현존 최고(最古)의 매향비: 영암 정원명(貞元銘) 석비(石碑)

Abstract

Yeong-am’s ‘Jeongwon (貞元)’ stone monument, designated as the Jeollanam-do Cultural Heritage Object No. 181, is considered to be the oldest of the epigraphs in Jeollanam-do. Immediately after the discovery, the possibilityof it being a Maehyangbi of Memorial Inscriptions was mentioned and attracted attention. However, there is anabsolute age of the ‘Jeongwon (貞元) of 2 years’ (786), so despite it is a relatively early epigraph (金石文), there are notmany papers on the theme related to this stone monument. I believe that this stone monument is a Maehyangbi (埋香碑). While reviewing and comparing the results ofthe existing research, I decoded the text from the 42nd character of the 4th line. As a result of the review, that wasconducted, it was confirmed that this stone monument is truly a Maehyangbi (埋香碑). In particular, it was recordedin the literature of the late Joseon Dongguk-myungsanggi (東國名山記) that the letters of the Maehyangbi (埋香碑)are not recognizable. However, it is clearly stated that this stone monument is a Maehyangbi (埋香碑). Although thereis no common expression for ‘bury (埋)’ or ‘incense burial (埋香)’ in the traditional Maehyangbi (埋香碑), which werepopular in the late Goryeo and early Joseon Periods, it can be seen that it is a Maehyangbi (埋香碑) from the words “hide(呑藏)” and “10 bundles of fragrant incense (合香十束)” that are engraved on the stone monument with the name‘Jeongwon.’ In other words, it is thought that it meant ‘hide (呑藏)’ instead of ‘bury (埋)’. Circumstantial evidence forthe monument of Jingamseonsa (眞鑑禪師), built in 888, contains the an epigraph from the Unified Silla Era. Thereis a phrase on it that says ‘Plant incense on the shore (海岸植香)’ on the monument of Jingamseonsa (眞鑑禪師), andit conveys its meaning without using the character ‘bury (埋)’. As a result of the absence of the character ‘bury (埋)’on the stone monument with the name ‘Jeongwon’, it is not considered as a Maehyangbi (埋香碑). However, there is evidence that the stone monument with the name ‘Jeongwon (貞元)’ is in fact a Maehyangbi(埋香碑) and it is also in the Geumpyoseok (禁標石; Forbidden Stone) around Gukjangsaeng (國長生) and at theentrance of Dogapsa Temple (道甲寺). The letters written on the gold sign suggest the possibility that the charcoalused to burn incense (香炭) at the royal tombs of King Jeongjo (正祖) was produced around at Dogapsa Temple (道甲寺) in Wolchulsan (月出山). Since the charcoal used to burn incense (香炭) is naturally related to incense (香), it hasbeen shown that the area around Wolchulsan, where Dogapsa Temple is located, has a long history related to incense(香). The letters visible on the stone monument, the record of Dongguk-myungsanggi (東國名山記) in the late JoseonDynasty, and the letters on the Geompyoseok (禁標石; Forbidden Stone), all show that the stone monument with thename ‘Jeongwon (貞元)’ is a Maehyangbi (埋香碑). Considering the fact that the earliest Maehyangbi (埋香碑) in existence is the Maehyangbi (埋香碑) in Yeongam (靈巖) Ippam-ri (笠巖里), which has two dates from 1371 at the end of Goryeo and 1410 at the beginning of Joseon, thestone monument with the name ‘Jeongwon’ which was set up in 786, would be the oldest Maehyangbi (埋香碑) thatwe know of. In addition, there is a historical significance in that the Maehyangbi (埋香碑) is proven in the record ofDongguk-myungsanggi (東國名山記), a document from the late Joseon period.