조선 전기 방촌 황희 묘제의 특징과 요(凹) 자형 봉분 사례 연구

Abstract

The change of dynasty from Goryeo to Joseon at the end of the 14th century brought about a large reform of all areas of society. This was just not a simple change of royal family's surname from Wang to Lee but the social changes caused by the convention from Buddhism to Neo-Confucianism, the dominant ideology and the ruling principle in the Joseon Dynasty. This change of ideology had a social economical impacts greatly on the Joseon dynasty, and also was reflected in the funeral system which embodies the perspectives of death and spirit. In the early Joseon Dynasty, the funeral system based on the Confucian ritualism was established institutionally and there were changes of inside/outside in the tombs. Internally, the stone chamber tombs were replaced by the tombs with lime-soil mixture barrier. Externally, the square-shape tombs with stone circle in the Goryeo Dynasty turned to the round or oval shaped tombs in the Joseon Dynasty. Also, various tombside stone sculptures consist of the different cultural elements and these are important materials to understand the social mechanism related to the perspectives of death and religion as well as public orders at that time. In this regard, both the funeral procedure for Hwang Hui and the formation of his tomb are the crucial cultural heritages in the cultural history of Korea. Hwang Hui(1363-1452), a scholarly bureaucrat, entered government service for the first time at the age of 14 and had the full confidence of a lineal succession of four kings(from Taejo to Sejong) in Joseon Dynasty. He showed outstanding capabilities serving as a prime minister of 18 years in his public career of 74 years. He played a leading role to build up the foundation of the Joseon Dynasty in the period of King Taejong and created the piping times of peace in the period of King Sejong countinuously. Hence, he has been known for the symbol of a cleanhanded and great government official. Hwang Hui was accorded a state funeral ceremony based on the Confucian ritualism impeccably. Thus, his tomb is the most pivotal sources to understand the funeral system of the time due to its transitional characteristics as well as its unique gib-shaped style in the early Joseon. These new gib-shaped and trapezoid opening tombs are found in some parts of Gyeongi-do existing for 110 years in the early Joseon Dynasty. Moreover, these kind of tombs were originally designed to gather the energy from the land and be the ideal spot against the wind from the theory of topography. Hwang Hui's tomb remains well-preserved in its original form at the time of the construction, and the layout of its stone statues represents of the typical tomb style in the early Joseon Dynasty. Especially, the stone statue of military official in the middle of the upper stairs above a civil official statue, has the special feature and is remarkable as tombs of the early Joseon Dynasty. Besides, the family shrine for his ancestors honored in perpetuity is located with a memorial stone as a valuable epigraph. Consequently, it is noticeable that Hwang Hui's tomb has shown the typical formation of the family tombs and funeral rites for 400 years since the early Joseon Dynasty.