Straw dogs or Grass dogs (), figures of dogs made out of straw, were used as ceremonial objects in ancient China, as a substitute for the sacrifice of living dogs. has been used figuratively to refer to anything discarded after use.

Use as a metaphor

''Tao Te Ching''

Chapter 5 of the ''

Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion d ...

'' makes use of the phrase () to compare living beings to straw dogs. This metaphor is used to explain the non-humanity ( ) of Heaven and Earth: However, some translators prefer to interpret this phrase as two separate words, "straw" () ''and'' "dogs" (), rather than together, as "straw dogs" (). This verse is usually interpreted as an expression of the

Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...

rejection of the principle of (), one of the Five Constant Virtues in

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a ...

, variously translated as "humanity", "benevolence", or "kind acts".

Su Zhe Su Zhe (; 1039–1112), or Su Che, courtesy names Ziyou and Tongshu , was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, and politician from Meishan, located in modern-day Sichuan Province, China. Su was highly honored as a politician and essayist in t ...

's commentary on the verse explains: "Heaven and Earth are not partial. They do not kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness. We do the same when we make straw dogs to use in sacrifices. We dress them up and put them on the altar, but not because we love them. And when the ceremony is over, we throw them into the street, but not because we hate them."

''Zhuangzi''

Another Taoist text, the ''Zhuangzi'' provides a more detailed description for the treatment of the straw dogs in its 14th chapter, "The Turnings of Heaven":In Chinese: 夫芻狗之未陳也，盛以篋衍，巾以文繡，尸祝齊戒以將之；及其已陳也，行者踐其首脊，蘇者取而爨之而已。 The image of the straw dogs is again used to criticise Confucianism, as the Zhuangzi goes on to compare

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

, in his insistence upon the ancient rites, to a fool who attempts to reconstitute the trampled straw dogs, "replace them in the box or basket", and "wrap them up with embroidered cloths".

Popular culture

* The 1971 film '' Straw Dogs'' draws its title from the ''Tao Te Ching''. ** The 2011 remake '' Straw Dogs'' refers to straw dogs. * The band

Something Corporate Something Corporate (also known as ''SoCo'') was an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their last line-up included vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon, guitarists Josh Partington and Bobby Anderson, bassist Kev ...

has a song titled "Straw Dog" on their 2002 album '' Leaving Through the Window''. It includes the line "Hey, now, the straw dog's out in the street." * Professor

John N. Gray John Nicholas Gray (born 17 April 1948) is an English political philosopher and author with interests in analytic philosophy, the history of ideas, and philosophical pessimism. He retired in 2008 as School Professor of European Thought at the ...

's book of essays is titled ''Straw Dogs'' (John Gray, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, Granta Books 2002, ) * Guided by Voices song "Strawdogs" *

Stiff Little Fingers Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...

song "Straw Dogs" * Richard Siken poem "Straw House, Straw Dog" *

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion, soundscapes), plus ...

song Afterending “Trojan horses and straw dogs”

Notes

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References