Worüber nicht gesprochen wird. Inzest: Verstoß gegen Moral und Recht im eigenen Haus

Nagel-Angermann, Monique

Abstract

In most societies incest is taboo. Therefore, it can be assumed that most authors would avoid writing about the subject. If not they should have a good reason for doing so. In ancient China incest was regarded as an offence against law and morality, as a "disgraceful matter" (choushi). Legal documents found in tombs of the Qin and Han periods from Shuihudi and Zhangjiashan attest to the prohibition of sibling incest. Transmitted texts referring to even earlier periods mention cases of incest in order to blame the accused. However, the idea of what should be criticized as incest has undergone changes over time, because varying marriage and family concepts led to different perceptions. More than twenty examples of incest cases are reported by the Shiji and the Hanshu, and a great number of them refer to relatives of Han Wudi (r. 141-87 B.C.) under whose reign the kingdoms were weakened in order to strengthen the central power. Reports about incestuous remarriages concerning the Xiongnu refer to a completely different social concept of family solidarity. For most of the cases they might be understood as a way to depict the Xiongnu as inferior and uncivilized.