民族史의 전개와 祭天 祭地 稱帝建元 그리고 以小事大 (The Development of National History, the Rituals of Heavenand Mother Earth Worship, the Practice of Establishing Era Names,and the Ideology of Subservience to a Greater Power)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국고전번역원
· 수록지 정보 : 민족문화 / 65권 / 355 ~ 407페이지
· 저자명 : 이민홍

초록

반만년 民族史의 전개 과정에서 우리 민족은 중국 등 초강대국과 이웃하여 살면서 많은 고통을 감내해야 했다. 이를 今人과 後人에게 알려 鑑戒를 삼아 미래를 자주적 장을 열어야 한다고 인식하여, ‘以古論今’의 시각으로 본고를 작성했다.
중국은 우리 前朝들을 諸侯國이나 屬國으로 취급하여 제도적으로 온갖 장치를 가해 억압했고, 물질적으로 착취에 가까운 朝貢을 지속적으로 강요했다. 중원에 대한 조공의 역사는 단기 2365년(서기 32) 이후부터 조선조 말엽까지 수 천 년 동안 계속되었다.
중국은 고대와 중세 제후국 백성들의 신앙 문제에 관심을 가지고 철저하게 제약했다. 고대와 중세에 우리 민족의 기층 종교였던 ‘祭天’과 ‘祭地’를 그들 소위 ‘天子王朝’만이 할 수 있다는 논리를 내세워 철저하게 금지시켰는데, 당시에는 이른바 天下를 통치하기 위해 매우 중요한 사안이었던 것 같다.
제천은 冬至에 北郊, 제지는 夏至의 南郊에서 행했다. 중원의 제천 제지 의례가 들어오기 전 檀君은 ‘摩尼山’에서 제천을 했고, 부여는 ‘迎鼓’ 고구려는 ‘東盟’ 예와 진한은 ‘舞天’ 신라는 ‘日月祭’ 등으로 칭한 민족 정통 제천을 행했다. 제천은 단군조선 시대부터 행해진 민족 정통종교였다. 호한한 중원의 ‘사서’들에 단군에 관한 기록이 전혀 없다. 단군의 ‘靈異事績’은 오로지 『삼국유사』에만 전한다.
역대 중원 제국주의 왕조들은 동아시아를 완벽하게 장악하기 위해, 새로운 왕이 즉위하거나 계승하면 ‘年號’를 ‘建元’하거나 ‘改元’하는 것이 관례였는데, 저들의 연호를 사용하게 하기 위해 자기들만이 할 수 있고 제후왕은 불가하다고 했다. 중원의 이 같은 압제 속에서도 고구려 광개토대왕의 연호 ‘永樂’과 신라 법흥왕의 ‘建元’ 발해 고왕의 ‘天統’ 태봉국 궁왕의 ‘武泰’ 고려 태조의 ‘天授’ 고종황제의 ‘光武’ 등의 자체 紀年이 당당하게 시행되었지만, 종국에는 모두 불명예스럽게 폐기되었다. 중세에 발간된 모든 ‘문헌’과 ‘묘비’ 등에 중국 연호와 말년에 일본 연호까지 사용하는 치욕도 겪었다.
제왕 서거 후 올린 ‘廟號’의 경우도 역년이 천년에 가까운 삼국시대에, 고구려의 ‘大祖大王(國祖王)’과 신라의 ‘太宗武烈王’ 두 분밖에 없고 나머지는 전부 ‘OO王’이었다. 고려조 전반기에는 묘호가 일반적으로 사용되었지만, 몽골제국 이후 후반기에는 모두 왕으로만 칭해졌다. 조선조의 경우는 묘호 사용이 용인되었다.
‘稱帝建元’과 ‘以小事大’는 하나로 묶여 민족사의 전개에 질곡이 되어 자존과 긍지에 심각한 상처를 주었고, 지금에 와서 중원에 대한 ‘舊事大主義’와 서구의 종교와 이념에 물던 ‘新事大主義’로 분화되어 형식을 달리하여 살아남아 있다. 반만년 역사에서 칭제 기간은, 역사상 최초인 궁왕의 13년과 고종 순종의 14년을 합쳐 ‘27년’이 전부이다.
반만년 역사를 향유한 ‘國祚’에 비하면 한심한 실적이다. 칭제건원에 입각하여 ‘紀年’을 기준으로 할 때, ‘以小事大’의 역년은 약 4329년이나 되며, 이 시기 우리는 천자가 아닌 제후 왕으로 존재했다. 이제 우리는 이 같은 아픈 과거를 극복하여, 우리 나름의 칭제건원의 창출과 西紀와 병행하여, 자주기년인 ‘檀君紀元’도 다시 되살릴 때가 되었다.

