she (English spelling)

...refers to an ancient Chinese land god, or a group or settlement that worships it. There are many theories about its origin, but it is generally believed that the sacred place at the center of a primitive group, and the guardian deity of the group, was an ancestral god. A shrine is a sign of the god's residence, such as a tree, stone, or fief, and the people of the group would gather there on various occasions to promote unity and friendship. In other words, when a natural disaster such as a solar eclipse or a flood occurred, people would offer sacrifices at the shrine and pray to the beat of drums. When a battle came, people would gather at the shrine before going out to battle, share in the meat offered as sacrificial offerings, and smear the blood of the sacrifices on their weapons to pray for victory in battle....

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "shè" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…中国古来の土地神，あるいはそれをまつる集団，集落をいう。その起源については諸説があって定まらないが，おおよそ原始集団の中心にある聖なる場所，その集団の保護神が祖先神であったといわれる。社は樹木，石，封土などを神のやどる標識とし，集団の人々は事あるごとにそこに集まって団結と親睦を図った。すなわち日食のような天変地異，大水などの災害が起きると，人々は社にいけにえを供え鼓を打って祈りを捧げた。戦いになると，出陣に当たって社に集合して，祭肉の分配にあずかり，いけにえの血を武器にぬって戦勝を祈願した。…

※「shè」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報