조선시대 생황의 이중적 상징 의미에 대한 고찰

Abstract

Saengwhang is a musical instrument, which was imported from China already before the epoch of the Three Kingdoms and ever afterward had shared rise and fall with Korean nation. Especially, it was one of the most important musical instruments, which had played an indispensable role in the transmission of court music. However, phrases and expressions that show directly-opposed symbolic meanings about Saengwhang were strangely often founded in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Hereat first, I had researched Saengwhang's ancient original symbolic meaning. And then, I had examined closely the positive and negative real examples in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, in order to get to the root of such directly-opposed symbolic meanings. First, the original symbolic meaning of Saengwhang as a ancient musical instrument is the sanctity. In the theory of the origin of Saengwhang appears Nuwa, the goddess of Chinese creation mythology. And according to this, it is said that the shape of Saengwhang is modeled on the Bonghwang, the god of music. Besides, in Saengwhang the theory of yin and yang is connoted too. Therefore, we can say that Saengwhang's positive awareness is originated in its sanctity. Furthermore, the symbolic meaning of Saengwhang was harmonized with Yeack ideology of Confucius. And Joseon Dynasty which put emphasis on Yeack ideology had accepted Saengwhang positively and always took care of it. On the other hand, negative expressions about Saengwhang were also often founded in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. As illustrations of such negative meaning about Saengwhang we may take the metaphors like ‘the words of disloyal subject’ and ‘fine words’ etc. In this connect we can take note of historical materials like as The Book of Songs(詩經), Han Fei Tzu(韓非子). One point which claims our attention here is that Confucius had even recognized Saengwhang in two ways, in positive and negative meaning. Eventually, we can say that both the positive and negative symbolic meaning of Saengwhang was originated rather in Yeack ideology of Confucius, than in instrumental characteristics of Saengwhang. Confucius had realized and adopted the both sides of positive and negative symbolic meaning of Saengwhang. And therefore high-ranking government officials of the Joseon Dynasty also could freely adopt and express both symbolic meanings of Saengwhang.