최흥원의『역중일기曆中日記 』에 나타난 상 제례 운영의 특징

Abstract

This paper examined Confucian rites performed by scholar-gentries in the 18th century based on the description of funeralrites and ancestral rites in Yeokjungilgi by Baekbulam (百弗庵) Choi Heungwon (崔興遠,1705~1786). First, this paper studied funeral rites as described in Yeokjungilgi. The book Yeokjungilgi spans more than 50 years from 1735 to 1786. Choi Heungwon lost his father in 1735, his wife in 1740, his son in 1763, and his mother in 1765. He exerted efforts to perform these funerals in accordance with Jujagarye (Family Rites of Zhu Xi), and employed a lime-soil mixture barrier and a bier component known as sobangsang (小方牀). Second, this paper examined ancestral rites performed by Choi Heungwon. Choi Heungwon tried to observe the bulcheonwi (不遷位) ancestral ritual for his great-great-great-grandfather Choi Dongjib(崔東㠍). He created the separate shrine Shrine and Bobondang Memorial Hall for his clan to perform ancestral rites. Looking at the seasonal rites alone, Choi Heungwon seemed to prioritize the separate shrine over the family shrine. While the clan emphasized seasonal sacrifices—held only twice a year — Choi Heungwon was more influenced by death anniversaries. He observed the death anniversaries of ancestors beginning from his great-great-great-grandfather to his own family, including his wife, sibling, and son. He also performed yeje (禰祭), which is a separate ancestral ceremony for one’s father. Another important ritual held every October was myosa (墓祀), or the graveyard memorial service. This ritual was an opportunity to meet ancestors beyond five generations, and allowed interactions with more people in his clan. Guest reception and contagious diseases were factors that disrupted Choi Heungwon’s life of rituals. Choi Heungwon could not neglect guest reception as it was an activity highly regarded in those days. However, guest’s visits interfered with his performing the purification and prohibition which was considered an essential to the actual rite. The master could not fully concentrate on paying respect to ancestors during the three-day or one-day of purification when unexpected guests arrived. This was a challenge for Confucian scholars, who had to maintain social ties while showing respect for their ancestors. The spread of contagious diseases interfered with Confucian rites, to the point where it was impossible to conduct funeral and ancestral rites. Families had to live separately from one another due to diseases, which meant that ancestral rites had to be skipped or simplified. Despite such circumstances, Confucian rites grew more diversified instead of being phased out. In 18th century Joseon, the social culture was dominated by Confucianism. Shrines and ancestral rites were key elements that strengthened the bond among members of the clan, and even more so for scholar-gentries. Choi Heungwon tried to preserve his clan and lead a reverent life by performing ancestral rites according to the provisions of Jujagarye. Yeokjungilgi reveals that this was made possible by the efforts of scholar-gentries, who remained dedicated to rituals and honored the memory of ancestors even in daily activities centered on “family” and “house.”