Hsieh
Ming-liang. "On the ‘Seven-star Board.’" Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 179 (2013.3): 223-43.
Abstract
北齊顏之推（531–589）遺囑葬事設置「七星板」。本文的目的，是借助文獻資料和考古發掘遺物，對於做為棺中藉屍之板的「七星板」和內棺其他七星圖像做一梳理。初步得出結論認為：於棺板飾北斗七星圖於西漢墓葬已可見到，但用以藉屍的七星板實物相對較晚，其原因不排除是和考古的偶然有關。墓葬中的七星圖像應該是和北斗信仰有關，即相信北斗主死，並以北斗厭勝。但是，北斗七星同時也是判定時辰、季節、方位的指標，所以出洋的船隻有時也會於船體龍骨刻鑿出七個呈北斗排列的圓孔，內置銅錢或鐵錢。
Yan
Zhitui (A.D. 531–589) of the Northern Qi
dynasty had instructed in his will that the “seven-star board” be used in his
mortuary rites. The “seven-star board” was placed at the bottom of the coffin,
upon which the body was laid. With the aid of literary sources and latest
archaeological discoveries, this article aims at sorting out the history of “seven-star
board” as well as other seven-star images decorated on the inner coffin. The
preliminary results indicate that earliest instance of images of the Dipper on
the coffin boards appeared in the Western Han tombs. However, extant cases of
the “seven-star board” used underneath the body can only be found at a later
date. The reason is probably due to the incidental nature of archeological
finds. The seven-star image used in burials is related to the cult of the
Northern Dipper. It is believed that the Northern Dipper is in charge of death
and capable of expelling evil spirits. Meanwhile, the Dipper is also a pointer
used to determine time, season and directions. Therefore, round holes lined in
the contour of the Dipper are sometimes drilled into the sailboat keels and
inlaid with copper or iron coins.