한·중 민간장례습속에 나타나는 망혼의안내자들: ‘인로계(引路鷄)’와 ‘꼭두닭’을중심으로

Abstract

This study presents a comparative research on symbols to guide the souls of the deceased to otherworld in private funeral conventions between Korea and China. In private funeral conventions in China, they used light for the spirits of dead people, sound of sutra chanting and Buddhist prayers, shouts of descendents or flags for the spirits of dead people to guide the souls of the deceased in the world of darkness after death. Both in Korean and Chinese private funeral conventions, the rooster was used as a guide for the souls of the deceased. It is called Inrogye in China and Kkokdudak in Korea. They believed that the rooster could protect the deceased from evil spirits in the afterlife by performing its function of driving away evil spirits and guide them to otherworld with its calls when they wandered around. Buddhist interpretations suggest that Yu(酉), which is the west direction where Amitabha Paradise is, represents the rooster. In the Korean culture, the rooster also performs the function of driving away evil spirits. Kkokdudak, which was used as a bier ornament, was believed to protect and guide the deceased as an instrument buried with them to replace the old grave goods. Another viewpoint presents the rooster as the call of dawn. Since it symbolizes a new beginning, it is interpreted as a call to the entrance of the deceased into the nirvana world after this life. In short, the forms of Inro(引路) were different in private funeral conventions between Korea and China, but it served universal functions of a symbol to guide the deceased to the otherworld and protect them.