本文拟以卜辞所见凡1400例“妇”卜辞为主要材料，在充分汲取前人研究成果的情况下，对上述卜辞进行整理、汇总，并在此基础上比较“妇”与卜辞所见其他女性亲属称谓的异同，讨论诸妇的社会身份与社会分工，以及产生“妇”这一身份的社会制度。本文认为，流行的帝王后妃说、子妇说、女官说都不足以概括商代“妇”身份的复杂性。卜辞中的“妇”既可以是王妇，也可以是子妇、臣妇。诸妇内部存在巨大的地位差异，反映于其来源、品级、生育、祭礼、墓葬等诸多方面。作为早期族外婚的产物，“妇”在最初并未有明确的身份定位。从王卜辞所见妇与王之父母的关系、王与妇之子女的关系可见，妇与王之间并未形成制度化的婚姻关系。妇参与到商王室诸多事务之中，如卜骨的收集制作、农业生产、祭祀、征战等，既是商王的委任，也是妇获得承认的方式。直到商晚期确立“立子立嫡”制度，并在祭祀上将妇与夫之母“姑”绑定，才在礼制上赋予了“妇”正式的身份。此外，本文还尝试对武丁时期的“多妇”现象提供了新的解释视角。本文认为，这种现象不仅是武丁为了繁衍后代和确保传子制度而采取的策略，也是他用于联络诸侯、加强与臣属的联系，以及获取更多占卜资源的重要手段。
This study draws upon 1400 instances of the character ‘Fu‘ in oracle bone inscriptions as its primary source material. It meticulously evaluates existing scholarly contributions and systematizes these inscriptions accordingly. The paper conducts a comparative analysis of ‘Fu‘ with other familial terms for women found within the oracular record, aiming to discern the social standing and division of labor among these women, as well as the socio-institutional context that shaped the ‘Fu‘ identity.In the oracle bone inscriptions, ‘Fu‘ denotes a queen, daughter-in-law, or a subject’s wife, encompassing women of various statuses, discernible through their lineage, hierarchy, childbearing, ceremonial roles, funerary practices, and more. As a product of early exogamy, ‘Fu‘ initially did not have a clearly defined status. The inscriptions suggest that there was no formalized marital bond between the king and his ‘Fu‘, as evidenced by the interactions between ‘Fu‘ and the king’s parents, and between the king and the offspring of ‘Fu‘ seen from the oracle bone inscriptions. These women were involved in numerous activities of the Shang royal household, including the collection and production of oracle bones, agriculture, rituals, and warfare—a participation that was both a royal appointment and a means for the ‘Fu‘ to achieve recognition. It was not until the waning years of the Shang dynasty that the status of ‘Fu‘ was solidified within the ritualistic hierarchy.Additionally, this paper attempts to provide a new perspective on the phenomenon of ＂Duo Fu＂ （polygyny） during the reign of Wu Ding. The paper argues that this phenomenon was not only a strategy adopted by Wu Ding to propagate descendants and ensure the inheritance system, but also an important means for him to strengthen ties with vassals, and obtain more resources for divination.
