고려 왕가의 특권 향유와 신성가문 의식

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine various privileges of the Goryeo royal family to understand its status as a sacred family. During the Goryeo dynasty, royal families and relatives resided in a special place called gungㆍwon(宮ㆍ院). They donned special attires and accessories that represented authority, and showed their privileges by doing so. Specifically, they wore 9-jang long attires that Chinese feudal lords wore, and did not carry eodae (魚袋, fish-bag) to show that they were of a privileged class. Also, they held hall (笏, baton) in their right hands, setting themselves apart from ordinary officials who held it in left hands. They also made their employees wear attires of a high class, to flaunt and have their exclusive social status recognized as a special family. Aristocratic families of the Goryeo Dynasty tried to emulate various privileges enjoyed by the royal family. Examples include that servants of Choi Hang and Kim Jun wore bokdu, and Kim Jun continued to attempt to hold hall in his right hand. This act of imitation reveals an aspect of ‘sacredness’ imbued in the Goryeo royal family. Authority of the Goryeo royal family was particularly notable in rituals and ceremonies. Kings could receive worship from high-rank officials. And they had a wide variety of special words and terms designated exclusively for them. This stature is far beyond the highest ranking officials of the dynasty, indicating that the royal family was positioned at the top of the hierarchy in terms of courtesy and protocol. The Goryeo royal family strengthened their authority by visually presenting privileges in daily life and in various ceremonies, and at the same time, fortified their ‘sacredness’ through mysticism. One of such strategies was to keep royal families' funerals hidden from the eyes of the public, making people feel that they are unapproachable. The strategy extended to kings as well. Kings did not participate in Sun-Ma Ceremony (宣麻儀) where officials attended. Instead a separate Sun-Ma Ceremony was organized exclusively for kings, to declare and display specialness of the royal family. The Goryeo royal family could enjoy these privileges due to a social consensus that accepted its exclusive status as a special family. The practice and display of these privileges gave foundations to further solidifying royal family's social authority, enabling the royal family to monopolize the throne as yongson (龍孫; descendents of dragon).