瞻星臺 축조 의의 一考察: 동양의 禮制 문화 및 古典에서의 관련 기록 분석을 통해

Abstract

There has been a controversy for a long time over whether Cheomseongdae(瞻星臺, Zhānxīngtái) in Gyeongju built in Silla(新羅) Dynasty was an observatory or not. In this paper, the purpose and significance of Cheomseongdae were examined through its aspect of lǐ(禮 : ruling, diplomatic and military norms expressed in ritual acts in oriental traditions) culture to realize Confucian wángdào(王道 : politics based on benevolence and virtues, and the political ideology regarded as ideal by Confucianism) and, in addition, through examples in the classics and ideographic aspect. The name, Cheomseong(瞻星), meaning 'looking at stars', is basically a part of divination to determine or judge a serious matter of a nation, and discussed in the concept of astrology. Cheomseongdae(瞻星臺) in Pyeongyang was the internal and external manifestation of self-esteem as a nation reigned over by a king as a ruller of majestic shèng(聖 : a supreme ruller with both wisdom and virtues), not as a nation of a lower rank serving cháo-jìn-lǐ(朝․覲禮 : a political and diplomatic ritual practiced in the hierarchical relationship of a king and a vassal) as a weak nation to a powerful nation. Based on which, the era of its construction seems to be able to be estimated. On the other hand, Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju is judged to have been built by the first queen of Silla, Queen Seondeok, as a tool for her to tangibly show her dignity as a queen to her political rivals. In addition, grounded on the fact that there was little chance of Silla producing a húntiānyí(渾天儀 : a precise apparatus measuring the movements and locations of the sun, the moon and five stars) by itself at that time, the following assumption has been made. Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju seems to have been an unfinished project to which a húntiānyí(渾天儀) model was installed on ‘the high, square-shaped head’(臺) ‘looking at stars’(瞻星), or to which it wasn't equipped yet. Accordingly, it can be said that Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju was built for the purpose of observing the sky(天), but actual observation of the sky wasn’t made with it, so it was ‘a kind of structure for display showing Queen Seondeok’s earnest wish who dreamed of strong sovereign power and omnipotence as a supreme ruller.