신라 중대 만월태후의 자기인식과 ‘성덕대왕신종(聖德大王神鍾)’ (A Study on Self-Awareness of the Manwall in the Middle Shilla Dynasty: an Analysis of ‘Sacred Bell of King Sungduk the Great (聖德大王神鍾)’)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국여성사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 여성과 역사 / 27호 / 139 ~ 166페이지
· 저자명 : 이현주

초록

만월태후는 어린 아들을 대신하여 섭정을 하였다. 만월태후 섭정기에는 많은 반란이 있엇다. 따라서 만월태후의 섭정기에 무엇보다 중요한 사안은 왕권의 안정이었다. 그러기 위해서 왕위를 위협하는 세력으로부터 통치의 정당성과 왕권의 정통성을 표방해야만 했다. 만월태후는 내부적으로는 정치적 실권자와의 연대를 추진하였고, 외부적으로는 당과의 외교를 통해 신라 내부의 안정을 도모하였다.
봉덕사와 봉덕사종, 즉 <성덕대왕신종>은 섭정인 만월태후가 통치의 정당성과 왕권의 정통성을 주창하기 위한 기제였다. <성덕대왕신종>의 명문에 따르면, 태후가 은혜로우므로 백성을 교화하고, 父子의 효성을 장려하셨다고 하였다. 만월태후가 <성덕대왕신종>의 완성을 주도하였던 것이다. 만월태후는 <성덕대왕신종>의 완성을 통해 성덕왕-경덕왕-혜공왕에 이르는 왕통의 정통성을 주장하고, 그럼으로써 통치의 정당성을 내세우고자 하였다.
『삼국유사』에서는 만월태후와 경덕왕이 힘들게 아들을 얻은 내용이 기록되어 있다. 그에 따르면, 본래 여자인 혜공왕이 남자로 태어난 것이므로, 돌날부터 왕위에 오를 때까지 항상 부녀가 하는 짓을 했다고 한다. 이는 나라에 변고를 가져왔고, 결국 혜공왕은 선덕왕과 김경신에게 죽임을 당했다고 하였다. 역사 기록에서 만월태후와 혜공왕은 패자이고, 선덕왕과 원성왕은 승자이다. 승자의 시각에서 혜공왕은 자격이 없는 왕이어야 했고, 왕위 찬탈은 신라를 위한 정당한 구국의 행위여야 했다.
섭정기의 만월태후는 반란세력을 진압하는 한편 왕권을 안정시키기 위하여 내부적으로는 정치적 실권자와의 연대를 추진하였고, 외부적으로는 당과의 외교를 통해 신라 내부의 안정을 도모하였다. 또한 만월태후는 경덕왕의 유지를 받들어 <성덕대왕신종>을 완성하였는데, 이는 섭정인 만월태후가 통치의 정당성과 왕권의 정통성을 주창하기 위한 기제였다.

영어초록

This study considers formation of self-awareness of royal women in the middle Shilla dynasty and the resulting political position and role focusing on the Manwall. The Manwall is the Queen Dowage. The Manwall is the mother of the King Hyegong(惠恭王) of last king in the middle Shilla Dynasty.
The Royal women’s affiliation and role change after marriage, and their base of affiliation changes from True-bone status to royal family. For them, royal marriage is a mechanism for formation of self-awareness. Self-awareness leads to establishment of political position and then it is expressed as a political role. The change of status according to affiliation leads to the movement of psychological base, which is expressed as a political role.
Especially royal women in the middle Shilla dynasty are placed at the contact point of True-bone status and royal family through marriage. True-bone status women become a member of royal family. The Manwall is the representative example of formation of self-awareness and political role of middle Shilla dynasty royal women.
The Manwall was the queen of King Kyungduk and the queen mother of King Hyegong. She, who once was True-bone status woman, became queen after marriage and then became queen dowager because her son became king. She also acted as a regent on behalf of her young son. In this study, formation of her self-awareness and resulting formation of political base and role were examined.
The Manwall acted as a regent in place of her young son. The legitimacy of King Hyegong was an essential element which gave justification for her role as a regent. The completion of ‘Sacred Bell of King Sungduk the Great(聖德大王神鐘)’ and an active interchange with Tang dynasty of China are the remarkable points during her regency. First of all, the completion of ‘Sacred Bell of King Sungduk the Great(聖德大王神鐘)’ was the result of her enthusiastic will. According to the bell’s inscription, she encouraged the filial piety(孝) of King Kyungduk and Hyegong, and made the bell by King Kyungduk’s will. The bell was the symbol of the great achievements of King Sungduk and filial love of King Kyungduk and King Hyegong who was the son of King Kyungduk. It was intended to claim legitimacy of King Sungduk - Kyungduk - Hyegong through their filial piety. In summary, the bell was the mechanism for advocating the justice of the Manwall’s regency and legitimacy of royal authority.
The Manwall promoted solidarity with political power holder through the political symbol of the ‘Sacred Bell of King Sungduk the Great(聖德大王神鐘)’. KIM Ong and KIM Yang-sang were on the list of people who directed the cast of the bell. They were referred to as Wongu(元舅) and a faithful retainer(忠臣). Especially Kim Ong was referred to as King’s Wongu, which means uncle. It was the Manwall’s intend to emphasize the affinity with him considering his political position.
In short, the Manwall’s rule as a regent was an effort to preserve the royal authority from King Sungduk to Kyungduk and Hyegong in the middle Shilla dynasty. To achieve this, she promoted solidarity with political power holder internally and domestic stability through diplomacy with Tang dynasty externally. As mentioned above, the bell was the mechanism for supporting the justice of her regency and legitimacy of royal authority. This shows one aspect of her self-awareness as the queen and the queen dowager of the middle Shilla dynasty. She defines herself as a queen dowager and plays a political role to protect and preserve the throne of her young son and the legitimacy of the royal family.

참고자료

· 없음