十六國-北朝時期, 北方 遊牧社會의 喪葬文化와 물, 불, 그리고 나무의 상징성

Abstract

The funeral rituals culture is the most basic formality in the human history regardless of whether it is an agrarian or pastoral society. It holds its significance as the last ritual of human life, the remembrance and commemoration of the deceased, and the posthumous assessment. This study focused on the following issues: first, how are the funeral rituals cultures of northern pastoral societies related to their unique cultures or conventions? Secondly, there are a couple of common symbols among their unique funeral rituals cultures despite the apparent differences among them according to the ethnic groups, origin areas and activity scopes, introduction of foreign culture, and degree of contact with the central Chinese dynasties. How should the meanings of those common symbols be understood? The present study set out to examine the meanings of symbols commonly projected into the funeral rituals cultures of northern pastoral societies. Those common symbols are water, fire and the tree. The study first looked into the images of water. The symbolism of water in the funeral rituals cultures of barbarian groups during the periods of 16 States and Northern Dynasties including Tusiipha has something to do with their unique convention of traveling in pursuit of water and grass. Water was the origin of life and the auspicious existence to perform the function of purification to them. It was also the object of their worship as the deity of water to drive away evil spirits. The study then delved into the images of fire. Given the features of their life that mainly evolved around travel, cremation was a more possible option than burial. It is also connected to their unique posthumous ideas. It is difficult to find the concept of hell among the barbarian groups, who believed that afterlife was a living space that was not much different from this life. It is supported by the circumstance that they set the dog as the guide to afterlife on a safer journey. The study finally examined the images of the tree. In the northern pastoral societies, they put dead bodies on the trees or on the racks collectively made of tree by the village people. The trees represented the tree of the world and deity to connect the Earth with the Heaven to them that mainly engaged in hunting and nomadic activities in forest areas.