신라 武烈王系 왕실의 宗廟 구성과 宗廟制 운영

Abstract

By examining the composition and the operating aspects of the Jongmyo (宗廟, a Confucian shrine dedicated to the perpetuation of memorial services for the deceased kings and queens in Korean history) rituals for the King Muyeol lineage (武烈王系), this study aimed to identify the status and roles of the Jongmyo, particularly when Jongmyo rituals were first introduced to Shilla (新羅). In general, Jongmyo is one of the most important national ancestral rites, and it is understood that Silla operated the Ohmyo (五廟, five ancestors' shrines) rituals pursuant to the regulations of Jehu-ohmyo (諸侯五廟, feudal lords and five ancestors) on the Wángzhì (王制, Royal Regulations) episode of the Book of Rites (禮記). However, information on the time when Jongmyo was first installed and its specific composition cannot be found in the records on Silla. The existence of the Silla Jongmyo in historical records was first found in the reign of King Munmu (文武王), and the five Shinwees (神位, an object representing the dead such as a portrait, a memorial tablet, etc.) were found as specific items construed to be used for a Jongmyo ritual during King Sinmun's (神文王) reign. However, considering that Kim Chun-chu was the main player in the introduction of the Chinese-style ritual before he was crowned King Muyeol, and that he was the founder of the new royal lineage, the Jongmyo system in Silla would have already begun to operate. Nevertheless, the Jongmyo of King Muyeol's reign was a space where rituals were conducted only for some of King Muyeol's direct ancestors, thus having a distinctive feature of holding family memorial services (家廟), not even in the form of Ohmyo rituals. Since then, King Munmu himself made efforts to solidify the status of Jongmyo by directly leading the civil and military officials (文武臣僚) and reporting war victories to Jongmyo. Moreover, as King Shinmun suppressed the rebellion at the beginning of his reign to stabilize the royal authority, he sent his courtiers to Jongmyo, which had already become Ohmyo due to there being an increased number of Shinwees, leading to Jongmyo wielding its prowess as the “Jongmyo of Shilla.”