智異山의 山神, 聖母에서 老姑까지

Abstract

Shilla kingdom took Samsanohak System from China as a way to rule the country and strengthen the power of king after unifying the three countries, Corea, Baekjae and Shilla. A daughter of Chinese Royal family learned magic and became a mother of moutain gods. She came to Shilla and settled in Sundo Mountain as a god mother. She was located in Sundo Mountain and became a goddess who protected the country as Shilla located gods of Samsanohak in mountains around the country. The mountain-worship of China began to have characteristics of Esoteric Buddhism in the process of coming to Shilla and prevailed in the country. People in Shilla worshiped Buddha carved on rock as they worshiped mountain gods and recognized Bosal (female buddhist) as a goddess of mountain. The concept on a god and a goddess reflected Sungmocheonwang of Jiri Mountain and the examples are a statue of Baekeuyeosang (a woman in white clothes) at a temple in Cheonwang Peak, Jiri Mountain and the one in Yeowonchi, Namwon. Sungmocheonwang of Jiri Mountain maintained its divinity as a holy mother from the period of United Shilla kingdom to the middle of Corea then it turned into Gomo, Dogo and Baekmo from the late Corea to the middle of Chosun Dynasty. During Chosun Dynasty, Buddhism settled in as a folk lore because Neo-confucianism prevails. Mountain worship became a part of life in late Chosun and mountain gods began to humanize. Therefore, Sungmocheonwang fell in love, married, had 8 daughters and as time went by she became an old woman (Nogo or Nogu). Sungmocheonwang was holy mother or Nangnang (lady) at first then Gomo or Dogo and finally became Nogo or Nogu (grandma). There are stories that Sungmocheonwang was Buddha's mother, Maya or mother of Wangun, king of Corea, Wisukwanghu. It seems that various stories on goddesses are related to goddess incarnate (Gwanum Bosal) who appeared as various goddesses. Gwanum Bosal in white clothes showed in various figures at temples built in the 17th, below Cheonwang Peak around Jiri Mountain. According to the books about hiking around Jiri Mountain written during Chosun Dynasty, the holy mother at Sungmo temple located on Cheonwang Peak was described as Baekeuyeosang (a woman in white clothes). It was made during the period of Corea for people as a figure of Baekeugwanumbosal. The various appearance of a god of Jiri Mountain suggests it has realistic belifs on goddess incarnate.