고려 무신집권기 왕권과 의례 - 왕실 조상 숭배의례를 중심으로 -

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the royal rituals hosted by the kings during Goryeo dynasty under the military regime. The study focuses on royal ancestral worship ceremonies and funerals. It explores the administration and the alteration of rituals, and the abuse of power, from the perspectives of the two major powers in the dynasty: the king and the military rulers. King Myeong-jong utilized the royal ancestral worship rituals to affirm his status as the highest ruler in the royal court and to also establish the royal power. King Myeong-jong, in his early years of reign, conducted ancestral ritual ceremonies at Gyeong-ryeong-jeon and Royal Ancestral Shrine in order to worship the founding King Taejo. Through these ritual ceremonies, the king affirmed that he was a part of King Taejo’s royal lineage, and he had the highest status in the dynasty. Later, when King Myeong-jong hosted the funeral of his mother, Empress Dower Gong-ye, he dignified the royal family over the common people. When Choe military regime established, the king’s power dwindled. It was the king’s right to command royal ancestral ceremonies and funerals. However, Choe Chung-heon downgraded royal rituals by shortening the mourning period for royal funerals. Choe clan rulers exerted their power by enthroning or dethroning the king in addition to selecting the ancestral tablets along with their placement in the Royal Ancestral Shrine. The Choe rulers rewrote the royal rituals that signified royal lineage in order to prevent the kings from possessing heightened royal power. After Choe Woo, son of Choe Chung-heon, became the second ruler of the military regime, the funerals of the Choe family were conducted as if they were royal rituals. During Choe Hang’s regime, the third generation of Choe, King Gojong conducted a congratulatory ceremony celebrating the succession of power in the Choe clan. The significance of the royal rituals hosted by the king during the military regime has changed based on the power structures and the circumstances of the ritual. The significance of the royal rituals and the king’s status and power has changed as the Choe clan took over the military regime.