The Implementation and Transformation of the Yukjeongchoje(六丁醮祭, Taoist Sacrificial Rite of the Six Ding) in Late Goryeo

Analysis of the Ritual Process and Meaning of the Rite of Brightening Up Light on February 15th(上元燃燈會儀) in the Goryeo Period

Na’rye was a dynastic ritual performed as a role play by people with masks, on the very last day of a year. The ritual was intended to repel mean spirits, and also to wish a happy and healthy new year. The ritual was originally from China, and after it was introduced to the Korean peninsula Koryo practiced it regularly. Examined in this article is its procedure as well as its meaning, based on Chinese and Koryo records as well as ritualistic theories.BR There were three stages in the Na’rye ritual of Koryo: first the stage of preparation, when performers were selected and details of the service were prepared, then the stage of repelling evil spirits, and finally the stage of holding a service for Tae’eum, the Great Yin. Na’rye was performed by the King, other personnel(Jinja, Jibsaja, etc.), and the Naja performers. The ritual was held in the Dae’gwan-jeon Hall, the Euibong-mun Gate(of the palace), and the Imperial “Hwangseong” Fortress, at dawn of the first day of the year.BR The Koryo Na’rye’s observed protocols that were essentially the same with the Dang one, which had usually been deemed the grandest. When the ritual was held, the Koryo King would invite the performers inside and allowed the ‘commencement of the ritual, turning his own working space into a ritualistic one. Also, in Koryo Na’rye a white rooster was sacrificed for the Tae’eum ritual in order to repel evil energy, resolve past conflicts and invite a fresh new year. Later the white rooster was replaced by a clay cow, which again changed to liquor and fruits, reflecting changes in the Na’rye’s meaning, from a cleansing ritual (purifying the palace and the Hwangseong capital) to a Confucian ritual hoping for a good harvest.BR Na’rye was ultimately a political ritual, considering there were certain paradoxical elements as well as peculiar temporal and visual features within it. It was a ritual held essentially to reinforce the Kings’ authorities, by preventing political conflicts in advance through a staged act of repelling evil spirits. And changes in the sacrificial objects also signified it was not merely a simple exorcising ritual. 

Characteristics and Meaning of the Goryeo Royal Exorcism Rite(Na’rye, 儺禮)

환구(圜丘)제사는 유교적 성격을 가진 국가의례 가운데 위상이 가장 높은 제사이다. 고려왕조는 정월 상신일 환구단에서 하늘의 신인 상제와 왕조의 창업주인 태조에게 송아지[犢]을 잡아 바쳐 한 해의 풍년을 기원하였다. 본 논문에서는 고려시대 환구제사의 희생물을 처리하는 과정을 고찰하고, 그 가운데 특이점을 도출하여 환구제사의 성격과 의미를 가늠해 보았다. 고려 환구제사에서는 희생이 신을 맞이하기 위해 적합한 상태인지 점검하고, 도살한 뒤 머리·피·몸통을 분리한다. 분리된 희생의 머리와 피는 신을 맞이하기 위한 영신단계에서 사용되었다. 몸통은 삶은 후 별도의 제기에 담아 각 신좌 앞 제사상에 올렸으며, 국왕·태위·광록경이 헌작한 다음, 요단에서 제사상에 올렸던 고기와 제물들을 태워 신을 돌려보내는 과정을 거쳐 제사를 종결하였다. 고려 환구제사의 희생 처리에는 두 가지 특징이 있다. 첫 번째는 희생의 머리를 태워 연기를 내는 행위로서 신을 맞이 하기 위해 실행되었다. 이 행위는 고려초 성종대 환구제사 설행 초기가 아닌 고려중기 예종대부터 시행되었을 가능성이 농후하다. 두 번째는 모혈, 그 중에서도 ‘피’의 문제이다. 고기로부터 분리된 피가 ‘생명력’, ‘생동감’이라는 본연의 상징성을 토대로 희생의 신선함을 부각시키는 실용적 기능을 수행함과 동시에, 피가 제거된 깨끗한 희생물로써 제사대상에 대한 예우를 극대화한 외양 또한 연출하였을 가능성이 있다. 

How Sacrifices were Processed in the Round-altar Rite(圜丘祭祀) of Goryeo, and Its Meaning

The peony was studied only as a object to appreciated by the Confucian minister(儒臣) and bureaucrats of the Goryeo Dynasty, but this paper examined that the peony symbolized the power of the kingship. 
It was used as a flower symbolizing the kingship through the act of putting flowers on the head[戴花] in the royal(or national) rite(ex. royal banquet) related to the king, visualizing the process of conveying the command of the king, or appreciating it with the scholars and creating poetry[賞花]. 
On the other hand, there were various meanings surrounding the peony between the king and the bureaucracy, because those who mobilized the peony selectively gave the meaning of the power, wealth, beauty, and luxury of the king and ruler to the flower according to the purpose of using it. In other words, various meanings were derived according to the politics and class of those who call the peony, and the symbolism of the peony became more diverse according to the purpose and viewpoint of the users. 
This situation has come to have various meanings as the material called peony has passed through the ages. It is the result of the re-appropriation of peonies in various ways through the time and space of each person, their position, and experience. The same peony has also been reborn in a different context depending on what meaning it has given and recognized, and it is necessary to approach various other symbols of the Goryeo Dynasty based on this perspective.

Performance and Cultural Meaning: Focusing on the Peony(牡丹) in the Goryeo Dynasty

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