傳統文獻對周初重臣召公與文王家族的關係有若干紀錄，但彼此矛盾，歷代學者因而提出「與周同姓」、「文王之子」、「周公之兄」等説。銅器銘文提供傳統文獻未見的線索，反而使召公出身的辯論更加複雜。源自傳統文獻的疑問，輕易與出土文獻牽連參合，反而治絲益棼，因為傳統文獻的流傳、重編和詮釋複雜，在探用之前應仔細分辨。本文嘗試解析傳統文獻所载有關召公出身諸説法的形成過程，指出某些説法有疑之處，為往後研究此問题提供新的論述基礎。本文分析諸説形成的先秦至東漢時期，與召公有關的傳統史料反映的親屬關係，指出召公與文王家族關係在先秦文獻中並不清晰，直到西漢中期仍是「與周同姓」。「文王之子」、「周公之兄」等説出現於東漢，應源於儒者誤讀文獻導致的錯誤認知。

There are various accounts in transmitted texts recording the relationship between Duke Shao, an influential figure in the early Western Zhou, and the family of King Wen of Zhou. However, since these accounts contradict each other, scholars have proposed explanations, such as “having the same surname as the Zhou kings,” “the son of King Wen,” and “the brother of Duke Zhou.” While the unearthed bronze inscriptions provide us with new leads, they instead complicate the debate of Duke Shao’s origin. Any careless application of inscriptions to solve problems derived from transmitted texts would only cause more difficulties because the circulation, compilation and interpretation of the related texts are complex. Hence, it requires a detailed analysis of the transmitted texts before any attempt to incorporate bronze inscriptions into research. This article is intended to investigate the formation of the various narratives related to the origin of Duke Shao and point out that some narratives are questionable, thereby to lay a new foundation for any further discussions. By analyzing the familial ties of Duke Shao recorded in the texts dated from the pre-Qin to the Eastern Han period, this article suggests that the relationship between Duke Shao and King Wen’s family was not clearly stated in the pre-Qin texts. The narratives remained “having the same surname as Zhou kings” even in the middle Western Han. Stories like “the son of King Wen” and “the brother of Duke Zhou” only appeared as late as in the Eastern Han, probably resulting from a misunderstanding of the Confucian scholars in their misreading of the transmitted texts.