Part of HistoryShang DynastyYear 3Year 4
This video can not be played
Narrator: The people of the Shang Dynasty believed in lots of gods, including the gods of wind, clouds, the Sun and the moon.
Wheat Collector: Praise to the gods, all of them.
Narrator: Shang Di was the supreme god and was believed to rule all the other gods.
Shang Di: What is the meaning of this half-hearted praise?
Narrator: The Shang people performed rituals and prayers, offered food and even human sacrifices to make sure Shang Di was happy.
Families would also worship their ancestors, if they were pleased the family would be prosperous, if the spirits were not pleased terrible things could happen.
Praying Man: Oh no, the spirits are angry.
Narrator: Priests interpreted messages from the gods and predicted the future.
Priest: Oh dear, this doesn鈥檛 look good.
Narrator: Shang kings also acted as high priests and led religious ceremonies.
They were believed to be the best people to offer sacrifices to the ancestors and the gods.
King: Shang Di, with these sacrifices we ask for your mercy.
All: Phew!
The Shang seem to have believed in an afterlife.
We think so because of burial tombs built for dead rulers.
As well as bodies, the tombs also contained carriages, religious relics and weapons.
A king's tomb could also include hundreds of people and horses.
Bitesize Primary games. gameBitesize Primary games
Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.
Find out more by working through a topic
What jobs were there in the Shang Dynasty?
The story of Fu Hao
What does writing from the Shang Dynasty look like?
Video playlist