Books | Waley: The Book of Changes

Waley's article (BMFEA #5 1933 121-142) argues that the Yi includes, as one of its layers, "an omen or peasant interpretation text," along with "a divination text probably of later date and certainly of far more sophisticated nature;" the omen text "is entirely in verse." Waley is inclined to put the beginnings of the text in the Shang dynasty.

Whatever theory of the Yi one may hold, it is convenient to have access to Waley's folklore proposals. His article gives hexagram numbers, but arranges its material in a narratively consecutive order. We here provide an index in hexagram order, indicating the general type of omen involved.

01	[association with Heaven is secondary]	p141
02	[association with Earth is secondary]	p141
03	color of horse ridden by new bride	p124
04	dodder	p130
05	insect or worm	p127
06	prisoner (as in oracle bones; cf #08, 40; contrast ant #09 etc)	p126
07	birds (cf #36)	p127
08	prisoner (as in oracle bones; cf #06, 40; contrast ant #09 etc)	p126
09	ant (cf #14, 17, 20, 49, 64; contrast prisoner #06, 08, 40)	p125-126
13	chance meetings or coincidences?	p139 n1
14	ant (cf #09, 17, 20, 49, 64; contrast prisoner #06, 08, 40)	p125-126
17	ant (cf #09, 14, 20, 49, 64; contrast prisoner #06, 08, 40)	p125-126
18	maggots	p132
20	ant (cf #09, 14, 17, 49, 64; contrast prisoner #06, 08, 40)	p125-126
20	watching for signs (cf #27)	p132-134
21	objects found in food	p129
22	scapegoat ritual? [obscure]	p132
25	scapegoat ritual	p131
27	watching for signs (cf #20)	p134
28	willow	p129
29	pit as used in sacrifice	p135-136
29	[reduplicative]	p139-140
31	feelings in various body parts	p123
32	fixing omens (cf LY 13:22)	p136-137
33	swine	p124
34	rams	p125
35	inserting or bordering for omen stabilization (cf #58)	p137-138
36	birds (cf #07)	p127
38	calendrical. cross-eyed fox??	p138-139
39	stumbling	p123
40	catching foxes [text mutilated]	p124
40	prisoners? (cf #06, 08)	p126
49	ant (cf #09, 14, 17, 20, 64; contrast prisoner #06, 08, 40)	p125-126
51	thunderclap	p122
52	rats gnawing sacrificial meat (cf LY 14:28)	p134
53	wild geese [omen text almost complete]	p128
54	wedding omens	p129
57	catching various kinds of game	p124
57	cricket	p126
58	bordering of disease (against its spread; cf #35)	p138
61	cranes [obscure]	p129
63	[reference to Shang campaign against the state of Gwei]	p139
64	fox crossing stream	p124-125
64	ant (cf #09, 14, 17, 20, 49; contrast prisoner #06, 08, 40)	p125-126
64	[reference to Shang campaign against the state of Gwei]	p139

As to the order of the hexagrams, Waley notes in concluding (p141) that "the text was probably cut up and shuffled a good many times before it reached its present order." A cognate possibility is being explored in a pending Project publication.