음악 문헌을 통해 본 조선 후기 종묘악장의 추이

Abstract

Jongmyo Akjang is a song performed by musicians during the ritual at Jongmyo (the Royal Ancestral Shrine). In Eastern tradition, music was seen as a conduit for communication with gods and spirits. This belief was deeply ingrained in the practices at Jongmyo, where Akjang was considered a means of connecting with the ancestral deities of the royal lineage. As a result, successive kings held great reverence for Akjang, considering it an indispensable component of the Jongmyo ritual. Following the Imjin War, Jongmyo Akjang faced a period of crisis attributed to additional textual elements and poor condition of performance venues. Despite these challenges, both the kings and their subjects persisted in finding solutions, compiling texts to preserve the tradition. Through the musical literature of late Joseon, we can gain insight into the distinctive features and evolving trends of Jongmyo Akjang over time. These texts offer a tangible record of the concerns and remedies sought by those striving to navigate through the crisis. The musical materials examined in this study are as follows: Akwon Gosa, Jongmyo Uigwe, Akjang Gasa in the reign of King Sukjong; Daeak Hubo, Gukjo Akjang in the reign of King Yeongjo; and Jongmyo Akjang, Gukjo Siak in the reign of King Jeongjo. Through these sources, insights were gained into various aspects: the perplexity arising from the introduction of a new song, Junggwang (重光); the contemporary circumstances prompting the creation of an instructional booklet for Akjang transmission; the strategic organization of Junggwang by King Yeongjo; and the discerning historical summation of Jongmyo Akjang by King Jeongjo. It is evident that their collective endeavors laid the groundwork for the enduring legacy of Jongmyo Akjang.