書簡 중심의 문집 출현과 『退溪集』 ― 『退溪集』 諸 異本에 대한 한 고찰 ―

Abstract

This paper explores the nature of Toegyejib (退溪集, Toegye Collection) as a literature collection centered on letters. In Toegyejib, letters are separately grouped from other forms of literature. To the persons whom Toegye exchanged correspondence with, or, simply, those who are recipients of his letters (Daebanginmul, 對方人物), Toegye wrote and sent out poems, ritual orations, written phrases for tombstone inscriptions, and forewords for publications. The editors of Toegyejib, taking notice of this aspect of Toegye’s letters, grouped the recipients of Toegye’s letters into several types and linked such grouping with other poems and proses to reveal the political and intellectual society of Joseon at the time of Toegye. This collection was centered around Toegye Yi Hwang (退溪 李滉), Toegye’s status in those societies, and Toegye’s presence as a master scholar. The editors overcame the limited number of proses, and created Toegyejib as a literature collection that befits a master scholar. It was their way of meeting the demands of the readers at the time. The publication of Boyupyeon (補遺編, supplement) to Toegyejib was another way for the editors to cope with the changed needs of the time. With this, the editors of Sokjib (續集, sequel) and Yujib (遺集, posthumous collection), the two supplements to Toegyejib, were descendants of Toegye Yi Hwang. They collected letters with the intention of establishing close links between their family and the families of the recipients of the letters. In other words, they identified new recipients of Toegye’s letters and collected and organized other poems and proses related with those recipients to create the supplements to Toegyejib.