been a solar eclipse at Feng, but omen-reading from sunspots. That doesn't significantly change the historical outline (except of course it isn't dateable like an eclipse), but does change the atmosphere.
...
Feng, the Royal Capital.
The graph of feng is a pictograph of a ritual vessel filled with grain and generally means "full" or "abundant". Feng was also the name of the Zhou capital founded by King Wen, which is the meaning in this hexagram (Marshall, p.48). Minford's translation as 'Citadel' is an excellent alternate, in light of the omen of the hexagram statement. In conjunction with the location of the Zhou capital city is the ominous sighting of what are probably sunspots when the sky is sufficiently 'veiled'. According to Needham, haze due to dust storms would have permitted the observation of sunspots.
and his commentary isThe Capital in shadow, the ladle appears in the middle of the sun. He will meet a lord of Yi. Good fortune.
The omen describes a shadow spreading over the capital city (perhaps a dust cloud from the Gobi Desert). When the brightness of the sun is obscured enough, the ladle appears in the middle of the sun. Good fortune is predicted when King Wu meets a lord of the Eastern Yi barbarians.
Field says this is the mourning hut in the shadow of the palace, left empty when Wu marches off to war. He doesn't attempt to explain why there should be an omen of misfortune when Wu's campaign against the Shang was a success.His house in the Capital, in the shadow of his home. Peer through the door; it is vacant and no one is there. For three years no one is seen. Misfortune.
Hm, had Steve already reviewed something of Pankenier's? In which case I can well imagine there might be a feud going on.
I actually found Pankenier's review via Field's bibliography of secondary sources.
Now... quotation as requested...
Field says this is the mourning hut in the shadow of the palace, left empty when Wu marches off to war. He doesn't attempt to explain why there should be an omen of misfortune when Wu's campaign against the Shang was a success.
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).