해 속의 삼족오를 통해 본 ‘3’의 의미 고찰 - ‘해 속의 삼족오’와 한국 사상에 반영된 천지인 합일 사상-

Abstract

The tradition of solar pattern, such as the ‘three-legged crow in the sun’, had been continued on from the era of the Three States to the periods of Goryeo and Joseon dynasty. It served as an important element in identifying the spiritual origin and cultural community spirit of the Korean race. In this study, the various theories associated with the three legs of the three-legged crow were introduced followed by a discussion on the relevance between the three legs and the ideology of the union of heaven, earth and man. This study also looked at how the ideology of the union of heaven, earth and man has been passed on throughout the history and culture of Korea. The three legs of the three-legged crow have been recognized in diverse ways; as the ideology of the union of heaven, earth and man, a symbol of the heaven expressed with three long lines of the Eight Trigrams for divination, an expression of yang(陽) and male genital [the middle leg of the three legs], a symbol of sunrise, soaring up in to the heaven and sunset and an interpretation that odd number symbolizes a positive number and an auspicious number. In addition, to discuss the symbolism of the three legs in the three-legged crow, the concept of 0, 1, 2 and 3, the numbers mentioned in the Lao-tzu’s Tao-te-ching was applied. As a result, it was found that the round circle symbolizing the sun in the ‘three-legged crow in the sun’ corresponded to ‘nihility and 0’, the red sun symbolizing yang(陽) of yin-yang corresponded to 1, the black bird, such as a crow, symbolizing yin(陰) of yin-yang corresponded to 2 and the three legs of the three-legged crow corresponded to 3. In addition, it was found that the round circle symbolized the heaven, the black crow in the sun symbolized the earth and the three legs of the three-legged crow symbolized man and therefore this pattern implemented the ideology of the union of heaven, earth and man in a single diagram. In addition, this study discussed how the ideology of the union of heaven, earth and man illustrated in the Dangun(檀君) mythology had been passed on by examining the code of Shilla chivalry (Hwarangdo) and the Great Master Wonhyo’s reconciliation of doctrinal controversy. In addition, solar pattern, such as the ‘three-legged crow in the sun’, was applied with the Great Master Wonhyo’s reconciliation of doctrinal controversy to achieve peaceful and infinite harmony where the two doors of Tathata and birth and death are tied together with a single heart. Here, the single heart corresponds to the round circle of solar pattern and Tathata or birth and death represents the sun symbolizing brightness and the black crow symbolizing darkness. In addition, reconciliation of doctrinal controversy was interpreted to express the two elements symbolizing brightness and darkness within a round circle. Through this, it can be understood that, as Great Master Wonhyo’s reconciliation of doctrinal controversy implies that there is no distinction between Tathata and birth and death, the ‘three-legged crow in the sun’ expressing a crow symbolizing death and night inside the red sun symbolizing life and morning reflects the cosmology that creation and extinction are borderless partners. Through this study, it was understood that solar pattern, such as the ‘three-legged crow in the sun’, has been reflected with the ideology of the union of heaven, earth and man, Korea’s innate system of thought, and thus functioning throughout the flows of Korea’s proud history.