백제 칠지도의 상징

Abstract

The penmanship style of chiljido (seven-branched sword) inscriptions is haeseo (square or block style) and yet exudes the ambiance of yeseo (plain square style). A few characters in the inscription followed the ancient style, but they disappeared as the haeseo style was established. The penmanship style of the inscription is far from the free style shown in the Baekje Ungjin period, and from the styles of two Wangs (Wang Xizhi, Wang Huizhi). It is even farther from the style of the Sabi period. Thus, the manufacturing time of chiljido could not be determined as the Hanseong period by the penmanship. The yin and yang theory is the key theme of the Chinese ancient cosmology. The theory says that all things in the universe come into being and change according to the growth and perishing of the two types of energy, yin and yang. Number 7 symbolizes the strongest yang energy. The perfection of yang energy can be achieved with number 7. For instance, anecdotes of this symbol of number 7 were repeated in records related to chiljido in The Nihon shoki (The Chronicles of Japan). Gongna Iron Works is a long distance away that could not be reached even by seven-day travel, and swords and mirrors were all manufactured in such a way to have branches. The repetition of number 7 as in chilji (seven branches), chilja (seven sons), and chiril (seventh day) holds special meaning. 7 symbolizes powerful yang energy strength. Thus, chiljido symbolizes extreme yang energy strength. This symbol is more significant because chiljido was sent by Baekje to the Wa as a ceremonial present. In manufacturing swords, timing was long considered a very important factor in East Asia. Saingeom (four-tiger sword), which symbolize powerful yang energy, was manufactured to cast off evil spirits. Here, four tigers mean the year of tiger, the month of tiger, the day of tiger, and the hour of tiger. chiljido, seven-branched swords, were manufactured after forging iron one hundred times, and were the symbol and embodiment of the strong yang energy. Chiljido, containing the most powerful yang energy, could repel any formidable yin energy. The keyword of the chiljido inscription is “seongeum (literally, holy sound)”. Some people argue that seongeum is the truth of Buddhism or Taoism. However, at the time, religious truth could not be mentioned through chiljido, a symbol of a diplomatic document, between Baekje and the Wa. The Chinese character seong (聖) originates from the sun, and thus it embraces the function to shine the world, and the power of life to create and grow all things in the universe. The chiljido inscription structure can be categorized into the previous world, the present world, and the world after death; this expresses the strong pride of Baekje which is symbolized as the present world. Baekje sent chiljido, the symbol of the era of seongeum (holy sound), to the Wa, along with the message that this sword, when worn, could dispel any weapons. This is an example of ancient incantation by which to take advantage of the magic power of a certain object to dispel woes of war masterminded by evil spirits or devils. In Ancient China, the Great Dipper was engraved in swords, granting divinity to them, because it symbolized the spirit of yang and the sky. Some records, for instance, read： Gyeongjingeom Sword, which features the engraved Great Dipper, makes all things obey its wearer, and allows its wearer to be guarded internally and externally and to freely command men and evil spirits. The Great Dipper, composed of seven stars, symbolizes the spirit of yang and the liveliest yang energy. 7 is the number which is perfectly complete with the liveliest yang energy strength. Chiljido were manufactured in such a unique way to have seven branches, distinctively because it tried to embrace the symbolic meaning signified by number 7 and the Great Dipper. In this sense, chiljido can be said to be an abstract expression of the Great Dipper that symbolizes the spirit of yang.