出喪 前夜 喪家에서 행해지는 葬禮놀이

Abstract

Funeral is the ritual conducted at the border between life and death. Author believes the most unique traditional culture in Korea is funeral rites culture, particularly, the funeral plays. However, traditional funeral plays are barely seen in modern society, This study aims to analyze various types of funeral plays peformed at house of mourning at the eve of funeral procession. The study examined various types of funeral plays performed at house of mourning at the eve of funeral procession to see how the culture was settled and how it was transformed. Also, the study contemplated on the definition of each functions and the role of people participating in funeral plays. Funeral is the ritual of death and the deceased is the main character of the ritual even though one does not exist. One stands on the door step of afterlife, but plays role as the main character of the funeral. In other words, borrowing the mouth of chief mourner or "seonsorikkun" of the play, the sorrow, sadness and fear of leaving this life is unraveled. Eve of the funeral is the last day of the deceased staying at home. Village people gather at the house of mourning to exorcise, play with empty bier, tie up son in law or console the mourner by becoming fake mourner and perform various types of funeral plays like a festival. Such aloud mood, such festive play at the eve of funeral is unfit with quiet and reverent ritual which is quiet shocking to us. Funeral play performed at the eve of funeral is enjoyed by people life festival with music and clowning, but it actually contains function reviewing the funeral procession the they before to conduct the procession according to plan. Such funeral play is the ritual of death, the ritual for the deceased, and the ritual of life and the ritual of the living in the end.