【史海溯源】“星期”的由来概要：Nordic mythology in the word Week.

如今，我们都已经习惯了一周七天的生活模式。最早将一周划分为七天的是古巴比伦人，他们将七天与金、木、水、火、土五大行星以及日、月相对应，这是人类历史上最早的一周七天表示法。

西方文明：

古巴比伦文明所划分的一周七天表示法很快传至古罗马及周边地区。最初以所发现星体名字命名，即：

dies Sōlis(太阳)

dies Lūnae(月亮)

dies Martis(火星)

dies Mercuriī(水星)

dies Iovis(木星)

dies Veneris(金星)

dies Saturnī(土星)

古罗马人结合自己的文化元素将古罗马神话当中的众神与七天相对应，即：

Helios(Sol)：雷神索尔对应的星期日

Selene(Luna)：月神卢娜对应的星期一

Ares(Tiu)：战神阿瑞斯对应的星期二

Hermes(Mercury)：神使墨丘利对应的星期三

Zeus(Jupiter)：众神宙斯对应的星期四

Aphrodite(Venus)：爱神阿芙洛狄忒对应的星期五

Cronus(Saturn)：神王克洛诺斯对应的星期六

这也是英语Sunday到Saturday的最早由来。由于欧洲不同地区的文化差异，在其后的发展过程中逐渐衍生出“礼拜”的概念，因此今天的“星期”也有“礼拜”之说。(星期日=礼拜日)

中国文明：

中国是人类历史上最早产生“七曜”概念，即金、木、水、火、土、日、月的文明，这一体系早在夏商时期便已存在。但是作为“星期”这一概念而言，中国的”七曜“更多的时候是作为天文学概念而引出的，即我国古代星象所划分的金、木、水、火、土、日、月所对应的行星，对于其之后所衍生出的”九曜“、”二十八正曜“等概念也都与”星期“并不相关联。由此可以看出在中国文化当中对于”星期”的概念其实并不清晰。

大约在唐玄宗时期，不空三藏法师所著《文殊师利菩萨及诸仙所说吉凶时日善恶宿曜经》(以下简称《宿曜经》)传入中国，西方“七曜”学说与中国“七曜”学说有机融合，使中国开始认知“一周七日”这一概念，后成为我们对一周七日的固定称谓并沿用至今(明末清初)。

古代日本：

日本平安时期，不空三藏法师所著的《宿曜经》由空海法师经中国传至日本。古代日本将“七曜”对应的七天命名为日曜日(星期天)，月曜日(星期一)，火曜日(星期二)，水曜日(星期三)，木曜日(星期四)，金曜日(星期五)，土曜日(星期六)并沿用至今。

图片素材来源于网络

资料素材来源于百度百科、搜狗百科、wikipedia等。

资料素材参考文献：Richards E G. Mapping time : the calendar and its history[M]. Oxford University Press, 1999.

It was transmitted to China in the 8th century by Manichaeans, via the country of Kang (a Central Asian polity near Samarkand). Tang-era adoption is documented in the writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yi Jingand the Ceylonese Buddhist monk Bu Kong. According to the Chinese encyclopaedia Cihai (辞海), there is some evidence that the system had been adopted twice, the first time already in the 4th century (Jin dynasty), based on a reference by a Jin era astrologer, Fan Ning (範寧/范宁). The Cihai under the entry for ”seven luminaries calendar”(七曜历/七曜曆) has: ”method of recording days according to the seven luminaries [七曜]. China normally observes the following order: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. Seven days make one week, which is repeated in a cycle. Originated in ancient Babylon (or ancient Egypt according to one theory). Used by the Romans at the time of the 1st century AD, later transmitted to other countries. This method existed in China in the 4th century. It was also transmitted to China by Manichaeans in the 8th century from the country of Kang in Central Asia.”(translation after Bathrobe's Days of the Week in Chinese, Japanese & Vietnamese, plus Mongolian and Buryat.

Leland, S. Copeland (April 1939). “Sources of the Seven-Day Week”. Popular Astronomy. XLVII (4): 176 ff. Bibcode:1939.P47.175.

A review of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism:Amoghavajra and the Ruling Elite, by Geoffrey C. Goble.

Inagaki H. Hakeda Yoshito S. (tr.): Kūkai: major works, translated, with an account of his life and a study of his thought. (Records of Civilization: Sources and Studies, No. LXXXVII; UNESCO Collection of Representative Works, Japanese Series.) xv, 303 pp. New York [J]. Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies, 1973, 36(3):708-709.

Tanabe G J. Review of: Abe Ryuichi, The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse[J]. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 2001.

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