영어초록

In the course of five thousand years of national history, Korean people have endured significant hardships while living adjacent to superpowers such as China. Based on a recognition of the importance of informing modern people and subsequent generations about these challenges and using the lessons learned to pave the way for an autonomous future, this paper is written from the perspective of discussing the present situation based on the past.
China treated the previous dynasties as either vassal states or subordinates, systematically suppressing them through various means and continuously extracting tributes bordering on exploitation. The history of tributes to the China persisted for thousands of years, from the Tan'gun calendar year 2365 (A.D. 32) to the end of the Joseon Dynasty.
In the ancient and medieval periods, China was interested in the religious practices of the people in its vassal states and strictly regulated them. In ancient times and the Middle Ages, the foundational religions of our people, namely the “heaven worship ritual” and “mother earth worship ritual”, were strictly prohibited. This was based on the belief that only “the kingdom of a son of Heaven” could perform these rituals, which appears to have been considered a critically important issue in governance at that time.
The heaven worship ritual was held in the northern outskirts(北郊) on the winter solstice and the mother earth worship ritual was held in outhern outskirts(南郊) on the summer solstice.
Before the heaven worship ritual and the mother earth worship ritual were imported from the Central Plains of China, Tan'gun had held a heaven worship ritual in Manisan. Likewise, in kingdoms of subsequent eras, such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Ye, and Jinhan, as well as Silla, the heaven worship ritual ceremonies were held according to national traditions. These cremonies were respectively referred to as the “Welcoming Drums (迎鼓)” in Buyeo, “Dawn (東盟)” in Goguryeo, “Dancing to Heaven (舞天)” in Ye and Jinhan, and “Memorial Service for the Sun and the Moon (日月祭)” in Silla. The Heaven-worship ritual was a traditional ethnic religion that has been practiced since the Tan'gun Joseon era. There is no record of Tan'gun in many Central Plains Chinese history books. The “spiritual and extraordinary achievements” of Tan'gun are only documented in Samguk Yusa(Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms).
In order to exert complete control over East Asia, former central Chinese imperial dynasties customarily “established the name of an era (建元)” or “changed the title (改元)” when a new king ascended or succeeded. They asserted that only they had the authority to perform such actions, and the kings of vassal states were not allowed to use their era names.
Despite oppression by the central imperial dynasties, self-generated chronologies(紀年) were proudly implemented by various Korean kings: examples include “Yŏng-lak (永樂)” by King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo, the “Established Prime (建元)” by King Beopheung of Silla, “Ch'ŏn-t'ong (天統)” by King Ko of Balhae, “Mu-t'ae (武泰)” by King Kung of Taebong, “Bestowed by Heaven (天授)” by King Taejo of Goryeo, and “Martial Brilliance (光武)” by Emperor Gojong. However, all of them were ultimately discredited. In the Middle Ages, Korea used the Chinese era names in all documents and gravestones, and in later years, it also suffered the disgrace of being compelled to use Japanese era names.
In the case of the temple title(廟號) posted after the king's death, there were only two examples, “Tae-cho-tae-wang(大祖大王, 國祖王),” of Goguryeo and “T'ae-chong-mu-yŏl-wang(太宗武烈王)” of Silla in the many centuries of the Three Kingdoms period. The rest were designated as “king ____.” Temple titles was ere commonly used in the first half of the Goryeo Dynasty, but in the second half, after the Mongol Empire, all rulers were referred to simply as kings. In the case of the Joseon Dynasty, the use of the temple title was allowed.
The act of “claiming the throne and assuming the first reign title after the founding of a dynasty(稱帝建元)” and the ideology of subservience to a greater power were intertwined and pervasive in the development of Korea's national history, significantly impacting self-esteem and pride. Now, such attitudes persist in modified forms, having evolved into an older form of the subservient ideology related to the past and a newer version which incorporates elements of Western religions and ideologies. In the five millennia of Korean history, the periods in which the nation's leader proclaimed oneself emperor amounted to a total of only 27 years, combining the 13 years of King Kung, the first in history, and the 14 years of King Gojong and Sunjong.
This is a pathetic performance considerning the national dynasties over five millennia of history. Based on 紀年 and rooted in the practice of “claiming the throne and assuming the first reign title after the founding of a dynasty(稱帝建元),” the era of subservient ideology spans about 4329 years, during which Korea existed as vassal states rather than celestial emperors.
Now it's time for Korea to overcome this painful past, create Korea's own practice of “claiming the throne and assuming the first reign after the foundation of a dynasty(稱帝建元),” and revive the autonomous calendar system, Tan'gun calendar, in parallel with the Anno Domini(A.D.).

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