From Ritual to Custom: The Ghosts and Gods Seen in the Grave-Securing Writ of the Eastern Han Dynasty as the Center

The grave-securing writ of the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded the ghosts and gods that people believed in.The grave-securing writ drew upon the language and format of the documents used during the Qin and Han dynasties.Through the writing of grave-securing writ according to a specific formal program, people informed the deities that the deceased had entered the underworld.This act proclaimed the deceased's legitimate residence in the underworld and sought peaceful rest for their soul.The name of the ghost officials in the grave-securing writ is consistent with the official titles in Qin and Han dynasties, showing a clear hierarchy of ghosts and spirits system.At that time, the people imagined and constructed the system of the underworld ghost and god by drawing lessons from the real system, which was the result of the transition from ritual to custom.The study of gravesecuring writ in the Eastern Han Dynasty from the perspective of ritual and custom is helpful to promote the study of folklore in the Eastern Han Dynasty and even in the Qin and Han Dynasties.